SILVERDALE — More than 80 people in Texas and Florida died in the hurricanes that ravaged those states. People all across the country are donating time and resources to help the recovery effort.
Among those answering the call: Kitsap Humane Society.
“Our hearts go out to all of the families impacted by this horrible natural disaster, and our compassion calls us to action,” the humane society stated in an announcement of its efforts.
The humane society’s Denise Caruso said on Sept. 7, “Last week we took in 13 dogs from the San Antonio area. Opening those 13 kennels there meant that the San Antonio shelter had room to offer displaced pets from Houston.
“This week, we are welcoming up to 10 dogs from our partner in rural Wharton County, Texas, with more planned the following week.”
Kitsap Humane Society, or KHS, is opening its kennels to animals that were already in shelters in Texas, so shelters in those areas can take in animals displaced by the hurricane.
Caruso said KHS has worked with the Wharton County shelter and the San Antonio shelter before, and “we have great relationships with them that we are continuing to grow. We are committed to helping them with as many pets as we can when they need help as they recover.
As of Sept. 7, all but two of the dogs KHS took in from San Antonio had been adopted.
If you’re interested in helping support the displaced animals, but are unable to take one home, there are other ways to help.
“Our partners in Texas really need monetary donations right now,” Caruso said. “You can learn about them and donate to their programs on their websites: Wharton County SPOT (www.wcspot.net), and San Antonio Pets Alive (www.sanantoniopetsalive.org).
“To support the Texas dogs we have in our care currently and will be taking in over the coming weeks, KHS can use donations of clean, gently used towels, pillow cases and washcloths, canned/wet dog food, and bleach.”
To learn more about donating to Kitsap Humane Society or to get information about pets available for adoption, visit kitsap-humane.org.
— Michelle Beahm is online editor for Kitsap News Group. She can be reached at mbeahm@soundpublishing.com.
