Oregon Humane Society welcomes 16 dogs from Texas after floods
The Oregon Humane Society welcomed more than a dozen dogs from central Texas animal shelters to help make space for pets displaced by the recent flash floods.
A total of 16 medium to large dogs were flown to Troutdale from Texas on July 31 before being transported to OHS shelters in Salem and Portland.
Texas has seen an increase in owner surrenders and strays coming into shelters as recent rescue efforts have continued following the floods.
OHS was the first shelter outside of Texas to take in pets.
“As soon as we heard the news about the flooding, we immediately reached out to offer our help,” said OHS chief medical officer Steve Kochis. “Oregon Humane Society is a part of an animal welfare ecosystem – we show up and support each other in emergencies.”
The dogs were transported from Austin Pets Alive!, Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter and Concho Valley PAWS.
Travel costs and coordination were covered by the ASPCA.
OHS will perform behavioral and medical assessments on the dogs as they are prepared for adoption. Some dogs may even be ready to adopt as soon as this weekend, according to OHS.
OHS is covering the cost of caring for the dogs and is asking for the community’s help to raise $5,000 to aid in caring for the dogs. Those who would like to contribute can go to oregonhumane.org.
Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or on X at @GinnieSandoval.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon Humane Society welcomes 16 dogs from Texas after floods