They Drove Into Hurricane Isaias to Save 22 Dogs. Betty White Was Already Wagging

Late Friday night, twenty-two dogs rolled into Bradenton after a rescue worker drove straight into the path of Hurricane Isaias to get them out. By Saturday morning, they were being triaged at Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue — seniors, special-needs dogs, and at least one completely blind pup already wagging her tail in safer hands.

According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, the urgent call started with the University of Florida’s Shelter Medicine Program. What happened next was a race against landfall.

An Urgent Call From the Storm’s Path

FOX 13 reports that UF’s Shelter Medicine Program put out an urgent request Friday morning. Partner facilities were asked to take in animals from shelters sitting in Hurricane Isaias’s crosshairs, including at least one site with outdoor kennels that would not hold up in severe weather.

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue in Bradenton answered. One staff member volunteered to drive into the danger zone, load the dogs, and bring them south before the worst of the storm arrived.

Local coverage does not name every sending shelter or list each dog’s age and breed, so we will not invent those details. What is clear is the scale: twenty-two animals needed a way out, fast.

Driving Through Tornado Warnings

The return trip was not a quiet convoy. Michaela Oglesby, medical director for Nate’s Honor, told FOX 13 the driver hit tornado warnings and severe weather alerts on the way back to Bradenton and had to swing out of his way to stay safer.

“He was driving back with some tornado warnings and severe weather alert, so he actually went a little bit out of his way,” Oglesby said, calling the whole effort a team push to put the dogs first.

Late Friday night, the dogs arrived. Staff who were not even scheduled that day came in anyway to triage, settle, and start medical care.

Seniors, Special Needs — and Betty White

Most of the dogs, according to the rescue, are seniors or need special medical attention. Among them is Betty White, a completely blind dog who was already doing well and wagging her tail once she was safe.

That detail matters. Storm evacuations are hard on any animal. They are even harder on older dogs and dogs who cannot see where they are being moved. Getting them out of outdoor kennels and into a staffed rescue before landfall can be the difference between panic and a chance to rest.

Exact diagnoses beyond the rescue’s description of seniors and special needs were not published in the FOX 13 report we reviewed.

Medical Care and a Growing Fundraiser

Nate’s Honor says the dogs are receiving medical care and treatment now. Officials expect them to be ready for adoption or foster placement within the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, a fundraiser to help cover medical expenses had already raised more than $2,000 when FOX 13 published the story on the morning of October 14, 2026.

Rescue officials had not yet specified exact adoption dates or individual application guidelines for each dog at the time of that report.

What This Rescue Reminds Us

Hurricanes scramble everything — including shelter capacity. A few practical takeaways from Bradenton’s late-night save:

• When universities and shelter-medicine programs ask partner rescues for emergency intake, saying yes can move dozens of animals out of outdoor kennels before wind and water arrive.
• Senior and special-needs dogs are often last to leave and first to struggle. Ask your local rescue how you can foster one for a few weeks after a storm.
• Medical bills stack up fast after emergency transports. Even a small donation to a fundraiser like Nate’s Honor’s helps cover triage and treatment.
• If you live outside the strike zone and have space, follow trusted Florida rescues during storm season. The call for help can come with only hours to spare.

Twenty-two dogs left high-risk shelters on a Friday. One driver threaded tornado warnings to bring them home to Bradenton. And by the next morning, a blind dog named Betty White was wagging her tail — proof that showing up in the path of a storm still saves lives.