Hurricane Harvey Sends 105 Animals To San Diego Shelters

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA – Thanks to a Wings of Rescue flight, more than 100 animals from Louisiana will land in San Diego Monday to clear out shelter space for pets rescued in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Twenty dogs and 85 cats from Acadiana Animal Aid in Lafayette are arriving in San Diego to make room for the Texas and Louisiana pet victims of Hurricane Harvey. The animals boarded their flight Monday morning. After a stop in Texas to re-fuel, the plane is scheduled to arrive around 2 p.m. at Gillespie Field in El Cajon.

"We've been told that the hurricane pet victims will begin arriving in Lafayette almost immediately after these pets leave," said John Van Zante of Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

In NorCal:

• Livermore Charity Flies Animals To Clear 'Hurricane Harvey' Shelters

Harvey, which is now a tropical storm, made landfall in Texas on Friday night as a Category 4 hurricane before moving back over the Gulf of Mexico. It has already dropped more than 30 inches of rain in some areas and caused devastating flooding in Houston and the surrounding areas. The Houston police chief said Monday morning that authorities have already made at least 2,000 rescues in the city.

The animals arriving in San Diego will go to Labradors and Friends Rescue, Rancho Coastal Humane Society and San Diego Humane Society. After their arrival, the cats, kittens, dogs and puppies will be transported to San Diego-area shelters and foster homes.

The animals are not victims of the storm and will be available for adoption.

"When disasters strike and the country needs help caring for lost, strayed or abandoned pets, they turn to San Diego," Van Zante said. "No pet should die because it was born in the wrong state."

The transfer of the pets is part of a joint effort by Wings of Rescue, GreaterGood.org, Labradors and Friends Rescue, Rancho Coastal Humane Society and San Diego Humane Society. All five organizations are accepting donations to help cover the costs of the flight and to provide care for the animals.

Labradors and Friends is in need of in-home foster care providers to assist with the incoming dogs. For more information, contact Lauren Dube at 619-990-7455 or dogs@labradorsandfriends.org.

Images via Wings of Rescue