Dog found in Hurricane Katrina helping cats at Arizona Humane Society
Sep 1, 2015, 2:55 PM
(Facebook Photo)
PHOENIX — A dog who survived Hurricane Katrina is paying it forward in an animal kingdom way in Arizona.
Boots, a 12-year-old golden retriever and chow chow mix, helps kittens between 5-8 weeks old learn to be more comfortable with new experiences, effectively making them more adoptable.
Boots was found in Louisiana’s St. Bernard Parish when he was 2. Traci Pepper with the Arizona Humane Society told People that the dog was found in 10 inches of water.
“He ducked his head down when we approached, but let us pick him up,” she told the magazine. “His paws were almost completely de-gloved, which means the skin was completely gone. We don’t even know how he was standing.”
All four of the dog’s paws were wrapped in bandages, earning him the name Boots.
“It’s so cute; now when we go to the shelter he knows he’s working,” Boots’ owner and AHS worker Susan Juergensen told People. “I think he’s saying, ‘Finally these humans have realized my talent as a nanny and given me a job!'”
AHS pulled about 200 animals out of the destruction after Katrina swept through Louisiana in 2005. See a video about their efforts below.