Recognizing the One-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Helene

Last year when Hurricane Helene made landfall and devastated the Southeast, the ASPCA quickly jumped into action helping in several Southern states including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

In Florida, we conducted water and land search-and-rescue assessments and supported impacted communities with pet food, crates and other critical supplies for animals and pet parents affected by the storm. We also coordinated with animal shelters across the affected areas to assist in animal sheltering and disaster response needs.

In North Carolina, we worked with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to establish a statewide pet supply distribution plan to support communities impacted by the disaster, launched an animal assistance hotline, set up an emergency shelter in Conover, North Carolina, and provided daily care and veterinary support at a co-located shelter to assist displaced pets and their owners. In addition, when the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center in Weaverville, North Carolina was impacted, we mobilized to urgently relocate animals to our Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) in Columbus, Ohio.

We spent more than 30 days in the Southeast providing round-the-clock relief to shelters, pets and pet parents in impacted areas. We worked to reunify pets with their owners and find placement for displaced, unowned animals, among other response efforts.

After facilitating pet and owner reunifications and placing 126 unowned animals through our partner shelters, we transported the remaining unowned animals at the temporary North Carolina shelter to our facility in Ohio. From there, all animals were adopted either directly from the ASPCA or transferred to other placement partners to find loving homes.

To date, our hurricane relief efforts have impacted over 50,000 animals, primarily through pet food and supply distribution. We distributed more than 750,000 pounds of pet food and 78,000 pounds of cat litter, routed more than 660 calls through the animal assistance hotline and provided care to more than 150 animals through the emergency shelter. As part of our pet food distribution efforts, we also provided additional pet food and food storage systems to over 10 local agencies so they could continue offering support to the surrounding communities into the spring.

But our work didn’t stop there. The ASPCA awarded 88 grants totaling more than $3 million in Hurricane Helene relief and response, adding to the more than $11 million in disaster response and capacity building grant funding we’ve awarded between 2019 and 2024.

Among the 88 grant recipients was close partner shelter, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue (BWAR), whose Asheville, North Carolina, shelter was completely destroyed in floodwater caused by Hurricane Helene. During landfall, BWAR animals were housed in temporary foster homes. After the storm, emergency foster caregivers brought their respective foster animals to the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance (ASNA) for temporary sheltering before we, alongside the Humane Society of Charlotte (HSC), assisted in the emergency transport of 44 homeless dogs and cats to HSC in Charlotte, North Carolina.

With its facilities inoperable, BWAR needed a place to continue providing lifesaving services for the community, so we offered up temporary operational space at ASNA. To this day, BWAR continues to run temporary sheltering operations out of ASNA as it works to rebuild its facilities.

“The devastating impact of Hurricane Helene has been widespread and continuous as organizations like Brother Wolf Animal Rescue work every day to support our community and rebuild,” said Leah Craig Chumbley, Executive Director of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. “Through it all, the ASPCA has been a trusted and immensely impactful partner that has provided us with critical support from grant funding to lifesaving equipment, temporary shelter space, subject matter expertise and, above all, kindness and compassion. We are grateful for their commitment to our work, which has allowed us to continue protecting animals across Western North Carolina and, in the past year, find more than 500 animals new homes.”

In addition to BWAR, the Humane Society of Charlotte (HSC) received one of the 88 grants. With this funding, HSC was able to provide lifesaving care to Erma and Fran, both of whom came to HSC through our emergency shelter.

Erma, a 4-year-old mixed-breed dog arrived at HSC with a noticeable lump on her side. HSC’s veterinary team ran diagnostics and found a soft tissue sarcoma, or a locally aggressive form of skin cancer. Erma underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and ensure clean margins. With HSC’s expert care, Erma was declared cancer-free. Shortly thereafter, she was adopted!

Fran, also a 4-year-old mixed-breed dog, showed signs of severe fear when she arrived at HSC. She would often tightly curl up in her kennel and was reluctant to walk on leash. The HSC Behavior and Training team worked with Fran daily and over time, she began to overcome her fears. After a few short weeks, she was adopted by a loving family with another dog to help her continue building her confidence.

In addition to our boots on the ground work and disaster grant funding, we also advocate for policies that enhance disaster preparedness as ASPCA research indicates that incorporating animals into disaster planning policies can help prevent tragic outcomes. Since Hurricane Katrina, the ASPCA has supported policies that enhance disaster preparedness and response efforts to ensure animals are included in emergency planning and enable vets to transport and dispense vital medicines while performing in the field. Most recently, the ASPCA has led efforts to enact laws in California, Colorado, Nevada, and Washington to ensure that local governments designate pet-friendly sheltering sites, allowing individuals to evacuate with their pets safely. In 2020, Florida enacted a similar ASPCA-supported law requiring each county that establishes emergency shelters to designate a shelter accommodating people with pets.

As we reflect on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, we are also recognizing September as National Preparedness Month. During this time of the year, many parts of the country experience extreme weather, including hurricanes, flooding and more, highlighting how critical disaster preparedness is in keeping your pet safe and calm during emergency situations. Make sure to download our pet disaster kit checklist to ensure you have everything you need when disaster strikes.