During a natural disaster, many people have a hard time fending for themselves, let alone their pets. For pets lost or separated from their owners during these times of crisis, life can be rough and even downright dangerous.

Luckily, these animals have human heroes that come to the rescue … such as one North Dakota man and his family.

Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue

To Keith and his family, who own Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue in Rolla, North Dakota, saving animals is their mission in life. And while Keith will be the first to say he is not a hero, so far, he and his family have rescued between 4,000 and 5,000 animals since opening their doors in 2015.

A humble beginning

The animal rescue, which is a non-profit organization, struggled for its first two years in existence. Even then, Keith and his family were able to bring in roughly 20 to 30 animals during a month. When asked about his lifelong pursuit of saving animals, Keith was humble in his response.

“I’m not a hero,” Keith told The Dodo. “We domesticated animals as a species, and now we’ve got a responsibility to them. I’m just doing my part.”

A commitment to the animals that they rescue

Keith and his family are so committed to the animals that they help that they turned about two-thirds of their home into an animal shelter. This selfless act just goes to show how much they all care about animals.

Far from its humble beginnings, the shelter now takes in about 60 to 100 animals a month.

The family travels to disaster areas to save the animals there

The team, led by Keith, has rescued animals following a variety of natural disasters, including Hurricanes Florence, Harvey, Irma, and Michael. This mainly consisted of the rescuers plucking them from atop homes and vehicles where they had become trapped.

According to his family, Keith has a very calming approach when rescuing an animal. Usually distressed by their situation, he reassures them that everything is going to be OK and they seem to instantly calm down. But the rescuer’s job doesn’t stop there.

“The goal isn’t just to save the animal,” Keith says. “The goal is to reunite the animal with its family, and that’s the biggest thing.”

Getting the animals to a home

Once safely at the family’s rescue shelter, the animals are treated for any injuries that they might have. Then the process begins of finding and reuniting them with their original owners. Failing that, the rescue finds them a new home.

“When you’re able to save an animal and get them back to their family, it’s a happy moment,” Keith said. “You were able to play some small part in doing that.”

For more on Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue and how you can help their cause, visit the organization’s Website. Check out the video below for more on Keith and the heroic work he and his family does.

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Source: The Dodo

H/T: Animal Channel, The Dodo