Helping the animals affected Hurricane Harvey

“Rescuing”, “collaborating”, “reuniting”, “volunteering”, “fostering”, “transporting”. While these are words commonly used in Best Friends’ vocabulary (not to mention in our work every single day) they were certainly more prevalent this fall with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.  

As we saw with Hurricane Katrina, natural disasters tend to bring out the best in people – and in those of us in animal welfare, too. It’s in the chaos of an emergency that we pull together as one unified force – doing whatever necessary to achieve the goal in the moment. And, ultimately, to Save Them All.   

When the National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition (NARSC) called on Best Friends to activate our Emergency Response team to Houston, of course we said, yes.

In addition to our emergency response team, Best Friends also deployed a team of experts in animal sheltering, handling and transport to help affected Network Partners. And we activated our disaster relief fund to assist our partners with emergency-related expenses. (The generous response, both to the disaster relief fund and to Best Friends’ Amazon Wish List, was astounding.)

And after establishing the Best Friends Rescue and Reunite Center in Conroe, TX, when we expressed a need, our partners responded in-kind. Nearly 300 of our Network Partners offered to take in more than 4,000 pets.

“This was an incredibly crucial piece of the puzzle to ensure every pet displaced by Harvey, who wasn’t reunited, was – and is – able to find a home.” ~Gregory Castle, CEO

Our partners stepped up in so many other ways, too. Montgomery County Animal Shelter and Austin Pets Alive were by our side in the first days of Hurricane Harvey, helping to establish the Rescue and Reunite Center, and taking in an enormous number of evacuated animals and pets of rescue groups that were flooded, respectively.

About two weeks after the Rescue and Reunite Center was established, we again partnered with Austin Pets Alive!, as well as Houston Pets Alive!, and Houston Pet Set to save even more lives. Best Friends’ primary responsibility continued to be reuniting pets displaced by the storm with their owners at the aptly named Pet Reunion Pavilion at the NRG Arena in Houston. Austin Pets Alive! and Houston Pets Alive! focused heavily on helping homeless pets in the area. And, Houston Pet Set provided space and resources for smaller local organizations who were instrumental in Hurricane Harvey rescue work.

“We felt this collaboration was an important one to help Houstonian pet owners, shelters and rescue organizations get back on their feet after Harvey.” ~Gregory Castle, CEO

And let’s not forget Hurricane Irma. In the midst of hurricane relief efforts in Houston and surrounding areas, Best Friends and First Coast No More Homeless Pets (FCNMHP) announced their partnership to respond to the effects of Irma. As Floridians were evacuating and seeking refuge for their pets, seven Best Friends Network partners asked for assistance with transporting about 1,100 dogs and cats to safety. Before Hurricane Irma hit Florida, multiple partners committed to accepting 350 pets and that number continued to grow.

FCNMHP, with Best Friends’ financial support, opened a supply distribution center to support local organizations, mostly with pet food and crates.

While hurricane relief efforts in Houston and Florida (not to mention the Caribbean) continued, a crisis of another kind was brewing in Houston. And it came in the form of distemper.

Even though our health protocols included vaccination upon admission and a booster two weeks later, some of the affected dogs were most likely exposed to distemper before arriving. Add to that the fact that distemper is not uncommon in Houston or in a shelter environment where pets are stressed and potentially immunocompromised, and we had the “perfect storm”.

Of course, Best Friends committed to treating affected pets, and we proactively reached out to our partners, volunteers and visitors to the Pavilion to inform them of the issue, as well as to provide them with whatever support was needed to help protect their pets. In fact 14 volunteers made roughly 1,000 phone calls to reach those potentially impacted.

The good news is that the majority of animals in our care did not contract the virus, and using the most robust health protocols, exceptional care was provided to those who did. And that was not just from Best Friends staff.

When asked, Layne Dicker, a regular volunteer with Best Friends, immediately said, yes, when he was asked to join us in Houston. He took a week off from his day-job as an attorney and business manager to the rich and famous of Hollywood without even knowing what he’d find when he got there. But Layne dove headfirst into the unknown of the distemper-positive area. Layne covered himself in dog fur, slobber and cuddles as he always does, but he became a part of the leadership fabric in the area for those days, and we couldn’t be more appreciative.

 “One week, hundreds and hundreds of bootie, glove and gown changes, feedings, walks, discussions as to best practices, dog cuddles and bottles of Gatorade later, my respect for Best Friends only deepened. Only fast thinking, utilization of all available resources and the ability to adapt saved these dogs, so many of which now occupy a huge place in my heart. Lifelong friendships were formed. And, once again, history was re-written: Distemper is not a death sentence. Not even close. I was there when we lost 5 of those 6 poor souls. It was devastating. But only thanks to your efforts, 6 was not 60, or more.” ~Layne Dicker

 Whether it be providing medical care, walking dogs, providing enrichment, driving a transport van, organizing donations – you name it – individual and workplace volunteers willingly and happily took on any task.

A team from the pharmaceutical giant Merck and Co., Inc. volunteered at the Pet Reunion Pavilion helping to walk dogs and make Kong enrichment treats. They also distributed Lost Pet flyers throughout the Houston area.

“We had a terrific day! We are in awe of what this organization does. Thank you for reaching out to us and I think you will see some Merck folks coming out to volunteer on their own.” ~Debbie Winn, Merck and Co., Inc. district manager.

Of course, our favorite volunteers are those who ADOPT! Betsy Fleming is just one example of a Hurricane Harvey volunteer who fell in love during her time with us. And not only did she adopt two kittens herself, she even took a cat home for her Mom!

“It goes without saying that Best Friends, as an organization, gets vital and essential help from our extraordinary team of volunteers. The amazing individuals who have dedicated their time, energy and talents to our hurricane response efforts are no exception.” ~Gregory Castle, CEO

Best Friends is also grateful to the local media – The Houston Chronicle, local CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates, and others – were so supportive of our efforts to reunite and find foster families for Houston’s pets. Players from the Houston Texans were even available for a Facebook Live segment. This coverage proved effective with visitors to the Pavilion increasing after each one.

Around the third week of October, as our available time at the NRG Arena was coming to a close (we agreed to be out by November 3rd), our focus shifted from fostering to transports. Again, our Network Partners stepped up and agreed to take in more Hurricane animals than were actually in our care.

The next challenge was finding the physical means and volunteers to transport them. But again, our supporters came through. One of them was BOBS from Skechers, who donated the BOBS for DOGS Roving Rescue, a school bus designed specifically for lifesaving pet transport.

If there’s one thing the fall of 2017 taught us – if there was ever any doubt – is that together, we truly can Save Them All. The movement will unite. The public will be mobilized. We will save lives. No matter what stands in our way.

Links:

• Best Friends Animal Society website