Many people may have wondered what happened to Lucinda and her many animals from the Pets and Saddles shop in its former location on the corner of Bridge and Bailie Street, North Lismore during the floods.

The Lismore App contacted Lucinda to get her story about the flood and what is happening now.

Lucinda and 22 cats were rescued on the Monday (March 1) of the catastrophic floods, from a warehouse on Terania Street after she had already evacuated the cats and herself and stock onto higher ground, believing, like so many others, that she would be high and dry.

Sadly, this was not the case and Lucinda said that after calling the SES and being told they couldn’t make it, it was a friend who helped her move to the storage shed, who came to her and the cat's rescue, cutting the roof open and taking her to safety over in Dunoon by boat, then coming back heroically, and swimming in, to rescue the cats in their carriers, and off their makeshift hammock’s.

Thankfully for Lucinda, her birds and smaller animals had been moved prior to the evacuation orders, and that it was just her and the cats who had decided to move to the "safer" warehouse to wait it out.

Unfortunately, one cat didn't survive, but through her heroism, and that of her friends and volunteers, all others did.

Image: The shop has a range of pet products still, with one side being dedicated to the Op Shop, and the other to Pet needs.

Since then Lucinda decided to move to a new shop on Union Street just down from the Norco Ice Cream Factory.

“The new shop is incorporating the Kitten Rescue Op Shop which was also flooded, and also has a range of pet supplies, however, I won’t have animals for awhile, as I need a break after everything,” Lucinda said.

Due to the requirements to get a business grant, she was told she must go back to work, which is why Lucinda re-opened at the new location, but if a shop suiting her needs became available on higher ground, she would happily take it.

“My home is high and dry thankfully, but I’d love to move the shop, if the community does, to higher ground also.”

Pets and Saddles is open from 10am - 3pm Tuesday to Friday and has a range of op shop treasures for everyone from kids to adults and four-legged friends.