WOMAN CARES FOR ANIMALS THAT SOUGHT SAFETY ON ILLINOIS ISLAND

THEBES, Ill. -- For weeks, Anna Robison has been rowing a tiny boat nearly half a mile to feed the animals stranded on an island flood water has created at her farm.

Tuesday and Wednesday, with help from Nancy Richards of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, Robison rescued four dogs and about eight cats.

Richards said the rescue was quite a spectacle.

A volunteer with the American Red Cross notified the Humane Society of a rumor of animals trapped in a flooded basement and in danger of drowning. That proved untrue. Instead, Richards found Robison and a menagerie of animals, mostly strays collected over the years, at her home in Thebes.

"She is a very kindhearted person. She just takes in every stray she can," said Richards.

Robison told Richards she was worried about another group of animals stranded at her farm. They had to travel by boat to get to those animals.

"There is no motor on the boat. She got in the trunk of her car and got out some oars," Richards said.

Robison has been bringing food to the animals daily. "She has been rowing that boat every day. It's a good half-mile," Richards said.

As they approached the high spot still above waters, chickens, roosters, geese, dogs and cats all converged on the boat.

"We rounded up a mama cat with five one-week-old babies," Richards said.

On Tuesday, she rounded up a total of eight cats and decided to take the smallest of the four dogs. The other three dogs were to stay on the island and be picked up on Wednesday.

"It was not easy trying to row and hold that dog," Richards said.

They rowed about a fourth of the way back to the road when they saw the largest of the dogs swimming after them.

"When he got up to the boat, he was breathing hard. I asked if I jumped in the water could I boost him in the boat. She said the water was over my head," said Richards.

They decided to row back to the farm house and load the big dog into the boat.

They started again, with the boat loaded with cats and now two dogs.

"We were more than halfway when we saw the little hound dog trying to catch up," she said. "We couldn't stop to help him. So he swam that entire length.

"It was like they knew they were going to a safe place and did not want to be left behind," Richards said.

On Wednesday, the fourth dog and other animals were rescued.

The chickens and roosters and geese and some of the cats will remain on the island.

Robison will continue rowing her boat out daily to feed the animals.

"She's just one of those people who really cares for animals."