On July 31, 2025, Oregon Humane Society accepted the transfer of 16 dogs from Texas shelters in coordination with the ASPCA. As recovery in central Texas unfolds in the aftermath of the devastating Guadalupe River flash flood, shelters in the affected areas have seen a surge in stray dogs and owner surrendered animals in need of care. Many shelters in the area have reached critical capacity, making it difficult to support incoming animals.
OHS’ Second Chance program works with as many as 79 different partner agencies to help alleviate capacity for shelters, both locally in Oregon and across the nation throughout the year. When natural disasters strike, OHS is able to support by transferring existing shelter animals from impacted agencies. These transfers are vital for local shelters as it allows more space and resources to care for displaced pets.
Thursday’s charter flight carried 16 medium and large dogs, the first group of animals to be transported out of Texas with help from the ASPCA. As recovery efforts in the area continue, OHS is poised to answer additional calls for help in the coming months. Upon arrival, six of the dogs continued their journey to our Salem campus, with the remaining ten dogs settling in at our Portland campus.
Back at the shelters, all the dogs received medical and behavior assessments, including heartworm tests, and were given time to decompress in their new environment. Dogs who arrived already altered may be available for adoption as early as Saturday.
Ways to Support
For this transfer, OHS specifically welcomed medium and large dogs, who are seeing a dramatic dip in adoption interest across the nation. These dogs are likely to wait for longer than average before finding a home. Thanks to your support, all animals at OHS can stay as long as it takes.
OHS is continuing our effort to support large dogs through our foster-to-adopt program, Diamond in the Ruff, and offering robust enrichment programs like Dog’s Day Out. If you have space and room in your home, consider adopting or fostering a large breed dog today.
Transfers—whether from local or national partners—require a lot of resources and coordination. This critical work is made possible with your support. By making a gift today, you will help us reach our goal of $5,000 so we can provide the highest quality care for our new arrivals, including medical care, spay/neuter surgery, vaccines, behavior support, enrichment, and more.
