Colorado Animal Groups Step Up For Houston
DENVER (CBS4) - As animals of all shapes and sizes struggle to find shelter from Hurricane Harvey, Colorado organizations are coming to their aid.
"All the shelters in Colorado have offered to step up and help as far as taking the animals if needed, as far as sending sheltering teams in, which the real need right now is sending in shelter-trained professionals who can go in and take care of the animals," said Dumb Friends League Vice President of Operations Duane Adams.
While the Dumb Friends League is sending out a four-person relief team next week, Code 3 Associates, an animal emergency response team based out of Longmont, is already there.
"We're working with the Houston SPCA to identify the densest call areas for animal rescue," said Code 3 Disaster Response Director Eric Thompson. "We've deployed eight water rescue teams into those regions to start to help people evacuate with their pets."
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Even though the hurricane made landfall days ago, animal rescue operations weren't cleared until Wednesday morning.
"Every disaster is the same, people will risk their lives to save their pets and evacuate with them," Thompson said.
As the Houston SPCA works to clear out more than 600 existing animals, the Dumb Friends League says more than 40 shelters across the country are prepared to take them in.
"Ideally what you want to do is get the animals in shelters out, that way the shelters are then available to take strays and others in, and hold them in that community so people can reclaim them," said Adams.
Dozens of pets were flown from Louisiana to Colorado Springs Wednesday.
Those animals were already in the shelters before the storm, but were cleared out to make room for animals from Hurricane Harvey.
In place of pet supply donations, the Houston SPCA is asking for money to help them cover necessary costs.
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Andrea Flores is a reporter for CBS4. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @AndreaFloresTV.