When horrific weather events like Hurricanes Harvey and Irma devastate parts of our country, it’s not just the human population that’s at risk.
Animals suffer greatly too. And the effort to help animals has been an organizational miracle, with countless groups taking part, organizing, transporting, bringing supplies, fostering, donating.
Some of those helping are here in Maryland, including the MD SPCA, and volunteers from two local groups, Animal Allies Rescue Foundation and Rescue Well.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has been one of several coordinating entities during Harvey. It has organized the removal and transport of 700 pets that were already in Texas and Louisiana shelters awaiting adoption before Harvey hit.
By moving those animals out, shelters have room for pets displaced by the hurricane. Keeping them in the local area will make it easier for families to find them as they recover from the storm.
Sara Varsa, Senior Director of the Animal Rescue Team at the HSUS, explained her group was in Texas before Harvey made landfall working with agencies on disaster preparedness plans, then stayed as the storm hit.
“Our field teams are down there picking up lost and stray animals from the field and offering shelter support and moving out animals from shelters to other agencies,” she says.
“We have a national partner placement network throughout the U.S….that can absorb some animals…so shelters can make room for animals from the storm.”
A lot of the response to this disaster has been shaped by lessons learned during Hurricane Katrina.
“If you think about the imagery of Katrina,” says Varsa, “and look back at photos, you see families being told they couldn’t take their pets. In pictures from Harvey, you see people being airlifted in baskets with their pets. I think as a humane nation, people learned you have to have the conversation about how are we going to incorporate…pets into our response.”
While the HSUS and other agencies worked to get animals out, groups all over the country mobilized to take them.
Rescue Well’s Christine Sandberg of Baltimore drove to Tennessee along with Renee Albert of Renee’s Rescue in Delaware. In Knoxville, they met transporters from Austin who had 19 cats and 15 dogs.
Sandberg and Albert drove the pets to Delaware, where rescue groups will care for them and find them homes.
Says Sandberg, “We all rise to the occasion when we can and find some way to contribute…I was happy to do my part.”
The MD SPCA is also helping, So far it has taken 12 animals flown here from Louisiana and is placing them with foster families before adoption.
And right now volunteers from a local rescue group called Animal Allies Rescue Foundation (AARF) are on their way to Texas. They’re driving two vans full of donated items for animal fosters in the Houston area. When they drive back here, they’ll bring 50 pets with them.
I caught up with several of these kind people who are making a difference for animals from Texas and Louisiana. Meet them in this short video.
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