JACKSONVILLE, Ark. — Since the tornado on March 31, the Jacksonville Animal Shelter has been working to reunite lost pets with their loved ones.
Normally when a stray or lost pet comes to the shelter, they wait five days for someone to come forward, and on the sixth day, they'll put the animal up for adoption. However, because of the tornado, they're determined to make sure pets make it back to their correct homes.
The shelter is located on Redmond Road, less than a few miles from Dupree Park which was destroyed by the EF-3 tornado.
“When I saw the damage down the interstate and how close it came to the shelter and what wind damage, we did have our back," Kennel Tech Linda Daugherty said. "It was scary."
Like many people at the shelter, Daugherty is thankful the building is still standing, and the animals are ok, but talking about the storm brings back difficult memories.
“My family and I were in the 1997 tornado that went through Sardis," Daugherty said. "We lost everything."
According to Daugherty, they even lost their four-legged family members.
“We had put down a dog on site," Daugherty said. "The rest of our animals we didn't know what happened to them... a few days later, my now ex-husband and a friend of his found their remains and buried him. We did have one cat that survived, and he did show up.”
Since Daugherty has dealt with the losses, working to reunite families with pets is at the top of her mind.
“A lot of misplaced animals here,” Daugherty said. “We know they're misplaced because they are healthy. They look well taken care of and they miss their owners.”
Shelter Supervisor Jamie Parker said since the tornado they've taken in dozens of dogs, and so far, 10 have been reunited with their families.
“We have some that they actually are having to board their dogs at vet clinics or somewhere else because they don't have a home to take them to,” Parker said.
Despite that, they're hopeful 11 more families will get back a piece of home after so many lost theirs.
“If you've lost your dog, and you think we might have it, just call the shelter,” Parker said.
Since the tornado, they have seen a decrease in adoptions. Right now, the shelter is full and can't take any more animals.
They're encouraging anyone who may have lost their pet or knows someone to call several shelters and double check
“There's always that chance," Daugherty said. "Always that hope you just have to have faith and you have to search."