Many of you may have read the national news stories like this one about record flooding and devastating damage to the state of Tennessee this weekend. PAWS has been hit particularly hard by this natural disaster as our sanctuary is currently under five feet of water. Thanks to the incredible rescue efforts of PAWS volunteers, no dogs were lost in this storm. Volunteers bravely waded into white-capping flooded areas and removed dogs clinging to dog houses and destroyed pieces of wooden fence. As our sanctuary is currently only accessible by boat, volunteers have moved all dogs into a large home and created a temporary shelter until the waters recede. Thankfully, there is plenty of food and water and per this morning's report- everyone is in good spirits. All other Memphis area volunteers and dogs are safe and accounted for. PAWS is closely monitoring the situation at Tipton County Animal Control as Brighton, TN has been particularly hard hit by these storms. The pound has miraculously remained dry so far- but more rain and more flooding are expected today. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully and are ready to mobilize a national rescue effort if necessary.

Right now, it is impossible to begin to assess the damage. We are focusing our efforts on placing as many dogs currently at our sanctuary in to foster homes. We currently have 43 dogs in need of foster. Dogs of every breed, size, and age are in need of help. We are reaching out to you in hopes that you may be able to open your home to one of these flood refugees. If you would like to volunteer or get more information about fostering, please email Kelly Parker at kesalerno@gmail.com.

I CAN'T FOSTER, BUT I STILL WANT TO HELP

If you can't foster, here are a few things you can do to help:

• Pass this email along to friends and family that may be able to foster.
• Make a donation to help with the evacuation efforts and the rebuilding of the sanctuar.
• PAWS is considering sending a team from New England to Memphis to transport the dogs back- please email Kelly if you would be interested in being part of this effort.
• Share the contents of this email on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.