From fluffy kittens to pint-sized puppies, pets from flood-impacted shelters in Texas settle in at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. The pets from Texas are settling in just fine

Best Friends has helped coordinate or fund nine lifesaving flights to move pets who were in shelters in flood-impacted areas to make room for pets directly affected by the flooding. To date, a total of 1,028 animals have been flown out of Texas.

Amid devastating flooding, Texas shelters are moving adoptable pets to safety — giving lost pets a chance to reunite with families and giving communities a stronger foundation for the future. We can help in ways that have both immediate and lasting impact

Feral Cat Warriors Inc., a Best Friends Network Partner, is working with Best Friends to facilitate the move of more than 250 cats, some of whom have severe medical issues, out of the flood-impacted area and into shelters in Arizona and Nevada. Eighty-five of those cats are coming to the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Salt Lake City. Best Friends worked closely with shelters to determine which adoptable pets could be flown out to make space for pets displaced by the floods.

With today’s airlift, Best Friends has moved more than 1,000 pets out of shelters impacted by the flooding in Texas to make room for animals affected by the flooding.

Now that she's arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Freya is now safe and surrounded by love.

As of Monday, July 14, Best Friends had given more than $150K to support pet transports, medical services, and supplies to shelters and pets devastated by the floods in Texas.  We have also moved more than 800 pets out of shelters impacted by the flooding in Texas to make room for animals affected by the flooding.Read more

Additionally, Best Friends corporate partner Fi has donated 2,000 microchips and four microchips scanners to shelters in impacted areas to implant pets to help improve the likelihood of reunification if the pets get separated from their families.

Best Friends funded a veterinarian to provide medical services to Concho Valley PAWS, the San Angelo, Texas, nonprofit shelter partner and the community. To date, the veterinarian vaccinated 92 pets with more than 100 seen for various medical issues at a community clinic. Read more

The veterinarian also performed multiple spay/neuter and trap-neuter-vaccinate-return surgeries and at least one lifesaving procedure on a cat who came in covered in tar and debris and was nonresponsive. She is now very much full of life. Best Friends staff on the ground also helped distribute 1,500 pounds of pet food to families in need.

Best Friends is coordinating a flight coming from Austin Pets Alive! (originating in flood-impacted areas) that will be heading to Virginia and then going to the Northeast at a future date to be determined.

Join us in welcoming some of the new arrivals at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary!

Best Friends joins efforts to bring hope and safety to dogs and cats after devastating Central Texas flooding. Collaboration saves lives

Best Friends funded local organizations to take in 115 pets from Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Concho Valley PAWS, shelters impacted by the floods. Those pets were airlifted to Dallas-area shelters: Humane Society of Northern Texas, Hearts & Bones Animal Rescue, SPCA of Texas, and Operation Kindness.Read more

Additionally, Best Friends funded Austin Pets Alive’s transport hub, enabling them to take in 43 dogs and cats from flood-impacted shelters. They will be airlifted from Central Texas to partners in the Midwest.

The Best Friends Network, in partnership with Petco Love, has activated its volunteer and advocate network to deploy its Network Neighbors effort in communities impacted by the Texas flooding. This operation reunites lost pets with their families by getting critical information into the hands of the people who find them — right in their own neighborhoods.

In the chaos of a disaster, pets often become separated from their people. It then becomes the work of first responders and shelter workers to find and house these lost pets until they can be reunited with their families. The Network Neighbors effort provides support to the community to decrease the amount of time found pets remain in shelters and, whenever possible, bypass the shelter system to alleviate the stress additional pets entering the shelter can create.

Best Friends worked closely with shelters impacted by the floods and those in the surrounding area to determine which pets could be moved out of the immediate area to make space for pets displaced by the floods. We funded today’s Wings of Rescue flight of 47 dogs and 80 cats, who had been cleared for adoption and are looking for new homes. That way, local Hill Country, Texas, shelters are able to focus on finding temporary homes for lost and displaced pets until they can be reunited with their families.Read more

Of the 127 animals who were moved, 59 went to Dallas-area animal welfare organizations and the remaining 68 went to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.

Best Friends has also helped fund emergency supplies that will be dropped off in San Angelo and San Marcos, Texas, as well as funded local organizations to take in pets from flood-impacted shelters. Pets will be airlifted from Eldin, Texas, to partners in the Midwest tomorrow.

Flight creates space for dogs and cats displaced by the floods.

In the rush to evacuate a disaster like this weekend’s flash floods, pets often become separated from their people. It then becomes the work of first responders and shelter workers to find and house these lost pets until they can be reunited with their people.

Pets already in shelters or who have been surrendered by their people due to the disaster also require evacuation and support to help them heal from their traumatic experiences.Read more

To provide relief to communities affected by the devastating Texas floods, Wings of Rescue, in partnership with Austin Pets Alive! and funded by Best Friends Animal Society, is making an emergency flight. The pets will be moved to Fort Worth, where some will be taken in by local animal organizations, with the remaining animals flying on to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.

The airlift will move dogs and cats already in shelters out of the area to provide space for pets displaced by the floods, as well as help reduce overcrowded conditions in shelters directly impacted by the floods.

Best Friends Animal Society is providing funding and supplies for shelters and rescue groups directly impacted and those helping with search and rescue in the area. If you would like to help, we’ve set up an Amazon wish list of the articles most needed to aid the pets impacted by the floods.

Central Texas is under a state of emergency due to catastrophic flash flooding caused by torrential rainfall. A river in the Kerr County area rose more than 25 feet in less than two hours, causing evacuations and massive search-and-rescue efforts in impacted areas.

Best Friends teams jumped into action and immediately contacted partners in the area to assess the needs. Best Friends has funded some of our partners to take animals out of the Kerr County shelter and other impacted areas to make room for animals affected by the flooding.Read more

We are also working with a partner connected to Wings of Rescue, a flight transport organization we worked with during the California wildfire rescues. Dates for the flight have not been confirmed, but we are actively working on getting pets to our sanctuary in Utah.

San Angelo, Texas, has also experienced significant flooding. Best Friends is providing a grant to the city’s nonprofit shelter partner, Concho Valley PAWS, to help support displaced families and their pets while the community works through the emergency.

Reports from impacted areas are still coming in, and we will continue to adapt our support as the needs arise. We’ve been in contact with other shelters and key partners around the area, checking in to evaluate needs. Many have indicated they are in a holding pattern waiting for flooding to recede to assess the volume of displaced pets and community needs.

Follow our Facebook page for the latest on the flooding in Texas from Best Friends. Get the latest information