Hurricane season might be winding down, but hopefully the story of Ricardo Pimentel and his selfless rescue of hundreds of animals will live on for years to come.
Pimentel is the founder of Tierra de Animales (Land of Animals), a family owned and operated animal shelter just south of Cancun, Mexico.
Last month, as Hurricane Delta was roaring toward toward the Yucatan Peninsula, before taking aim at the US Gulf Coast, Pimentel knew he had to do something to shield and protect the shelter animals from the storm.
Fearing the storm might result in food shortages for the foreseeable future, forward thinking prompted him to make a social media appeal for donations to feed the animals.
Next, he cut down trees and branches to board up his home and animal enclosures as best he could.
Finally, he began the long, arduous task of leading hundreds of animals into his home — INTO HIS HOME! — to ensure their safety as they would ride out the storm.
Like some kind of modern day Noah, he herded and cajoled various kinds of critters inside. It took hours, he said, just to lead the more than 300 dogs individually, by leash, indoors.
"Dozens of cats were harbored in his son's room; his daughter's room served as a refuge for chicks, bunnies and even a hedgehog; a patio became a haven for a flock of sheep." - Associated Press
Check out this video:
Can you image the chaos? Not to mention the mess! But Pimentel didn't care.
"It doesn't matter if the house is dirty, it can be cleaned. 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."
In the end, his family and all the animals survived. Donations poured in to feed them all. And countless locals have shown up to help him repair the damage suffered to his home, the animal pens and stalls.
Pimentel lives by a simple motto worth emulating:
