Hurricane Harvey Pets: Romeoville Humane Society Needs Foster Families

ROMEOVILLE, IL — With hundreds of thousands of residents under evacuation orders and a death toll standing at 30 as of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Harvey has devastated southeast Texas and was moving into Louisiana. With shelters full of displaced residents and aid groups rushing to help, a local organization hasn't forgotten about the four-legged victims of Harvey. The Romeoville Humane Society on Tuesday night said it's seeking foster families for pets displaced by the historic storm.

The humane society issued an urgent call to action, saying it's working to rescue and rehome dogs that will be transported to Illinois from Texas.

"Potential fosters MUST be willing to take in an animal that we will know very little about," the humane society said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. "Fosters MUST also be able to quarantine the animal completely separate from their own pets until full vetting and behavioral assessment can be done. Fosters must understand we rely solely on fosters and must be able to keep these animals until adoption no matter how difficult the situation may be."

Can't foster a dog but still want to help? The humane society is accepting donations to pay for boarding and medical care for displaced pets. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

"This is a different kind of rescue operation," the humane society said. "Normally we are able to go down to animal controls and meet the animals then we post pictures and ask for fosters." The Romeoville Humane Society must commit to housing a certain number of pets by next Tuesday, Sept. 5, and pets will be placed in homes by Thursday, Sept. 7.

Anyone willing to take in a pet should apply as soon as possible.

"Our foster requirements are simple. All animals in your home must have proof of being up to date on vaccinations," the humane society said. "This is for the safety of your animal as we don't know the medical condition of the animals coming. All members of the family must be on board."

The foster family provides a home for the pet, while the humane society pays for food and supplies. A $25 donation to pay for the foster license fee is appreciated by not required. Applications can be found online.

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Romeoville joins pet rescues from across the country in aiding pets displaced or abandoned as residents flee floodwaters. One organization, Wings of Rescue, this week said it planned to fly more than 300 animals from Texas to shelters in California, Washington, Oregon and New Jersey.

The entire Texas National Guard has been activated as unprecedented levels of rain have flooded highways and forced thousands of residents out of their homes.

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Photo: Andrew White (L) helps a neighbor down a street after rescuing her from her home in his boat in the upscale River Oaks neighborhood after it was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)