Hurricane Harvey rescues: California groups helping displaced animals

Rescue groups in California and throughout the country are mobilizing to help pets displaced by Hurricane Harvey and subsequent flooding in Texas and Louisiana.

RedRover, a national nonprofit animal welfare organization based in Sacramento, is headed to Texas later this week to help the SPCA of Texas provide daily care and comfort for animals rescued and relocated to Dallas, Texas.

Wings of Rescue, based in Livermore, has several cargo planes filled with crates and supplies standing by in El Paso, and the group already has begun evacuation flights.

The volunteer pilots of Wings of Rescue fly pets to areas where they stand better chances of being adopted. In this case, they are flying pets to safer parts of the country, where they will be cared for until they can be reunited with their owners.

The group is working with the Humane Society of the United States, Greater Good, Freekibble and Rescue Bank.

Planes left Lafayette, Louisiana, on Monday carrying 88 dogs and 20 cats bound for temporary care in San Diego. On Tuesday, 100 dogs will be transported from San Antonio to shelters in Oregon and Washington, and on Wednesday, another 100 dogs are scheduled to fly out of San Antonio to Morristown, New Jersey.

RedRover officials and volunteers expect to be in Texas by Thursday.

“RedRover Responders appreciate the opportunity to help comfort and care for these animals and bring some relief to the aid teams during this crisis,” RedRover Director of Field Services Beth Gammie said. “We haven't seen this type of unprecedented flooding in more than a decade. Our hearts are with the people and animals of Texas during this difficult time.”

RedRover Responders volunteers, who wear bright red shirts, are trained to care for and shelter large numbers of animals after they have been rescued from natural disasters. Volunteers provide the workforce that enables local communities to address their animal needs following a natural disaster.

The organization has more than 3,800 trained volunteers in the United States and Canada, and is able to deploy volunteers quickly when communities become overburdened by a crisis.

In its 30-year history, RedRover has responded to more than 180 natural disasters and other crises, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005; Hurricane Isaac and Superstorm Sandy in 2012; the Oklahoma tornadoes in 2013; flooding in Gonzales, Louisiana in 2016; and the dam crisis in Oroville in 2017.

To help the pets displaced by Hurricane Harvey, you can donate to any of these groups.