For more in-depth coverage of our rescue efforts in Galveston County, please check out our Rapid Response community on the Network.
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A Best Friends rapid response team is on the ground on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, helping animals stranded by Hurricane Ike.
Rapid response manager Rich Crook’s team, whose services were requested by Galveston County Health District Animal Control to assist in recovery efforts, is working closely with shelter workers in Texas City, a port town on Texas’ Gulf Coast.
When the Best Friends team arrived on September 16, they were relieved to see that the shelter was in better shape than they had expected. But because power to the area was out, the animals were kept outside.
The team immediately went to work, making basic repairs to the building, setting up a generator and disinfecting the kennel areas. Once the shelter, which serves the Galveston County area, could function safely again, the animals were moved back inside.
With that, Best Friends achieved its first goal: getting the shelter operational to safely house animals at that location, Rich says.
In addition, the team will help with the search, rescue and recovery of animals, as necessary, in communities affected by the hurricane. In the meantime, team members are still assessing the search-and-rescue needs of the community.
On September 17, Rich toured the area with a police escort. “Devastation in Galveston is like Katrina without the water,” he said.
Written by Cathy Scott
Photos by Mike Harmon
The shelter is in need of supplies such as pet food, flea treatment, de-wormer, disposable kitty litter pans and collapsible wire cages. The shelter’s address is Gdress is Galveston County Animal Shelter, 3412 Loop 197 North, Texas City, TX 77590.
Click here to donate to the Network Rescue Fund
For ongoing updates from the field, please visit the Rapid Response community on the Best Friends Network.
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