Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas and lingered over the already inundated cities, flooding neighborhoods and roadways and forcing thousands of people—and their pets—to flee their homes.

Unfortunately, some pets were left behind when owners were forced to evacuate and were turned away by shelters that do not allow animals. These beloved pets are in need of rescue, but luckily, there are caring heroes, ordinary citizens, braving the flood waters to ensure that the animals in need are being rescued.

Here, six cats are rescued from the rushing torrents. The felines were found in the Houston area and were safely transported to the shelter where they received the help they desperately needed.

In an effort to avoid some of the mistakes made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago, animal safety advocates have joined forces to clear shelters in the Houston area and beyond to make space for animals displaced by Hurricane Harvey - even wildlife in need are being rescued.

The national effort to clear shelters to make room for the pets lost or displaced by Harvey involves flying the homeless animals already in the shelters to shelters in other parts of the country, such as New Jersey.  The huge effort is being undertaken by Humane Society of the United States, Wings of Rescue, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, GreaterGood.org, the Best Friends Animal Society and other animal rescue and welfare organizations.

The animal shelters in Texas that are still up and running are taking in hundreds of displaced dogs and cats and are expecting more and more as the rescue efforts increase. 

Austin Pets Alive! Is moving as many displaced animals as possible into its shelter and is working on adopting out the animals currently residing there, so it has more room for Harvey evacuees. The rescue is looking for financial donations and potential adopters, learn more here.

How You Can Help

• A GoFundMe page has been set up by 4 Paws Farm and the I Love My Dog Team to raise donations for veterinary care, food, and bedding for animals impacted by Hurricane Harvey. To date, the fundraiser has surpassed its original goal, raising almost $50K in just a few days. Click here for more information and to donate.
• Best Friends Animal Society, the first animal rescue on the ground during Hurricane Katrina, has deployed its disaster response team to Texas to help rescue stranded animals, deliver supplies and transport displaced pets. You can donate to the disaster relief fund here. 
• The SPCA of Texas is working to evacuate pets out of the affected areas and is helping to provide resources on pet-friendly housing to those evacuating the Houston area. The SPCA of Texas is accepting donations here. 
• American Humane is working to rescue animals from the flood waters, as well, and is also providing hundreds of pounds of pet food to pet owners and their animals currently displaced by Harvey. To support these efforts, click here.