Several starving dogs lie curled up in and around a walled, ash-covered yard cut off by volcanic lava in the hilly area of Todoque on the Spanish island of La Palma, until a drone drops parcels with food and water from the skies.

Drone footage given by one of the companies in charge of the operation shows them lifting their heads to look and ambling towards the packages, which they pry open with their teeth and paws to take in much-needed sustenance.

The Island Council of La Palma issued a statement thanking two local businesses, Ticom Soluciones and Volcanic Life, for feeding the dogs for the previous five days. They are determined to keep going as long as safety and weather conditions permit.

Veterinarians have helped the businesses determine the food and quantity that are appropriate for the situation.

The canines cannot be airlifted for the time being, according to the council, because helicopters cannot fly in the area due to the hot air from the lava and volcanic ash, which can harm the rotors.

Elsewhere in La Palma, humans set up a makeshift animal shelter in a school playground to rehouse hundreds of pets made homeless when their owners fled the Cumbre Vieja volcano that erupted on Sept. 19. read more

With no end in sight to the flows of molten rock that have laid waste to nearly 600 hectares and some 1,200 buildings, and forced thousands to evacuate, authorities on Tuesday ordered another 700 residents to abandon their homes.