Best Friends welcomes 75 animals to Kanab shelter after emergency airlift out of Texas flooding

KANAB, Utah (ABC4) — Best Friends Animal Society, Austin Pets Alive!, and Wings of Rescue worked together to fly 127 dogs and cats out of central Texas amid devastating flooding in the region.

On Wednesday, the emergency rescue flight transported 47 dogs and 80 cats to safety in Fort Worth, Texas and then Kanab, Utah. 59 cats and dogs went to local shelters in Ft Worth, and the rest went on to the Best Friends Animal Society shelter in Kanab.

“Today we’re going to be taking in about 75 animals into our sanctuary here in Kanab,” Luis Quintanilla, Senior Director for Sanctuary Animal Care at Best Friends Animal Society, told ABC4.com. “Our goal here is to try to alleviate as much pressure and make as much space in those rescue partners and in those shelters so they can continue to do their direct response there on the ground.”

The animals were already living in shelters in central Texas before the flooding, and by moving them, local shelters were able to take in animals displaced by the floods and prevent overcrowding.

“It’s a sad fact that there are shelters in the country that have to euthanize for space. Most of those are municipal shelters,” Eric Rayvid, who works in Communications at Best Friends Animal Society, said.

“These pets would all have been euthanized under normal circumstances to make way for the wave of incoming pets that were displaced by the floods,” Co-president and CEO of Wings of Rescue Ric Browde told ABC4.com. “So those pets will hopefully be reunited with their families, and these ones are going to have wonderful lives.”

As part of the intake process at Best Friends, the animals are going to see the vet.

“Now they’ll be getting vetting,” Quintanilla explained. “They’ll get a full workup, they’ll get lovely homes and kennels, and we’ll try to find them placement in foster or through adoption as soon as they arrive.”

The work being done by Best Friends, Wings of Rescue, and Austin Pets Alive! is having a real impact on those municipal shelters that have to euthanize animals to make space.

“We received the message from the shelter director, it’s like going, ‘You’ve just made my day because I didn’t have to kill everybody,'” Browde said.

According to a news release from Best Friends, Austin Pets Alive! has taken a lead role in animal rescue efforts since the flooding in central Texas began. They “provided boots-on-the-ground assistance to Kerrville Pets Alive! and impacted surrounding communities. Their work has included search and rescue operations, veterinary care and vaccinations, transportation of pets to APA!’s Austin location, and distribution of food, supplies, and other critical resources.”

The Austin community helped place over 300 dogs and cats from Kerrville and other areas affected by the flood in foster homes, and Best Friends is now asking the Utah community to do the same.

“Anybody out there, please—you know—adopt, foster, volunteer at your local shelter. Anything helps,” Quintanilla said. “And the need, you know, is great right now. So please reach out to your local shelter, even if you’re away from the devastation that is being faced right now in Texas. You know, there’s never a bad time to step in and try to help.”

“It’s what fuels us,” Browde said. “I mean, I came from a rock and roll world where, you know, everything was wonderful and parties and glam and things like that. And I realized that I had done 29 million records and never made a bit of difference in the world in terms of making it a better place. And so this is far more rewarding.”

Rayvid added that Best Friends is raising money for the work the organization is doing in Texas. On their website, you can find information about everything Best Friends is doing, get daily updates, and donate money, “if you are so inclined.” They also have an Amazon Wishlist for people to purchase items they need most to help animals impacted by the floods.

You can also donate to Austin Pets Alive! on their website.