LAHAINA, Hawaii (KHON2) — As the state of Hawaii mourns the second anniversary of the deadly Lahaina wildfires, we remember that people weren’t the only beings harmed during the disaster.
Nearly a thousand pets were displaced by the fires, and the Maui Humane Society played a crucial role in helping the community.
“Maui Humane Society was the appointed agency for animal rescue and recovery,” Maui Humane Society Chief of Operations Nikki Russell said. We took in nearly 900 animals from the burn zone, in addition to other affected animals who were surrendered as a result of the fire. It took us almost a whole year to place all of these animals, through reuniting them with their families, adoption, transfer, and our community cat placement program, called Operation Fire Cat.”
That support continues to this day.
“Our Lahaina Resource Center supports affected pet owners with veterinary care at our weekly mobile veterinary clinics, as well as other resources to support pet owners facing hardship. Our ultimate goal is to keep pets with their families.” Russell said.
Since that fateful day two years ago, Russell adds that they are consistently over capacity.
“That is expected for cats this time of year, but since the fires, we’ve seen a maintained increase in caring for double the dogs we have the space for, and adoption options are limited, as pet-inclusive housing has drastically decreased. We’ve come close to the heartbreaking reality of euthanizing for space. Thankfully, the community has stepped up to adopt and foster when we’re in that dire position, but we continue to face it today, and we desperately need the support.”
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