Flash Flooding becomes a significant pest for Animal Aid Humane Society

It’s been raining cats and dogs, and all that severe weather is making the work of a Moline animal shelter harder.

Heavy rain brings waves of flash flooding.

It’s been an ongoing issue for years at Animal Aid Humane Society.

The staff there told Local 4 News, this week has been among the worst they’ve seen.

Water made its way into the basement where they had kennels full of dogs and puppies.

The dike that runs along the railroad tracks at the end of 50th Street and 4th Avenue acts like a bowl.

When the area experiences pouring rain, it quickly fills up.

This week has been especially problematic.

During the worst of the storms, Wednesday morning water started to make it’s way up to Animal Aid’s building and sneaking in through the wall.

Animal Aid Humane Society President Vickie Sanders, “Oh what a mess, big mess.” 

While most of Vickie Sanders’s day is spent trying to find permanent homes for canines and felines.

Sanders said, “They’ll be callen. This Siamese mixes everybody wants.”

What she wants to go now is an uninvited guest.

Sanders said, “Any time it says flash floods, we have to be prepared for this, cause this fills up really fast, and they don’t have a big enough pump down there at the dike.”

Vickie, president of Animal Aid Humane Society, said for the third time this year, flash flooding has them drying out.

Sanders said, “All water, all the way back and all that was in the water.” That’s the description she provided in the backyard, showing water covering half the property. 

But this week’s experience is among their worst.

Sanders said, “Came in the walls into the basement, which it hadn’t done that before.”

That quickly created a problem.

Sanders said, “The dogs yesterday, when we came in were standing in about two inches of water, so we hurried up and got them out of there into a nice dry, warm place.”

She went on to say, “Almost went to get sandbags to put around the lower corner of the building where the water came in at.”

But Vickie is hoping they won’t have to deal with this for much longer.

Sanders said, “Build a new shelter, and hopefully we can leave this all behind.”

They have a location by the Moline Walmart on 44th Street and plans drawn up.

“No basement,” said Sanders

And a contractor, planning to start work this summer. 

But until their able to move into a new home, Vickie wants Mother Nature’s turn down the faucet. 

Sanders said, “Hopefully, this will be the end of it.”

Vickie told Local 4 News it usually takes the pump about 24 hours to clear most of the water.

Animal Aid is looking for donations for their new shelter. For information, reach out to them (309) 797-6550 or online.