By Nicole Lutton | Grants Program Manager
When hurricanes hit Texas, the Southeast, and the Caribbean, the Oregon Humane Society was ready to respond. OHS reached out to Houston-area shelters offering our assistance before Hurricane Harvey landed. After the storm subsided, a team of FEMA-certified volunteers and employees from OHS deployed to care for pets. Members of the disaster response teams are trained in emergency shelter operations and in caring pets who are often frightened and fearful after being separated from their homes and families.
After Hurricane Irma struck the Southeast, OHS sent teams to assist shelters in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia, helping to transport and distribute supplies and care for pets. Teams have also been deployed to St. Croix after Hurricane Maria battered the island.
“Natural disasters of this scale can leave thousands of animals without homes and will easily overwhelm the ability of local shelters to care for pets,” said Sharon Harmon, OHS President and CEO.
In Portland, OHS opened its kennels to dogs and cats from San Antonio and Houston-area shelters. Two flights with 85 dogs and cats came to OHS to help relieve Texas shelters struggling with housing pets impacted by the hurricane. The animals were relocated away from Texas so that local shelters would have additional space available for the expected influx of pets from flood-stricken areas.
The Oregon Humane Society, along with the Lucy Pet Foundation, chartered a flight for 40 dogs and 40 cats when they heard the SPCA of Brazoria County (SPCA-BC), located 51 miles south of Houston, was in urgent need of help.
“When Mia and Lauren from the Oregon Humane Society showed up, we all breathed a big sigh of relief knowing that 80 of our SPCA of Brazoria County homeless pets will be traveling safely to new homes and new families,” said Stacey Suazo, SPCA-BC Executive Director. “Our community was badly hit by flooding during and after Harvey, so people here are still displaced and not in a position to be able to adopt new pets. It has been an absolute Godsend to have a safe place for these homeless pets.”
After the Texas pets arrived at OHS, they received any needed medical care before being made available for adoption. Many of these pets have been adopted by loving families in our community.
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