Maui animal shelter housing pets whose owners lost their homes to deadly fires
The death and destruction on Maui also extend to our four-legged companions, many of which were still missing a week after flames tore through the historic town of Lahaina. One shelter is working overtime to house the pets of residents who lost their homes or are living in shelters until they can be reunited.
Rodnyl Toscana escaped the fire. His home is destroyed, but he and his pets are okay. Toscano is staying in a shelter, and his three dogs and rabbits are being taken care of at the Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation in Wailuku.
"They'll take care of them really really well here so we can get them back," Toscana said.
The facility is getting ready for a hundred pets, including dogs, cats and even tortoises.
Dawn Pfendler, CEO of Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation, said taking care of pets gives residents fewer things to worry about.
"Humans need the pets as much as the pets need the humans," she said. "So we're really not sure what to expect. So we're trying to prepare for a marathon, not a sprint."
The foundation will care for the pets until their owners' housing situation is more stable.
An estimated 3,000 animals were missing on the island, Maui Humane Society CEO Lisa M. Labrecque said Monday. The group, which is working to reunite pets with their owners, has recovered more than 50 animals from the Lahaina area, including 12 that were hospitalized as of Monday. Eight animals had been reunited with their families.