Hurricane Dorian has been devastating the small Caribbean nation of the Bahamas, leaving a trail of destruction and heartache behind it. Already, five people have lost their lives and more than 13,000 homes have been left severely damaged. It is a catastrophic event that will take many years for the nation to recover from.

It is heartbreaking to note, also, that amid the human loss and suffering that these tragic natural disasters bring about, animals are often forgotten about. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be for these poor creatures, some of them already abandoned, not knowing what's going on or if there is a safe place left to take shelter.

The Voiceless Dogs of Nassau, Bahamas only have one person they can count on when they feel afraid. That person is Chella Phillips. Chella is the only person behind the rescue organization and she doesn't receive any help from the government or the Humane Society. But Chella loves the dogs, and she refuses to let them down.

So when Dorian hit, instead of leaving many defenseless and scared dogs out on the streets to face the storm alone, Chella decided to take as many as she possibly could home with her, packing 97 dogs in total into her home.

Chella rescues dogs from the streets of Nassau and makes sure they are vetted and vaccinated. The dogs then live at her refuge until they are able to go to a suitable shelter where they can then be rehomed properly.

Many homeless dogs have now left the streets because of Chella and her refuge.

But keeping up with the demands of the refuge is a struggle for Chella.

“New dogs each day, each week, each month, new mouths to feed and care. That is a reality I cannot escape anymore,” she says.

“This is a small island, yet thousands of homeless dogs are roaming the streets in search of food, water, love. They are all looking for the same, someone to love them and be kind to them. You would think that is not too much to ask, but here, it is. Not many people see these homeless dogs as sentient beings.”

Since Chella has shared her story on social media, she has been receiving donations from all over the world. More importantly though, shelters have been offering to take dogs and help find them new homes.

“Each of my babies deserve to have loving homes, so please, I am begging for rescues to help them!! My heart is breaking that I left so many on the streets cause I had no more room to bring them. Please.. Please!!”

If you'd like to help Chella and her pups, you can do so by donating to the regular monthly fundraiser or by using the PayPal address for the refuge: [email protected]

Here's how people have reacted to Chella's story.