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In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, law enforcement officers from the Houston Humane Society took multiple trips down to the storm-ravaged Louisiana coastline, assisting with rescue efforts and bringing back animals to be reunited with their families staying here in Houston. Most notably, the officers returned from one rescue with Rea, a German shepherd mix who was stranded in a New Orleans suburb after her family left her in the care of a neighbor. The Houston Humane Society had read of Rea's plight through an e-mail chain, and sent officers down to pick her up and bring her back to her family living in a Houston-area church shelter. Rea was joyfully reunited with her owners at the HHS clinic.
Many of the animals brought back to the Houston Humane Society were animals already living in Louisiana shelters when the storm hit. These animals were left without air conditioning or running water, and the HHS team evacuated them from their shelters and brought them safely to the HHS shelter. With many Louisiana families still needing support and focusing on rebuilding, homeless animals in that region would have had a harder time finding a home. Here in Houston, we were anxious for these heroic animals, who have lived through so much, to go home with their “forever families” soon.
Following the hurricane, the Houston Humane Society offered free medical care and microchipping for pets who’d been evacuated, and pets who came into our clinic also received free food and supplies. The HHS also offered 10 days of free boarding to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama residents who fled to Houston but weren’t able to keep their animals with them. HHS teams brought food, kitty litter, and other supplies to local hotels for evacuees.
With so many varied efforts, we found ways for every interested community member to pitch in. Many new volunteers came to us following the hurricane, and we made many new contacts out in the community who provided their much appreciated support. Most importantly, we were able to resurrect emergency kennels that will remain on our property for future disaster situations and will help us be able to immediately begin sheltering animals, even if we are at capacity in our shelter at the time.
As an employee of HHS, I was so proud to see the staff members and volunteers go above and beyond for these animals and their owners. The clinic staff was scheduled to have the Labor Day holiday off, but they stayed and worked every day through the weekend, providing free care for animals from storm-hit areas. Shelter staff and administration worked through weekends for the month after the hurricane to maximize community involvement, media interest, and care for the animals. Every person who has ever been involved with the Houston Humane Society offered their help, and without it we would have floundered. We now feel prepared for anything that could hit our community, and will never again be as worried as we were when facing down Hurricane Katrina.
Courtney Frank is the Public Relations Director at the Houston Humane Society in Houston, Texas.
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