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Kim Schoolcraft with the rescued pit bull mix. © Parsons/The HSUS |
The HSUS and local responders continue to reunite rescued animals with their families in Texas. Sadly, some animals no longer have homes or families to return to. At right, Kim Schoolcraft, director of Galveston County Animal Control, comforted a dog whose family did not survive the storm.
This pit bull mix was found in a small community near San Leon, Texas. Now he awaits a new home at the SPCA of Tampa Bay in Florida.
No Place Like Home
We've learned more about the story of "Dorothy," the dog rescued from Goat Island. Her real name is Monet, and her owner has been reported missing since the storm.The dog's photo and information have been distributed, so we are hopeful that a relative may come to reclaim her.
Monet was shaken by her ordeal, but she is healthy and safe at the Galveston County Animal Shelter.
September 29, 2008
by Laura Bevan
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Dorothy, seen here with an HSUS volunteer at the Galveston Counthy Animal Shelter, is safe for now but still waiting for her family to return.© Bevan/The HSUS |
We named her Dorothy, and like her namesake from "The Wizard of Oz,” a storm has taken her far away and all she wants is to go home.
Dorothy was trapped on Goat Island, a barren spit of land between the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Bay. She's a pretty red spaniel mix with a collar and rabies tag from a vet clinic in nearby Winnie.
The island is full of debris deposited by Hurricane Ike. Dorothy most likely was clinging to a piece of debris for dear life as her home on the Bolivar Peninsula fell apart. What is unknown is where her family is now. Hopefully, the rabies tag, the only clue to her past, will lead us to the answer.
Dorothy is just one of the 300 animals now at the Galveston County Animal Shelter.
Located on the other side of the bay from Bolivar Peninsula, its space has been doubled by a tent city set up by The HSUS. Many of the animals found their way there by Galveston County Animal Control Officers and staff and volunteers from The HSUS who lived on the peninsula for a week setting traps and convincing terrified pets to be rescued.
Bolivar Peninsula residents were allowed to return home last Friday for the first time since Ike hit, and HSUS team members were there as part of our community outreach program—passing out fliers with information about how to go about finding a pet as well as pet food for those whose animals are with them.
The team also lent a sympathetic ear to those who wanted to talk about their loss.
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Dorothy is ferried by volunteer, Chris Hersha, from Goat Island to the mainland.© Brown/The HSUS |
On Saturday, several residents came to the temporary shelter looking for their pets. Some found them there, but no one came for Dorothy.
For some of the animals, a new life is about to begin. Those animals rescued, but unclaimed, from the mainland part of the county are being loaded onto The HSUS transport vehicle heading to animal shelters in Florida.
Members from the Bay Area Disaster Animal Response Team who returned home the last few days from volunteering in Texas will be waiting at the Tampa Bay SPCA for their arrival. Many of the rescue workers have their favorite animals they nursed back to health or cuddled after walks and are eager to see them again.
Dorothy and the rest of the animals rescued off of Bolivar Peninsula have a bit more of a wait. Galveston County Animal Shelter has given families until this weekend to reclaim their pets.
If no one comes by then, teams from the Nashville (Tenn.) Humane Society and Tampa Bay (Fla.) SPCA will take them to their shelters to find new homes.
Hopefully, Dorothy’s family is safe and looking for her. We're working with the vet in Winnie to try to locate them. If not, the pup will find her way to a new home. We will follow her journey and let you know.
September 26, 2008
On Goat Island in Galveston Bay, animal rescuers have faced an unusual challenge. This narrow strip of land runs parallel to populated Bolivar Peninsula, and it seems that several animals were washed here by the storm. Responders have seen dogs and their pawprints marking the wet sand.
These animals are too skittish to be coaxed with dog treats and leashes, however. To bring them to safety, teams led by The HSUS placed humane traps to capture the dogs. Any animals secured in these cages will be brought to the Galveston County Animal Shelter, examined by volunteer vet techs, and given a chance to be reunited with their families or adopted into a new home.
