The Austin Humane Society (AHS) on Sunday helped reunite about 30 furry family members with their humans displaced by Hurricane Maria.
The hurricane hit the island of Puerto Rico in September, forcing many families to leave their pets behind and relocate to mainland United States to rebuild their lives.
On Sunday, the AHS became the first organization in Texas to assist with a major effort to bring those pets and families back together. Working with Puerto Rico Animal Unite, the JPB foundation, Signature Flight Support and St. Hubert's Welfare Center, 30 cats and dogs from Puerto Rico were flown into Austin at no cost to the owner.
From there, the pets were transported back to the shelter where they will receive full care and later reunite with their families.
“While many of these families have lost everything back home, this group effort means they will not lose their beloved pets,” said AHS Chief Operations Officer Dr. Katie Luke. “Hearing the stories of how people were forced to leave their pets behind and how hard they’ve worked to bring them here is heartbreaking, so we are honored to help in any way we can.”
Puerto Rico Animal Unite helped families transport their animals to safety and at no cost. In some cases, owners had friends or family members caring for their pet on the island while they worked to secure transport to the mainland. Some refused to leave Puerto Rico without knowing their pets would be flown to the mainland to eventually reunite with them, AHS said in a press release.
The AHS reported that because 350,000 stray dogs and more than one million stray cats already live in Puerto Rico, this mission is critical in avoiding an increase in shelter populations.