Hurricane Harvey animal rescue — one year later

Just a year ago, Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston and miles of the area surrounding it. But out of that terrible disaster came so many reasons for hope. It came in the form of help from people from around the country who did whatever they could to save animals displaced by the storm.

Thanks to the help of more than 120 animal welfare groups and more than 2,800 volunteers from across the country, nearly 3,000 cats and dogs were rescued by Best Friends and our partners.

More about Best Friends’ response to Hurricane Harvey

While it’s been a year since Harvey’s destruction descended on Texas, we will never forget the countless people who came together from nearly every state and stepped up to do whatever was needed to reunite pets with their families. Sadly, most of the rescued pets who came into the care of Best Friends didn’t have homes to begin with, but they still got happy endings. They were transported to Best Friends Network partner organizations in 30 different states. Today the storm is a distant memory for those pets, as they’re living the good life with new families.

Even though the hurricane rescue effort has ended, Best Friends is still working to save lives in Houston. Alongside local animal welfare groups, we’ve set up a permanent presence in the city and we’re creating lifesaving programs there. While Harvey was an acute disaster and the number of pets entering Houston area shelters is staggering, we’re happy to be partnering there with good people to save lives — not just when there’s an emergency, but every day.

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Photos by Molly Wald and Sonya Sellers