Animals rescued from Bootheel

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nearly 50 pets in the Missouri Bootheel have new temporary digs at the Humane Society of Missouri in St. Louis. But soon they'll be looking for a permanent home.

The 37 dogs and 11 cats were surrendered by their owners to a local shelter in Caruthersville, which is threatened by flooding.

The Humane Society of Missouri picked up the animals Sunday. Bringing them to St. Louis frees the local shelter to accept more pets and get them to safety. The animals may be adopted after they are evaluated.

The group says it is monitoring Mississippi River levels and will pick up more animals if necessary.