Food, water, clothing: these are just a few of the essentials that most people think of when considering necessities for an emergency. But for the millions of Americans across the southeast hit with catastrophic infrastructure damage from Hurricane Helene, the biggest challenges they might face in the coming months revolve around supplies few people think of: pet supplies. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), animals caught in the path of Helene might be out of the floodwaters — but they still need the public’s help.
“We anticipate [recovery] to be a long process,” Tim Rickey, who oversees the ASPCA disaster response team, tells Rolling Stone. “We’re early into it right now, and we have many critical needs that we’re trying to get resources to. But the needs here are going to go on for many, many months.”
Rickey is currently on the ground in North Carolina coordinating the ASPCA’s plan to get pet supplies, medication, and vet support into the thousands of communities ravaged by the storm. When Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 26 in Florida, the Category 4 hurricane caused massive flooding, power outages, and mudslides that have wiped out entire neighborhoods and killed over 190 people. Those who managed to evacuate or were rescued by volunteers or civil servants might have escaped immediate danger, but have a long road of recovery ahead, one complicated by the additional goals of keeping pets with families. Some shelters or temporary lodgings don’t allow animals at all — while other families will quickly run out the supplies they were able to salvage from their homes. That’s where the ASPCA’s disaster response teams are stepping in. The organization has dispatched teams to Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina where they are setting up a pet supply distribution hub that will bring pet supplies through the fractured supply chain.
Courtesy of ASPCA
“Food and potable water are your basic life saving supplies. But some of the things that we’re trying to get distributed out are items for people who have lost everything but want to keep their pet with them,” he says. “Pet carries, leashes, collars, bowls, pet food, and medication so they can maintain those animals through this challenging time.”
In addition to supplies for displaced pet owners, the ASPCA is also accepting donations to help relieve animal shelters and recovery facilities that were damaged or completely destroyed in the storm. In Eastpoint, Florida, an ASPCA team saved 37 cats from the Franklin County Humane Society when the building began to flood — and transported them out of harm’s way.
Courtesy of ASPCA
According to Rickey, pets also play a vital role in the emotional recovery of residents who have lost family members, friends, their communities, or their homes. “For most people, their pet is a member of the family,” Rickey says. “If you lose your pet or are separated from your pet or have to leave them with someone else following a disaster where you’ve already lost everything else, it’s even more devastating. Basic supplies may make the difference for people’s own mental health and recovery.”
Those who want to help are encouraged to either contribute directly to local shelters or donate to the ASPCA’s Disaster Fund here. But as climate disasters continue to occur with alarming frequency across the United States, Rickey says one of the best ways to protect your family is to build a disaster plan that includes your pets.
“Anywhere you live in the country, you’re at risk of facing some type of natural disaster,” he says. “Never evacuate without your animal. If it is not safe for you, it is not safe for your pets.”