Tropical Storm Beryl
Monday, July 15: Our team is on the ground working hard to support the animals in our care, our foster families, and our shelter partners.
By the end of Friday, the team in Houston had transported out over 100 animals from our facility and our partners hardest hit by the storm — all while enduring nearly unbearable heat and unsafe conditions.
Power has returned to much of the city, but we still have about 400,000 residents who are without it, including our Houston facility. Best Friends has two animals at the building who are being cared for by team members.
Friday, July 12: Several shelters, including Best Friends' center in Houston, are still without power. Without electricity some shelters are experiencing water challenges. There have been requests for water, cooling items, generators, and more to help support their animals and animal care staff until power is able to be restored. Thankfully, some transports are being coordinated.
Thursday, July 11: The reported damage has been minimal, with a handful of residents and shelters without power or air conditioning. As a result, one shelter lost a significant number of vaccinations and medications. We're continuing to identify the needs of those impacted by the storm.
Monday, July 8: We're closely monitoring Tropical Storm Beryl in Houston and coordinating with our teams to ensure everyone's safety.
Deer Springs Fire
Monday, July 15: The Deer Springs Fire is now 70% contained and clear of our sanctuary.
Friday, July 12: The Deer Springs Fire is now 40% contained and the forecast includes scattered rain.
Wednesday, July 10: The Deer Springs Fire is now under control and crews are containing the fire. We're closely monitoring the progress to ensure the safety of animals, staff, volunteers, visitors, and donors.
Monday, July 8: The Deer Springs Fire is about 16 miles northeast of Kanab, Utah, where our animal sanctuary is located. Thankfully, the prevailing winds are pushing the fire away from Kanab and the Sanctuary. These are the prevailing winds for this time of year, so we expect them to keep moving away from us.
We have an emergency response plan, created to help guide us in such scenarios. The plan helps ensure the safety of our animals, staff, volunteers, visitors, and donors, and we'll activate it in case it's needed.
