Hellish Texas flooding leaves 'thousands' of pets missing
The horrific flash floods have claimed the lives of at least 108 people as of Tuesday afternoon, and officials have confirmed the operation has shifted from rescue to recovery.
As authorities continue to search for the 23 people still missing across the state, volunteers are combing through the ruins for lost pets and working to reunite them with their owners.
Kerrville Pets Alive, a local animal rescue at the epicenter of the damage, has already taken in 40 animals and received 100 reports of either lost or found pets since Friday, according to the New York Post.
'We are seeing an influx of animals because the water is receding,' Karen Guerrero, founding member of the nonprofit, told the outlet. 'There are thousands of pets out there.'
One pup, named Superman, was found alone on a large pile of debris after the floods killed his owner, according to partner animal rescue Austin Pets Alive.
'Fearful and aching after being swept away from his home, Superman was hesitant to trust the search and rescue crews, snapping as they were trying to save him,' the rescue said.
'With patience and a bit of dog-whispering, volunteers were finally able to earn his trust and safely remove Superman from the scene.'
The animal rescue said relatives of Superman's owner are doing everything they can to get him back, and the rescue was able to put him in foster care until they are ready to bring him home.
CEO of Austin Pets Alive, Dr. Ellen Jefferson, told ABC News Live teams are working around the clock to address the growing needs of hurt and lost animals.
'We are in the thick of it,' she said. 'We are triaging animals that are coming in with medical needs, injured or ill, found by good Samaritans.
'It is overwhelming. There is so much damage; it is surreal. You can't comprehend it until you see it, and it is the stuff that makes nightmares, honestly.
'But, when a pet is found, even if that pet is no longer living, and we're able to identify who it belongs to and let the people know, there's still a sense of relief.'
Jefferson explained that her organization worked to relocate animals already in the shelter system before the flood, so they serve as lost and found centers.
'We need to go through the process of making sure that every pet has been identified and that the owners have every opportunity to reclaim before there is ever a hint of re-adopting,' she said.
Both shelters have shared dozens of photos of the pets they've rescued in hopes of reuniting them with their owners.
'There's not a single piece of this that has been easy or simple,' Jefferson told CBS News. 'We've been trying to do a little bit of everything down there in this time of chaos and extreme need.
'The number one thing we need right now is funding. We have a lot of people working on this. We have a lot of medical care that is going into this. We have a lot of transports going out of the state.
'We are doing so many different things and we have received, thankfully, a lot of supplies.
'We're still working on medical supplies and other donations like that there's so much to do that we could always take more fosters and volunteer. So, there's really no limits to what people can provide. We need it all.'
For every rescue there are dozens of more tales of heartbreak, including the story of William "Bill" Huston and his dog Sage.
The owner and his dog were swept away while staying at the HTR Campgrounds. Sage's remains were discovered seven miles down the river, while Huston is still missing.
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hundreds gather at high school stadium to honor the many lost to Texas deadly floods
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The Independent
an hour ago
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Back-to-back floods in New Mexico and Texas with very different outcomes
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