Woman Shelters Reptiles, Dogs, and Farm Animals in Her Home During a Destructive Winter Storm
When a winter storm slammed Texas last February, Carly Henry did not just worry about her own home, she turned it into a refuge for animals in danger. The founder of Carly's Critter Camp turned her living room into a temporary shelter for reptiles, dogs, and farm animals after the weather left her scrambling to keep everyone safe and warm.
Henry had stocked up on food and supplies before the storm hit, and neighbors even lent her heaters to help protect the animals. Soon, a young ram, a baby goat, snakes, frogs, tortoises, and more were all gathered around her fireplace, making the house feel more like a rescue center than a home.
It looked peaceful in photos, but the real story was a lot messier than that.
The photos she shared seemed peaceful, but Henry admitted it was chaotic when these animals stayed with her.
We thought we were prepared.
But when the storm hit, the power was cut off. Without the heaters, cold-sensitive animals faced a life-or-death situation.
She scrambled to the sanctuary next to her home and brought in the most vulnerable animals first.
Tortellini, Yoda, and Yoshi, the sanctuary's giant tortoises, had to be carried as they could not move quickly and were quite stubborn.
They weighed between 70 and 120 lbs. (about 32 and 54 kg). Fueled by an adrenaline rush, she rescued the smaller ones first.
Then, she trudged through the heavy snow and finally brought Yoda and Tortellini into the house. Next, Henry carried the largest tortoise, Yoshi, with assistance from a volunteer and her husband, who had an injured foot. It was a stressful ordeal, as Henry recalled.
Finally, the at-risk animals were in a safe place, warmed by the fire.
The storm did not let up for days.
Henry wasn’t alone in the cold, just like the Help Alberta Wildlife Society volunteers who freed a wild horse from a 6-foot swamp.
The winter storm persisted for days.
With the power going on and off, the couple took shifts to watch the fire and ensure it continued to burn.
The smaller reptiles relaxed on top of the tortoises.
The chameleon attempted to camouflage itself with the plant near the fire.
One of the snakes found a cozy spot to settle.
The young ones loved the constant attention.
Henry noticed that everyone got along remarkably well.
Even the tortoises seemed to know they were in this together.
Henry reflects on tortoises that are not always friendly with each other. She wonders if they realize they need to be together to survive the storm.
Henry and her husband are especially grateful to the neighbors who provided them with supplies and offered assistance. It was through the community's cooperation that they were able to pull through.
After the entire ordeal, with the sun shining brightly overhead, Henry is simply thankful that all the animals are safe. She now has a new set of friends who are willing to help during an emergency.
To watch the community come together over animals—that's been my goal forever.
How the community got involved in saving all the animals was truly magical for Henry.
That storm turned her living room into the calmest chaos imaginable.
After Henry’s storm shelter chaos, see how rescuers pulled two horses from a frozen lake. Brave rescuers do their best to save two horses from a frozen lake.
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