To avoid some of the mistakes made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago, animal safety advocates have joined forces to clear shelters in the Houston area and beyond for animals displaced by Hurricane Harvey. We have a huge cheer for this national effort being undertaken by local and international groups, which involves flying homeless dogs and cats who already populated Texas shelters to facilities in other parts of the country. Those animals will go up for adoption in their new area while Texas shelters make room for pets who might wind up lost or abandoned in the wake of the hurricane and floods. 

Wings of Rescue out of Livermore, Calif., is one organization handling the flying of animals from Texas to other parts of the country. “These pets are being flown out in order to make room for the pets displaced with Harvey,” Wings of Rescue founder Cindy Smith told USA Today, adding that the dogs and cats are all going to no-kill shelters.

On Monday, the organization, which owns a cargo plane, flew 108 cats and dogs out of Louisiana shelters to make room for displaced animals.

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!), an animal rescue in Austin, Texas, is working hard to keep up with the growing animal shelter population on the ground in Texas, and as of this past Sunday, they have transported 235 animals to their shelter, and they anticipate many more.

APA! says they are humbled by the outpouring of support they have received, but they still need more assistance, and they are asking you for your help to save and care for these frightened and displaced animals who have been tragically separated from their families.

Due to the generous donations they have already received, APA! is running out of storage space for crates, bags of dry food, and other large items. They are asking for financial donations in lieu of these items, which will allow them to allocate funds as needed. If you are able, you can donate to APA! here. If you are in the Austin area, they will also accept donations of flea and tick treatment, bedding, and treats.

 

Photo Credit: AP/Getty