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| The HSUS' Deb Drake and husband Tom travel by boat to Goat Island, where rescuers have seen pawprints left by stranded dogs. © Bevan/The HSUS |
Galveston County Animal Control Officer Josh Henderson and Deb Drake place a crate with food and water on the island, which will help the dogs become accustomed to metal cages so they can be captured and brought to safety. © Bevan/The HSUS |
September 25, 2008
The HSUS is still on the ground in Galveston County, Texas, working to rescue animals and reunite them with their guardians. Below are a few of the animals we've been caring for, with the help of volunteer responders and other organizations. Please read our previous posts for more about The HSUS' efforts to aid victims of Hurricane Ike.
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A rescued kitten sleeps peacefully in the temporary shelter in Texas City.
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Judy Baum of the Bay Area Disaster Animal Responders Team holds a rescued puppy, who will be put up for adoption.
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Brian "Rowdy" Shaw, a National Disaster Animal Responders Team member, with Tina, a hurricane survivor who has become a shelter favorite.
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Two dogs are reunited with their owner outside the Galveston County Animal Shelter.
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| Two vet techs examine a white dog rescued from Galveston County. She had parasites and is receiving medical care. |
Max's owner lost his home to Hurricane Ike and was unable to keep him. Max will be transported to the SPCA of Tampa Bay for adoption. |
Photos © Bevan/The HSUS
September 24, 2008
by Laura Bevan
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| Nona, here with an animal control officer, was one sad pup before her family found her at the shelter.© Bevan/The HSUS |
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Disaster relief workers from The HSUS continue to work at full speed to find and reunite animals with their families, but plenty of work remains to be done in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.
Our team of volunteers is in Texas City helping the animals at Galveston County Animal Services.
We’re also on the Bolivar Peninsula as residents start to make their way back today for the first time since the storm hit. We’re conducting community outreach, rescue missions and trapping programs to safely catch animals too frightened to be rescued by conventional means.
We've met many people and animals during the past two weeks—some with happy stories and some bittersweet. We'll always do our best to reunite or find loving homes for all the animals. Read on.
Update
Take Nona and Ethel. You may remember the two pit bull mixes from our report on Monday (see below). They were joyfully reunited with their guardian, Gary, when he found them under our care at Galveston County Animal Services in Texas City.
Gary and his wife lost their house in the storm and were thrilled to find their animals safe and sound.
The family was separated when the family couldn't take the dogs when they evacuated—including Nona, Ethel, and Nona's mother, Lucy—so the animals had to stay behind. When the family returned after the storm passed, Nona and Ethel had escaped, and Lucy was found floating safely on a mattress. Lucky for everyone, Nona and Ethel ended up at the shelter.
Since then, Gary’s friends have taken the dogs into their homes and say he can rest assured the animals have a safe home as long as is needed.
Some normalcy is returning to their lives, and Gary and his wife are back at work. Nothing will bring back their house, though, which has been condemned.
While Lucy and Ethel came out of the ordeal unscathed, Nona's ear was severely torn when she came to the shelter, and the vet who was volunteering had to amputate the most damaged part. On a return visit, the vet said she needed more intensive surgery for it to heal properly, She's now on her way to Animal Alliance of Galveston County for the procedure, and her prognosis looks good.
Giving Back
In a most generous turn, Gary is helping out whenever he can at the shelter where he found his animals. It’s his way of saying thanks, he says.
This from someone who lost his home—lost everything—to Ike ... everything, that is, except for what is irreplaceable: his family, which includes humans and dogs.
Tomorrow we'll report on a number of other animals and people we've met during the past two weeks. Thank you for your continued support.
September 23, 2008
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HSUS responder Consie Von Gontard feeds cats stranded by Ike.© The HSUS/Milani |
More than 10 days after Hurricane Ike struck their vulnerable shore, the residents of Bolivar Peninsula will be allowed to return home tomorrow for the first time.
Members of The HSUS disaster response team will be on hand conducting community outreach and handing out flyers instructing pet owners what to do if they lost a pet during the storm.
