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Andrea Herrick has gained attention online for her animal rescue efforts in Puerto Rico

Despite a recent breast cancer diagnosis and intensive treatment, she has continued her mission to save the "heartbeats" of the dogs often abandoned on the island

Herrick speaks to PEOPLE about her work and the support she's received

Andrea Herrick doesn't count animals — she counts heartbeats. It is the heartbeats of the 1,000-plus dogs and cats her organization has rescued from Puerto Rico that matter most, she says.

"I will go to the airport for one kitten. That's one heartbeat saved," she tells PEOPLE in a recent interview. "I've had 17 dogs flown to Miami and driven up the East Coast in a van to my driveway with 17 adopters waiting at my house. So that's 17 heartbeats saved. I don

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