Yesterday’s power outage (6/12/26) brought unexpected challenges to the Animal Rescue League of Berks County. With much of the shelter without power for the majority of the day, we found ourselves navigating disruptions to adoptions, backed-up phone calls, limited access to outlets, no internet, and most importantly, rising temperatures in several areas of the shelter.

As the heat increased, the safety and comfort of our animals quickly became our top priority.

What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary.

Without hesitation, our friends at Ridgewood Canine Camp and Diggity Dawg Daycare Resort & Spa – Wyomissing stepped in to help. Diggity Dawg Daycare welcomed 10 of our dogs into their facility, while Ridgewood Canine Camp opened their doors for three more. Ridgewood also generously provided fans, batteries, and battery generators to help us manage conditions at the shelter.

At the same time, an incredible group of staff and volunteer fosters answered the call, taking dogs home for overnight sleepovers and giving them a cool, comfortable place to relax until power could be restored. Thanks to their willingness to step up, every animal most affected by the outage was able to remain safe and comfortable.

Our staff members were heroes throughout the day as well. Despite dealing with the heat themselves, they continued to prioritize the needs of the animals and keep operations moving. Their efforts were made a little easier thanks to thoughtful volunteers and fellow team members who kept everyone going with ice cream treats, electrolytes, and plenty of encouragement.

What could have been a very difficult situation became a powerful reminder of the strength of our community.

We are endlessly grateful to Ridgewood Canine Camp, Diggity Dawg Daycare Resort & Spa-Wyomissing, our amazing fosters, volunteers, and dedicated staff. Your kindness, generosity, and willingness to jump into action made a tremendous difference for both our animals and the people caring for them.

Today, we’re happy to report that power has been restored, our kennels are back to a comfortable temperature, and our dogs are settling back in after enjoying their unexpected adventures away from the shelter.

The photos of our happy pups tell the story better than words ever could. What could have been a frightening and uncomfortable day for so many animals instead became one filled with the incredible difference that community support can make.