Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Delaware groups line up to help pets displaced by Hurricane Harvey

A group from Brandywine Valley SPCA is heading to Texas Wednesday and Thursday to assist hurricane relief efforts involving displaced animals.

10 Brandywine Valley SPCA employees are making the trip.

The group’s Operations Director Walt Fenstermacher says they’ll provide operational leadership at two Houston-area locations.

 

"The Brandywine Valley SPCA and our CEO Adam Lamb were actually reached out to by Best Friends Animal Society, who are based out of Utah, which is are helping to lead the recovery efforts and the temporary shelter efforts in the Houston-area," said Fenstermacher. "They reached out to us because we do have experience with high-intake and being a no-kill organization and managing a larger population.”

 

Fenstermacher says displaced animals in the wake of this storm remains a huge issue.

 

“In Houston alone, there are thousands of animals that have been displaced,” said Fenstermacher.

 

 

Faithful Friends Animal Society and Delaware Humane Association are also getting involved.  They’re teaming up to help ease the burden Texas shelters face due to an increased intake of dogs after Harvey.

Faithful Friends executive director Jane Pierantozzi says a volunteer transport team will head south next week to meet up with Rockwall Pets to pick up about 30 dogs.

 

“This is going to happen on September 13; next Wednesday. Our volunteers will be in Tennessee and they will be meeting with Rockwall Pets’ volunteers who will have transported to them dogs we will be bringing up north to Delaware," said Pierantozzi.

 

Rockwell Pets is transporting the dogs from Austin to help Texas shelters that have been filling up since Harvey hit.

 

Pierantozzi says it’s important for her organization to lend a helping hand.

 

“Just like every organization is trying to do their part to help the animals in Texas and the people that care about them.”

 
Faithful Friends Animal Society, Delaware Humane Association and Rockwall Pets are all part of Best Friends Animal Society's national network of animal welfare organizations promoting a 90% or better save rate in shelters.

The Brandywine Valley SPCA says its asking for the community’s help in supporting these relief efforts through donations.  They can be made at bvspca.org/donate or by sending them to: Brandywine Valley SPCA, 1212 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester, PA 19380.
 
Faithful Friends Animal Society and Delaware Humane Association are also looking for support. Donations to their efforts can be made atwww.faithfulfriends.us or www.delawarehumane.org.

 
 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.