Humane Society of Puerto Rico: Disaster Response and Recovery Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
To purchase a new generator and a new refrigerator to keep vaccinations cold, and to purchase a reliable used van -- in other words, to do some very critical things to help the many animals now pouring into the Humane Society, which just took on a hoarding case of about 90 animals and is also serving as a holding facility to help the animals being brought off the island of Vieques.
Executive Director Maritza Rodriguez says that after Hurricane Maria, the Humane Society of Puerto Rico was astonished by the amount of damage on the island. Because the shelter is in a floodplain, she and her team had to vacate all the animals to temporary housing during the storm and the immediate aftermath. When they returned to the shelter, they found that they had lost all basic services needed to care for their animal population, including food, cat litter, vaccines, toys, their refrigerator and even their van. At the same time, people were bringing in animals and needed help. "In the middle of the recovery, we received the great news that the Petfinder Foundation had given us a grant of emergency help. Thanks to them, we were able to help many more animals in need," says Maritza. "It felt good to know that we have friends who understand what it takes to save lives."
How many pets did this grant help?
Countless
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
The first two photos are of Misha, an adorable little kitten with a congenital defect of the leg. Maritza’s vet has evaluated her and intends to amputate the leg. Misha and her sister were abandoned on the street near the shelter right after Hurricane Maria hit, just two of the many casualties of this devastating storm. But they are also incredibly lucky because now they are both safe and will be healed and find loving homes. Maritza will use proceeds from the grant to cover Misha’s surgery.
The last two photos show some of the damage that the hurricane wreaked on the shelter facility. Your grant has made a world of difference in helping the Humane Society recover.
