A disaster response team from the Oregon Humane Society is deploying to help pets stranded by Hurricane Harvey. The team, consisting of four to six people, will be arriving in Texas this week and is expected to be the first of multiple OHS teams going to Texas.
Team members, who are certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and experienced in the day-to-day operation of emergency shelters, will be assisting with caring for animals at a facility located in the Houston area.
“Natural disasters of this scale can leave thousands of animals without homes and will easily overwhelm the ability of local shelters to care for pets,” said Sharon Harmon, OHS President and CEO. The OHS team will work hand-in-hand with the Houston SPCA, and will provide assistance in caring for animals at a facility located in the Houston area.
OHS has an experienced group of staff and volunteers who respond to emergency situations across the country. In the last few years, team members have deployed to help animals affected by Hurricane Sandy and the tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri and Moore, Oklahoma. During Hurricane Katrina, OHS team members spent several weeks in the disaster zone rescuing pets, and brought more than 100 abandoned animals to OHS for adoption.