Countless lives have been impacted by the deadly floods that hit the Texas Hill Country over the July 4 weekend, and animals are no exception.
Dr. Ellen Jefferson, Austin Pets Alive! president and CEO, said the floods have been "devastating for all living beings" in a Facebook post from Sunday, July 6. “So many people are searching for their pets that are the last connection they might have to a lost family member. Pets are so intertwined in this saga and it’s so important," Jefferson wrote.
Shelters like APA! and Kerville Pets Alive! are among those coordinating animal search and rescue teams, and APA! reports that it has taken in more than 150 animals combined from Kerrville, Georgetown, Williamson County, Burnet County and San Angelo.
Closer to San Antonio, the Bulverde Area Humane Society wanted to find a way to help. The shelter sent an email to members early Sunday morning asking for donations. BAHS cofounder Linda Binkley told MySA that she then reached out to shelters in the impacted areas.
"I got a hold of the Kerrville people and asked them, you know, what kind of trouble are you in? What do you need? And she said, 'We need everything,'" Binkley told MySA. BAHS put out a second call for donations, everything from mosquito repellent to dog and cat food. That's when "cars started lining up."
"We had several of us that were there unloading, and the line was all the way around the shelter and back down the road and two blocks into the subdivision at one point in time," Binkley recalled. "We were unloading just as fast as we could onto our patios."
Binkley said 35 vehicles and one 16-foot box truck have made their way to KPA! and APA! since Sunday, all of which were driven by volunteers. As of publication, the shelter also raised more than $1,000 for relief efforts. The donations have even continued into the week, with people continuing to drop things off on Tuesday, July 8.
The Bulverde Area Humane Society, located at 3563 Kingsnake, Bulverde, TX 78163, thanked the community for donations in a Facebook post on Monday, July 7. "For four hours straight, a two-block line of cars poured in thousands of donations — supplies, food, crates, compassion. Your generosity was nothing short of heroic," the post read. In another Facebook post, the no-kill shelter said, "We are beyond blessed to be surrounded by such a caring and united community. Our hearts are with all of Kerrville and the surrounding areas affected by this devastating disaster."
Binkley told MySA she tears up every time she thinks about the way people rallied around the call for help.
"It was so much more than what we had expected. We had no idea that we would get the reception that we did," Binkley told MySA. "I think the people of Texas are awesome. Communities come together the way ours do. I mean, we're a little bitty shelter. Bulverde's a little bitty town. We just got inundated with donations."
How to help after Texas floods
As of Tuesday, BAHS is rerouting all physical donations that come through the shelter to Austin Pets Alive! as Kerrville Pets Alive! has "asked for no more physical donations." But, Binkley said that the Bulverde Area Humane Society will not turn away any donations.
For those looking to get involved, BAHS has been sharing resources through their Facebook page. On July 16, the Spring Branch Veterinary Hospital is holding a veterinary services raffle to benefit Kerrville Pets Alive! and will be matching donations made. Additionally, folks can donate directly to Austin Pets Alive! via its website, and to Kerrville Pets Alive! via Venmo.
Those who are able are encouraged to consider fostering rescued animals.