In the midst of Hurricane Dorian (2019), one of the most severe storms to ever hit the Bahamas, Chella Phillips welcomed 97 stray and abandoned dogs into her house in Nassau.
Phillips said she brought the animals inside when she learned that the storm was coming.
She recalled: “I just want these dogs to be safe. I could care less about the dog poop and pee in my house.”
Later, when the storm was still slamming the Bahamas, she posted a series of photos on her Facebook showing the dogs of all sizes and shapes playing around at her home. Phillips said some of them were frightened and ill.
According to the post, the dogs were scared during the storm, but she tried to divert their attention by playing music and turning on the air conditioning.
She also updated on Facebook that she and her brother had just spent a stressful night taking care of all the dogs.
She wrote: “97 dogs are inside my house and 79 of them are inside my master bedroom. It has been insane since last night… but at least they are respecting my bed and nobody has dared to jump in.”
According to CNN, Phillips is a dog lover, who founded the shelter “The Voiceless Dogs of Nassau, Bahamas”.
Peruvian-born Phillips said that during the past 15 years, she had found homes for more than 200 dogs in the United States while also rescued about 1,000 abandoned and homeless dogs in the Bahamas.
Social media users were full of praise for her.
One person commented “You are the kindest, most loving person I know. Thank you for doing all you can for all the animals who can’t help themselves”.
Another praised “What a fantastic human! I am in awe of her selfless love for vunerable animals. A shining light in dark times.”