Nearly 80 Dogs Rescued From La. Shelter To Arrive In NY

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Dozens of dogs are getting a second chance at finding new homes after being rescued from an overcrowded animal shelter in Louisiana.

Nearly 80 dogs are set to arrive in New York at Pets Alive animal rescue centers in Middletown and Elmsford on Wednesday.

It's all part of a collaborative effort between Pets Alive, the ASPCA and Companion Animal Alliance of Baton Rouge.

Kerry Clair, executive director of Pets Alive, said the Baton Rouge animal shelter has over 400 animals and reached out to the ASPCA to help find homes for 78 dogs so they wouldn't have to be euthanized.

"The shelter down in Baton Rouge had continued to take in animals and they had gotten overwhelmed," Clair told 1010 WINS.

She said of the 78 dogs set to arrive, 90 percent are puppies.

"We're pretty much known for taking the harder to place dogs, so this is very exciting for us," Clair said. "I think we're all looking forward to seeing their cuddly faces."

The dogs are mostly small mixed breeds with a handful of large breeds, according to the ASPCA, which is handling the transport.

"It is always a great pleasure for us to be a part of a process that promises happy endings," Kristen Limbert, manager of animal relocation for the ASPCA, said in a statement.

Before leaving Baton Rouge, all the dogs were given any necessary medical care, examinations, vaccinations and were spayed or neutered.

"It is a relief and joy knowing that 78 dogs and puppies now have a second chance at life and loving homes," Kimberly Sherlaw, executive director of Companion Animal Alliance, said in a statement.

And while getting 78 dogs may seem like a lot, Clair said that's not the case for Pets Alive.

"We adopt out about 120 to 150 dogs a month between our two locations in the New York area," she said.

For more information, visit www.petsalive.org.