During late August 2017, the residents of eastern Texas experienced one of the most powerful natural disasters ever to make landfall: Hurricane Harvey. This category 4 storm broke records when an estimated 51 inches of rainfall were recorded. In the midst of all this, pet owners were having to make a few tough choices.
When the water rises and enters your homes, you panic. You try to push it out and save your belongings, but sadly for someone in the middle of Harvey- there is no hope. When the storm came that nobody anticipated, owners were encouraged to take in animals. Unfortunately, in some instances, several families lost their homes, and as they were being rescued, they had to leave pets behind as the boats or shelters wouldn’t take them in. True, pet lovers denied to even be rescued if it meant they had to leave their dogs behind. During that week, you could see people trudging through the waters with pet cages on the news. It is inevitable that some pets and livestock ended up lost, stranded, ran away or otherwise disconnected from their humans.
People and pets aren’t the only ones trying to get back on their feet. Wild animals also took a hit from the brutal winds and floodwaters. Workers in shelters, such as the Humane Society are scrambling to keep their growing number of rescues warm and fed, and to administer needed veterinary care. *quote* The ultimate goal — when the animals are healthy and conditions are safe — is to release them back to the wild. With officials directing Gulf Coast residents to stay home as Hurricane Harvey approached, many stayed put with their animals.
During the week of Harvey, over 100 animals were recovered from flooded homes, streets, or were simply dropped off by owners. It’s important that rescuers are able to find the animals’ right full owners, but if don’t want them back, then they must find new homes. It can be really difficult to do this, so volunteers from all states are greatly appreciated. You can donate to the Humane Society at http://www.houstonhumane.org/giving or Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Texas https://www.spca.org/news_hurricane-harvey.