The Houston SPCA Disaster Response Team stands at the ready to respond to animal-related emergencies and natural disasters.

The Houston SPCA has lent our assistance, equipment and shelter in such emergencies as Hurricanes Harvey, Katrina, Rita and Ike, and even Dorian, which took us to the hardest-hit areas of the Bahamas; the Gulf oil spill of 2010, during which we moved animals from packed Louisiana shelters to the Houston SPCA; and the Tri-County Wildfires of 2011, where our rescue teams went behind the fire lines to rescue pets and farm animals. In the wake of Harvey, for example, we distributed over 120 tons of pet food, crates, bedding, and other supplies to our community; took in more than 2,300 dogs and cats, and 80 horses; and reunited 300 pets with their families.

The Houston SPCA’s Wildlife Center of Texas is the “go-to” organization when natural or man-made catastrophes impact the environment and wild animals. One of their most active programs is the Oiled Wildlife Response program, which treats animals that have been affected by oil spills and has responded to more than 60 spills to date. They also train oil spill response volunteer teams through hands-on workshops. Members of the Oiled Wildlife Response team are Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certified and Incident Command System (ICS) trained to provide superior care to oil-contaminated wildlife.