(Press Release)

On Tuesday our rescue team split up to answer the increasing number of calls to our shelter's hotline. Most of the calls we've received are in the Beaumont area.

We learned that many residents who evacuated the city by bus would not return for days. Even if their neighborhoods were accessible, there are not enough buses to bring them home yet.

With this news making our rescue mission even more pressing, our team members have come together with dramatic results.

Our trailer transporting animals from the Humane Society of Southeast Texas (HSSET) to the SPCA of Texas arrived in Dallas safely, unloaded the animals, and returned to Beaumont for use in local rescues. On Tuesday we brought in nearly 100 animals from the Beaumont area, including a mother cat with newborn kittens and a very pregnant Dachshund who will give birth any day.

We took a hotline call from a concerned neighbor about horses stranded in standing water. I brought along an experienced large animal handler and a horse trailer to answer the call.

When we arrived, the scene was worse than we expected. The 12 horses on the property had been standing in floodwater for some time—they were encrusted with mud and highly agitated. But one horse's appearance truly alarmed us.

The sorrel mare was skeletal. Her dingy coat was stretched tightly over her ribs and her withers stood out from her frame. It was obvious that this horse was starving to death and had been for some time.

Our team was so concerned that we called the local police department to explore cruelty charges. With their support, we loaded up the emaciated mare and brought her back to HSSET.

The mare has quickly become a shelter favorite. After securing her in a large fenced area, we immediately brought her fresh hay. Everyone gathered to watch her devour the food, probably the first she had consumed in days. She ate for an hour without pause, and then drank deeply of the fresh water we provided. Thanks to our intervention, this neglected horse is on her way to recovery.

We received another call from a Red Cross volunteer alerting us to an urgent rescue request from an evacuee, whose dogs had been trapped since Thursday without food or water. The long day was coming to a close, but we pushed on to help these animals.

Into the Field

Upon arrival we found bars on all the doors and windows of the house. I pried the bars and broke a window to gain entry. Inside we found two traumatized, hungry and dehydrated dogs. With patience and persistence we calmed them enough to take them in our arms and carry them out of the house. They will be well cared for at our shelter until their grateful guardian can retrieve them.

Although our rescue efforts here are not yet complete, the number of animals we were able to rescue in just one day is amazing. I see these efforts as a victory for our team and for the 100 animals that we delivered from an uncertain future into safety.