Without this information, many pet guardians would have no idea where to begin looking for their missing companion animals.
Many of the animals taken to safety from the flooded Bolivar Peninsula were transported to the Galveston County Animal Shelter (GCAS), and are being cared for there by HSUS staff and volunteers.
Specially trained HSUS animal rescue personnel continue to conduct rescue missions on Bolivar Peninsula, where animals have been trapped without food or fresh water for over a week now.
The rescue team is also continuing its trapping program to safely catch animals who are too frightened to be rescued by conventional means.
September 22, 2008
by Laura Bevan
Ground Zero is an appropriate name for Galveston County, Texas. Hurricane Ike made a beeline for its fragile coastline, delicate beach communities, and beautiful bayous. The destruction in these areas is complete. On Bolivar Peninsula, whole communities have been wiped out—sometimes leaving few signs they ever existed.
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| Volunteer Tim Tristan, DVM, gives water to a rescued dog on Bolivar Peninsula. © The HSUS/Milani |
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After assisting the Humane Society of Southeast Texas in Beaumont, The HSUS is focused on helping Galveston County with response and recovery from the storm's devastating blow.
Since Friday, we have been based at Galveston County Animal Services (GCAS) in Texas City. National Disaster Animal Responders Team (NDART) responders are helping the local animal shelter care for its burgeoning population.
Responders are also teaming up with animal control officers to look for lost pets and animals confined in damaged houses.
PetSmart Charities® has, for the first time, stationed two of its Emergency Relief (ER) Waggins’® at Galveston County Animal Services. Each ER Waggin’ trailer is stocked with a minimum of 16 tons of supplies for displaced pets and their rescuers/caregivers, allowing the animal shelter to double its capacity.
Because the shelter has minimal electrical power, generators provided on the ER Waggin’ trailers keep lights and fans running to keep animals cool and visible to owners searching for lost pets.
The inaccessibility of Bolivar Peninsula has made animal rescue more challenging. Before Ike, the fastest way to reach the peninsula was by ferry from Galveston Island. The ferry's primary function is now carrying earth-moving equipment for cleanup, so rescue vehicles have been traveling more than 100 miles each way around a large bay.
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HSUS Responder Meredith Shields brings a cat to safety. © The HSUS/Milani |
Helping Animals 24/7
On Sunday, it became clear that a more intensive rescue effort was needed on Bolivar Peninsula. Starting today, The HSUS will join Galveston County Animal Control officers to establish a 24-hour presence on the peninsula.
Our team will bring our transport trailer, which can shelter up to 100 animals, and an RV with communications and living quarters. During the day, NDART and Best Friends responders will visit residents across the peninsula who are still living in their damaged homes.
We will offer pet food, supplies, and other assistance to take care of the animals these people love.
From dusk to dawn, these teams will also work to capture animals hiding in the rubble of former homes and businesses.
Animal tracks are evident in the mud and beach sand, but these animals don't come out during the heat of the day. When they begin their nighttime search for food and fresh water, we will be searching to bring them to safety.
Putting Families Back Together
In the end, our most important goal is delivering animals from danger and then reuniting them with their families. On Sunday, we witnessed one particularly touching reunion. Two pit bull mixes were rescued Friday—one with a severely torn ear. Our volunteer vet repaired the damage, amputating part of the ear and putting a plastic collar on the dog to keep her from scratching the injury. Sitting in her cage in the medical ward, the sweet dog hung her head down and looked pitiful.
That all changed on Sunday when a man arrived at the Galveston County Animal Shelter with a flyer showing a photo of two dogs and this desperate plea: "Lost Home, Lost Everything. Need to find my dogs!"
Imagine his surprise and joy when we told him his dogs were safe in our care. The minute he walked into the medical ward, our dejected patient exploded with excitement, and the man burst into tears. Nona, as we now know her, was ready to go home, and Ethel, the other dog, soon joined them. In the coming weeks, we hope for many more reunions like this one.
