With flood waters displacing thousands of people from their homes, naturally pets are being separated from their loved ones in the storm-ravaged state of Texas. With already full shelters taking on these pets until they can be reunited with their families, shelters from across the country are stepping up to help.
Shelters are stepping in to take adoptable cats and dogs to make room in local shelters for strays to be cared for until they are found by their owners. It's expected that about 1,000 animals will be transported from the Houston areas to various shelters nationwide.
A plane carrying 34 dogs and 20 cats from shelters in Houston arrived in Oregon and will be ready for adoption to families in their new state.
"All the shelters needed to be cleared out to make space for the animals that would be brought in as a result of the storm and the flood," said Scott Beckstead, senior Oregon director of the Humane Society.
The trip for these animals was financed by GreaterGood.org and the plane was flown by Wings of Rescue.
All of the animals will be examined by veterinarians before being put up for adoption, a process that is estimated to take anywhere from a couple of days to a week.
"They are a broad assortments of big dogs, medium sized dogs, small dogs - the one thing they have in common is they are all wonderful dogs that all will need placement with good loving families," Beckstead said.
The cats are headed to Everett, Washington where they will be up for adoption soon.
This isn't the only time America has stepped up for their animals in times of a disaster.
About a dozen cats from the Houston area were part of 100 cats and kittens that were relocated from Texas to Georgia as an effort to make more room for animals who needed the shelter from the storm.
"We're happy to be working in partnership with the Atlanta Humane Society to support animal welfare groups in Texas," Gwinnett animal shelter assistant manager Cindy Wiemann said in a statement. "We need help from our local residents and rescue groups to care for these animals that are now here in our community, and I know from experience that we can count on them."
As the shelter works to get it's large dog population down below capacity, the shelter has lowered it's adoption fees for animals to $10 for a cat that has been vaccinated, micro chipped and neutered and $30 for a dog, in the hopes they find forever homes for these pets.
"We're so proud of our animal welfare community here in Georgia for coming together and showing the true spirit of the South," Humane Society Director of Operations Tracy Reis said. "Gwinnett County immediately stepped right up to help take in adoptable cats from the Houston transport, enabling these animals to land somewhere safe and provide space back in Houston for lost and displaced animals."
Source: KGW / Gwinnett Daily Post