OHS Assists with Hurricane Helene Response

OHS Assists with Hurricane Helene Response

Images of homes being washed away, entire towns submerged in water, and landslides crushing roads were shocking. Recovery from a storm of this magnitude can take months or years.

Oregon Humane Society has a long history of helping communities recover after natural disasters, often in partnership with national organizations like the ASPCA. OHS responders complete extensive FEMA coursework, have advanced animal handling skills, and are certified in Emergency Animal Sheltering.

Shortly after Hurricane Helene reached land, the ASPCA deployed to help with search and rescue, distribute food, and transport pets to shelter partners in the region. An emergency animal shelter was set up in a large warehouse about an hour from Asheville to assist municipal shelters in the region directly affected by the storm.

The ASPCA reached out to OHS, requesting help with daily care for the dogs and cats that had been transported to the emergency shelter. Two OHS volunteers and two staff members quickly boarded flights, ready to assist. Daily care responders play an important role in ensuring the animals receive walks, enrichment, food, and have a clean and safe space to call home until they move to their next step. For the animals being cared for in the emergency shelter, next steps could mean being reunited with their family, moving to a shelter partner for adoption, or being transported to one of the ASPCA’s permanent facilities for ongoing care.

Two OHS staff members, Laura Klink and Lila Obeng share their personal experience from this deployment.

Laura Klink, OHS Public Information Officer
Deployment dates Nov. 9-15

The minute I walked into the emergency animal shelter, I was struck by the incredible logistics and organization that was necessary for this response. This was my fourth deployment with the ASPCA and it’s easy to see why they are leaders in disaster response. This enormous, empty warehouse had been transformed into a giant shelter including distinct dog “neighborhoods” with pathways connecting the areas of the shelter named aptly named “Bark Avenue” and “Main Street.” Portable kennels were brought in to create housing for the dogs, construct play areas, a medical exam room, storage, and a separate area for the cats. Every effort was made to create a safe and enriching environment for the pets in their care.

My job was focused on daily care for the cats and dogs within the emergency shelter. I was part of a team of 6-8 people who included ASPCA volunteers, staff, and partner responders, like those of us who’d arrived from OHS. The ASCPA follows the Incident Command System (ICS), so everyone’s roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. The emergency animal shelter was also staffed with medical personnel, logistics experts, and behavior staff.

Each morning, we met for a briefing to discuss where we would be assigned for the day, and to discuss any incoming animals or those being transported out to shelter partners. The days were very structured and included morning feeding and cleaning, dog walking, enrichment, special projects, playgroups for the dogs or one-on-one time with the cats, and finishing the day with evening feeding and cleaning.

One of my favorite moments of the week was watching a shy Pyrenees mix named Ingle come out of her shell during playtime with another dog named Naomi. What made this experience special was that Naomi was like so many dogs often overlooked in shelters—she was big, young, and brindle. Yet, Naomi had a special way of engaging other dogs in play—she was happy, friendly, silly, and loved everyone.

A few days into my deployment, we received a transport from a local municipal shelter that was struggling with a huge influx of animals. Approximately 30 cats and 15 dogs arrived and were quickly moved to their kennels. Extra safety protocols were put into place until each pet received their medical exam. I was immediately drawn to an old, orange tabby, who appeared to have some kind of infection to his mouth. Drool cascaded down from his big, chubby cheeks while he purred at the first sign of attention. The ASPCA’s medical team made sure he was among the first to be examined. It turned out he had a broken jaw at some point in his long life that had not healed correctly. While his mouth looked odd, he was still able to eat and likely was not experiencing pain from the old injury. This cat was a survivor and would now have a second chance at a loving home.

After five days of hard work, I was exhausted, but exhilarated. It was an honor to represent OHS during this deployment and I’m proud that we are a resource during these times of crisis.

Lila Obeng, OHS Humane Law Enforcement Evidence Technician
Deployment dates Nov. 19-25

I headed to North Carolina with an open mind as this was my first deployment with the ASPCA. The details of my assignment did not come until mid-flight just before touching down in Charlotte. It was then I learned that all the animals in care at the emergency shelter had been accepted by partner shelters and rescues to go on and find their forever homes! This meant that I would be part of the team closing the shelter and breaking down the equipment.

When I arrived at the shelter the first morning, some transport partners were already onsite and animals were being loaded up for their journeys, some hours long, to their new adoption locations. I was briefed about what to expect that day and what tasks needed to be completed. There were about ten of us there, including the ASPCA veterinarian, site lead, and logistics person. Most other volunteers were at the end of their week-long deployments, or they were ASPCA Pro volunteers who had been there off and on or continuously for multiple weeks.

Another new volunteer and I were assigned to the “Alpha” dog pod which contained about 15 large kennels. About half had dogs in them. One by one, we leashed and walked the dogs outside. The weather was clear and sunny, a nice relief from cold, wet Portland. Dogs known to be potty trained were walked to a grassy area to relieve themselves then placed in the outdoor kennels under a covered space. All others went straight into the outdoor kennels. We used radios to communicate when we were coming and going with dogs to avoid any unpleasant interactions. After everyone was in an outside kennel, cleaning commenced. All tasks were given verbally, and I noticed that most volunteers had their own way of performing various tasks. The ASPCA staff were friendly and always around to answer questions.

When we were done cleaning our pods, it was time to bring the dogs back indoors to their kennels. While we were cleaning, several dogs had already been loaded up and sent away with partners. There was a total of 12 dogs left in the entire shelter by the end of the day. One cat, the big orange tabby boy with the broken jaw, was returned to the emergency shelter because he had tested positive for FIV. Within no time, staff had confirmed a new placement partner who was happy to take him in! He was kept in a comfy multi-story kennel inside the staff office where he received a ton of love and attention before he went on his way again.

The next morning, the final transport vehicle was there and ready to take the rest of the dogs to the ASPCA’s Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) in Columbus, Ohio where they would be until adoption. Next came my favorite part of the deployment. We took each dog out for their final walk as a group. Spaced at a safe distance, we each walked a dog and took them to an upper grass space where we spent time loving on them until we were called to bring them to the transport van. I was paired with Serena, a super sweet brindle Pit Bull mix pup. She was very curious and interested in everything and everyone around her. Serena was young and energetic but also very polite.

After every four-legged friend had left the warehouse, the strenuous work of meticulously scrubbing, taking apart, and packing away a seemingly endless stock of chain-link panels was underway. Everything had to go through decontamination and be put in its place ready for transport back to the CRC or the ASPCA resource warehouse, which was also out of state. Just to give you an idea of the volume of items, there were hundreds of carabiners, dozens of clip boards, white boards, leashes, toys, brooms, mops, buckets, chairs, tables, and many other items, all of which had to go through the same process. I could only imagine the time and effort it took to set up and stock this once empty warehouse. Over the next three days, our team dwindled until the final day of my deployment when we were down to a group of six. Then, in a wonderful display of collaboration and gratitude on the final day, four members of the local Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, who had lost EVERYTHING to Hurricane Helene, joined our efforts and we were able to officially conclude this operation just before lunch! Our final warehouse meal was some delicious Chinese takeout from a local restaurant. We shared stories and memories of some of the pets that had come through the emergency shelter from Brother Wolf and other local shelters. Then we said our goodbyes. For the remainder of the day, I rested back at our hotel. The next morning, we all headed back to our homes in different parts of the country. Still sore, but hearts full.