Maui animals looking for homes in Marin

As I write this, staff and volunteers here at Marin Humane are busily getting ready to welcome some special guests. A plane full of dogs, puppies, cats and kittens will be arriving tonight from a special place: the island of Maui. And by the time you read this article, several of them will be waiting for their forever homes here in Marin.

Like most people, I’ve watched the devastation the recent wildfires have wreaked on the beautiful island and its inhabitants. The loss of life, both human and animal, is heart-wrenching.

“As soon as I heard about what was happening, I reached out to my colleagues in the islands,” said Nancy McKenney, chief executive officer of Marin Humane. “It wasn’t known immediately what was needed but soon, we joined fellow Bay Area shelters in creating a plan to bring animals from Maui here to the mainland.”

During and after disasters, it’s critical to create space in animal shelters near the disaster zones to house the pets of those who’ve been evacuated and those who’ve been found stray. That’s the best way of helping them become reunited with their families. To create space, shelters will transfer out animals that were already available for adoption when the disaster hit.

This is exactly what happened in the devastating fires in Sonoma and Napa counties in 2017. Marin Humane transferred all its adoption animals out to trusted partner shelters and rescues to serve as an emergency boarding facility.

The animals coming from Maui will be greeted with open arms and over the next few days, they’ll be evaluated, neutered or spayed, if needed, and then ready for their forever homes.

And because we know our friends at Maui Humane Society are going to have a long road ahead of them, all the adoption fees for these animals will be donated to that shelter.

While we’re honored to be in a position to help, the Maui fires are a stark reminder of the need for all of us to include our pets in our disaster plans. Please ensure:

• Your pet has identification. A collar and identification tags should be worn at all times, and pets should be microchipped.

• To crate train your pet. You can train your pets by putting their favorite treat in the carrier and sounding a bell at the same time. Repeat the process every day until your pet comes running at the sound of the bell. The ability to get your pet quickly into a crate is essential.

• If you evacuate, take your pets with you. Animals left behind in a disaster can easily become injured, lost or killed. They can escape through damaged areas, such as broken windows. Animals left to fend for themselves are likely to become victims of exposure, starvation, predators, contaminated food or water, or accidents. Never leave them tied up inside or outside the home.

• Evacuate early. Don’t wait for mandatory evacuation orders.

• Prepare an emergency kit in a watertight plastic storage container that includes leashes, collars, tags, medications, photos of your pet, water and food.

Finally, let’s remember that we’re all in this together, so share this information with others and consider reaching out to neighbors with pets if you think your neighborhood may be evacuated.

If you’re interested in adopting one of the animals from Maui, please visit marinhumane.org/adopt. And if you’d like to help the Maui Humane Society, please visit mauihumanesociety.org.

Lisa Bloch is the director of marketing and communications for Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal-related questions and stories about the people and animals in our community. Go to marinhumane.org, find us on social media @marinhumane or email lbloch@marinhumane.org.