Emergency Evacuations Underway For Over 100 Homeless Animals Displaced By Severe Weather In North Texas

Photos by ASPCA 

At the request of All American Dogs in Denton County, Texas, the ASPCA and Texas-based Animal Investigation & Response (AIR), have partnered to urgently evacuate over 100 homeless animals displaced by severe weather in North Texas that resulted in significant flooding at the All American Dogs Shelter in Pilot Point.

This week, more than 50 shelter dogs were transported to an emergency facility operated by the ASPCA outside of the disaster zone. In addition, a second transport will relocate more than 50 homeless cats to the same emergency facility.

All of the animals relocated out of the impacted community came in as strays and were in the shelter prior to the flooding. The animals will receive ongoing care by ASPCA medical, behavior, and shelter professionals until they can be made available for adoption.

“The ASPCA is grateful to be in a position where we can collaborate with local agencies like All American Dogs and Animal Investigation & Response (AIR) to provide emergency resources that ensure the safety of animals when disaster strikes,” said Susan Anderson, director of ASPCA Disaster Response. “Working together to evacuate shelter animals out of the flood zone not only provides them with a much-needed safe haven, but it also helps free up local resources that will go toward continued relief efforts, including reuniting displaced pets with their owners.”

“When human lives are affected, so are their pets. The human-pet bond is strong, and we are here to assist with the animal component of disaster response because when we help the animals, we are also helping the impacted humans,” said Monica Ailey-Welborn, Animal Investigation & Response President. “We are so appreciative of the collaboration it took to help in this emergent situation. When we all work together, the animals win.”

“The last 10 days have been difficult for my incredible staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure the care of all the animals in our custody. While we were assisting families and pets in our tornado zone, our facility was hit by flooding,” said Bob Matthews, owner of All American Dogs. “The ASPCA and AIR answered our call for help and were nothing short of fantastic. They are relocating more than 100 unowned animals from our shelter, which gives us a chance to regroup and repair the damage. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”

Last month, the ASPCA’s disaster response team was on the ground in San Jacinto County, Texas following severe flooding, providing emergency evacuation and critical pet supply donations. In addition to donating more than 5,000 pounds of pet food to San Jacinto Animal Control, the ASPCA also provided more than 5,500 pounds of pet food to the SPCA of Polk County and 2,500 pounds to Cleveland Texas Animal Control.