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.)
Although 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,” he said. “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.”
Once Delta had passed, with so many mouths to feed and a major post-storm cleanup underway, Pimentel didn’t realize his posts had gone viral until donations from around the world started pouring in. Not only that, neighbors soon arrived in the aftermath of the hurricane to help clear debris and rebuild the sanctuary.
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