Soft beds, full bellies: Triangle shelters welcome dogs from Puerto Rico

Close to 80 pets from Puerto Rico will arrive at Raleigh-Durham International Airport Thursday night to escape the devastation following Hurricane Maria.

They've been flown to North Carolina by the Humane Society of the United States. Several local shelters and rescues will be waiting to take them in.

Many of the rescue animals were already up for adoption in Puerto Rico, but after the storm hit, the shelters couldn’t care for them.

The SPCA of Wake County is one of the local shelters stepping in to help. Kim Janzen, president and CEO, said they are taking around 40 animals.

"We will begin immediately assessing them, and making sure they have everything they need,” she said. “For the first time in weeks, these dogs will have a soft bed, a full belly and physical safety,"