Chinquapin and Florence are two lucky canine survivors of recent Hurricane Florence, which battered the Carolina coast and claimed 42 lives.

The mother-pup duo captured scores of Fox News viewers’ hearts when video showed them being rescued by Fox News correspondent Leland Vittert (shown above) and local volunteer fire department personnel in Chinquapin, North Carolina.

Close

The malnourished and dehydrated dogs had climbed onto a porch to try to escape the rising floodwaters when Vittert and the emergency team heard their desperate barks — and were soon piloting their rescue boat over to save them.

The pair were in rough shape, to say the least.

“What a difference a week will make,” said Vittert in a follow-up segment a week later, reporting on the dogs’ progress and their happy fate (see video, below).

Indeed, by the time the grateful, tail-wagging pair were briefly reunited with Vittert, their physical improvement was visible — and remarkable. Thanks to the loving care and heroic efforts of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue (LDAR), located in Washington, D.C., Chinquapin (the puppy) and Florence (the mama dog) received veterinary intervention that started them on the road to recovery.

They were later transported to Washington, where the organization is fostering them as they await adoption.

The dogs’ situation is but one story of many.

“We took in more than 80 evacuees in advance of the hurricane and are still getting requests for help with animals found during the storm,” LDAR’s founder and executive director, Mirah Horowitz, told LifeZette.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

“There is continual flooding in North and South Carolina,” she explained. “We took in a pregnant mastiff mom [on Monday] who was in a shelter being evacuated for imminent flooding. Other shelters have been washed out completely.”

Horowitz also noted the increased need for funds, fostering, and volunteers as the region continues to grapple with the aftermath of the deadly storm.

Horowitz further said that her foster-based rescue has no facility of its own, so they are completely dependent upon volunteers.

Related: Hurricane Florence Heroes Saved These Animals and More

LDAR is accepting applications for the adoption of Chinquapin and Florence, and will hold them in accordance with regulations covering animals found during natural disasters. If no owner comes forward — which Horowitz suspects will be the case — and the right home is found, mother and pup could be adopted out together.

As of last Sunday, Fox News viewers had raised more than $18,000 to help these two dogs and others like them who are in dire need of food, shelter, veterinary care, and permanent homes.

LDAR gratefully accepts donations on its webpage, where readers may also learn of other means by which they can help the organization’s efforts.

See Vittert’s report in the video below.

Michele Blood is a Flemington, New Jersey-based freelance writer and a regular contributor to LifeZette.