If you're a pet parent, you know that you'd do anything to keep your four-legged companion safe, even if that means risking your own safety in the process. One woman demonstrated such courage just last weekend, as a catastrophic flood consumed everything in its path.
Valerie Broussard, a resident of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, finally decided on Sunday that it was time to leave her home – the floodwaters were coming ever nearer, and a band of strangers had offered to take her as far as they could. There were eight reasons why she'd hung on as long as she had, and Valerie refused to leave without her pack of dogs – even as her relatives begged her to join them at their homes, which were largely unaffected. We're sure that other pet parents would be similarly distraught at the thought. Prior to evacuating her home, Valerie even took the time to rescue her neighbors' cats as they clung on to a nearby roof; taking a series of Tupperware containers to use as carriers, she plucked each cat to safety.
Following her arrival at a neighbor's home, Valerie refused to go any further without her dogs. The U.S. Coast Guard agreed that they would take her and her pets to safety. The family is currently living in temporary accommodation at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, which has been kitted out with food and supplies since the arrival of the floodwaters. As one of the only shelters where pet parents can stay with their furry friends, the center has become home to thousands of Louisiana residents. Valerie has two stalls, which house Voodoo, Tiger Lily, Gator Bait, Lady Bug, Krystal, Blue, Angel Face, and Purdy Girl; she sleeps on a cot bed alongside the smaller pooches.
While just a few of her belongings made the trip, and now remain in a black plastic bag, Valerie is philosophical: "It's better than being dead," she mused.
We wish Valerie and her dogs all the best.
Photo ©Chris Granger, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)
