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Man Opens Up His Home to Shelter 300 Dogs From a Hurricane: ‘It doesn’t matter if the house is dirty’
During a recent hurricane on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Ricardo Pimentel opened up his home to stray dogs so they'd be safe.
Social & Lifestyle
Ricardo Pimentel may not have had an ark to ride out the storm, but he’s being hailed as something of a modern-day Noah nonetheless.
As deadly hurricane Delta bore down on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula tearing a path of destruction directly to his door, Pimentel herded hundreds of animals—including more than 300 dogs, numerous rabbits, chickens, and even a hedgehog—inside his home to shelter them from the storm. (A flock of sheep huddled for safety on the patio.)
Though his house took a beating, inside and out, the entire menagerie survived. “It doesn’t matter if the house is dirty, it can be cleaned,” Pimentel told AP. “The things they broke can be fixed or bought again, but what’s beautiful is to see them happy, healthy and safe, without wounds and with the possibility of being adopted.”
Pimentel’s actions were no surprise to those who know him. The home he shares with his family serves as the hub of Tierra de Animales (Land of Animals), the 10-year-old animal sanctuary he founded about 20 miles southwest of Cancun.
Knowing supplies might be hard to come by, prior to the storm, Pimentel posted to social media about his concerns for the welfare of his flock. As Delta raged, he also posted pictures from inside his house—which looked like a real-life version of 101 Dalmatians—times three.