Cats and dogs from tornado-ravaged Tennessee arrive in Chicago

As the wind shrieked and buildings shuddered all around them, it’s hard to imagine what terrors blossomed in their cat and dog minds.

But things are looking sunnier now for 13 cats and 10 dogs that were plucked from animal shelters in tornado-ravaged Nashville, Tennessee, arrived in Chicago Friday morning.

“Generally, what we’re seeing is a lot of very stressed animals, very shy and fearful animals,” said Carlos Adan, volunteer program manager with PAWS Chicago, where the animals arrived in two cargo vans.

Two tornadoes churned across Tennessee this week, shredding homes and businesses and leaving at least 25 people dead, according to The Tennessean newspaper.

Volunteers with PAWS brought the animals back to “help alleviate the overcrowding that we know is coming,” Adan said.

“If you lost everything and you’re not sure where you might be staying, in some cases the pets are going to be something that’s given up; it’s not ever a thing anyone wants to do of course,” Adan said.

Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Pets left homeless by recent tornadoes in Nashville arrive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., where they will receive medical care and eventually be available for adoption, Friday morning, March 6, 2020. | Provided by PAWS Chicago

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Four PAWS volunteers drove through the night, arriving in Chicago just before dawn.

“There was lots of meowing and barking to start,” said Adan, noting the animals were placed in “airline-style carriers” before being loaded into the vans.

The animals will need to be medically cleared for adoption, a process that could take a few days to a few weeks, Adan said.

“Our goal is to get them into tiptop shape healthwise, learn more about their behavior and send them into adopted homes because a shelter can be very stressful for cats and dogs,” he said.

To learn more, go to pawschicago.org.