Texas Flooding Leaves Many Pets Lost and Separated From Owners

The entire month of May here in Central Texas has been spotted with thunderstorms and bad weather. During Memorial Day Weekend, areas in Central Texas experienced flash floods, tornadoes, and thunderstorms. Many people have experienced damage to their homes and businesses, and some have even lost their lives.

Yesterday, the rain that came down all afternoon was torrential. My street in Round Rock was closed because it had turned into a river. Lightning struck nearby and my pets were stressed out. Fortunately for me, this was nothing compared to what other people are experiencing in other nearby parts of Texas.

Due to flooding in Austin, the shelters there are experiencing an increase in lost pets being dropped off at the shelter. Since these storms began, more than 200 pets have been brought to Austin Animal Center which is already over capacity. To make matters worse, Town Lake Animal Center flooded on Memorial Day and approximately 60 dogs had to be evacuated to Austin Animal Center where they are being housed in temporary kennels.

Monday afternoon, Austin Pets Alive asked for help from temporary foster homes for the flooded Town Lake Animal Center on Facebook. A few hours later, they announced that they had received all the help they needed to get the pets to a safe place for the night.

Some of the kennels at TLAC are flooding! We NEED FOSTERS NOW! Stop by TLAC if you can safely get here and give a pup a dry place for the night.
Posted by Austin Pets Alive! on Monday, May 25, 2015

Austin Animal Center will be closed tomorrow, May 26th and possibly May 27th as well. While closed, they will not be taking any new lost or surrendered pets into their facility. They are asking that people please try to keep the pets in a safe environment for a few days. You can read more about this here.

This is an important reminder why it's important to keep identification on your pets. Having a tag, microchip, or some other form of identification on your pet will help ensure a speedy reunion and keep pets out of the shelters during a disaster like the Texas Floods.

Also, don't leave your pets outside when there are thunderstorms, flash flood warnings or tornado warnings! Pets become easily scared and could run away, or much worse become injured in these situations.

The monsoon is back this afternoon... #texas #texasflood #texasflooding #rainraingoaway 💧⚡☁

A photo posted by Ann Staub (@pawsitivelypets) on May 25, 2015 at 12:54pm PDT

Being prepared for emergencies is also important! Here are some resources and information about what to do with your pets in case of a flash flood -

• What to do to keep your pets safe during a flood via American Humane Association
• Make Your Own Dog First Aid Kit via Beagles and Bargains
• Make a First Aid Kit for Your Cat via Pawsitively Pets
• Emergency Preparedness for Pets via Confessions of a Rescue Mom

There are a few reports of missing people during the Texas Floods this weekend, and we are hoping that they are found soon. I expect that there are many missing and lost pets right now as well. If you are missing a pet from the flood in Austin, Texas, please check Austin Animal Center's website regularly for your pet.