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New Lease On Life: 21 Animals In Path Of Hurricane Florence Saved By New Jersey Shelter

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A New Jersey animal shelter has saved the lives of 21 animals that were scheduled to be euthanized due to the impending Hurricane Florence.

"It just broke my heart that innocent animals were going to be killed," said Linda Schiller, the founder of Eleventh Hour Rescue -- a shelter in Rockaway, New Jersey.

Schiller tells CBS Philly that she was contacted by a former volunteer living in North Carolina stating that more than a dozen pets were going to be killed at a shelter he works with due to overcrowding.

As the storm churned closer to the East Coast this week, Schiller jumped into action with only days to act.

"We got 21 animals out of harm's way," Schiller said. "We were able to rescue 10 cats and 11 dogs."

Some of the animals arrived Thursday in North Jersey with the help from Grateful Doggies.

All 21 animals are being evaluated and are now in foster homes. The pets will soon be up for adoption.

Schiller says the community played a huge role in saving these animals.

"The response from the community has been overwhelming. So many people stepped up," she said.

Due to that overwhelming support, the North Carolina shelter has halted all euthanizations until after the storm, but overcrowding remains an issue even after the storms hits.

Schiller says she's vowed to continue to help the shelter to provide any foster needs.

"We want to take more so these shelters will have a chance to place animals instead of euthanizing," she said.

As for the Eleventh Hour Rescue, they always need help.

"We need volunteers, we need doctors, we need financial assistance," Schiller said.

To learn more about how you can adopt or how you can help, CLICK HERE.

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