After Hurricane Laura struck, many animal shelters have been overflowed with abandoned animals. Animal shelters such as The Humane Society of The United States, Austin Pets Alive!, The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Angels of Assisi have taken in rescue dogs from local shelters to make room for newer dogs.

Austin Humane Society (AHS) has received 200 additional animals since the beginning of Hurricane Laura. As a way to encourage adoptions after the hurricane, AHS ran a new adoption fee program to encourage adoptions, cutting the $85 adoption fee to $20. Local restaurants have donated food and supplies to help the large intake of animals. AHS did not respond to a request for comment.

“It’s so rewarding to be able to help our shelter partners in their times of need and we know that whenever something, God forbid, happens in Austin, that they’ll be there to help us as well,” Director of Communications for AHS Katie Kennedy said to KXAN News.

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) has received many animal intake requests as well. As of midnight on Aug. 26, 73 cats and dogs have been moved through planes, buses, and individual transporters to APA!. APA did not request to respond to comment.

“Our team was working to move animals from the areas we expected to be hit hardest, such as Port Arthur,” Dr. Ellen Jefferson, executive director or APA! said in a press release on Aug. 27. “We are so grateful that we have been able to build interstate and Texas-wide relationships thanks to efforts made by Maddie’s Lifesaving Academy and American Pets Alive!. Their quick action has made it possible to swiftly move animals directly from the impacted areas to their new rescue group/shelter for adoption.”

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is another animal shelter that has been taking in animals. The Central Texas SPCA has been taking animals from other shelters near where Hurricane Laura hit to provide more space for newer animals. All animals undergo a series of medical evaluations before adoption.

“We currently have quite a few dogs here,” one of the caretakers at the Central Texas SPCA said. “We try to have one to two dogs in each pen so there isn’t any overcrowding. Adoption rates have gone down because we are closed to the public but people can schedule appointments to meet with the dogs.”

Angels of Assisi has teamed up with the Petco Foundation and Wings of Rescue to rescue nine cats and nine dogs. Many animal shelters in Texas have outdoor kennels, which can cause animals to drown due to floodwaters seeping through their gates. Angels of Assisi did not request to respond to comment.

“These are animals that are off of a stray hold, or surrendered by their owners, or had never been claimed in Texas,” Director Lisa O’Neill said to WDBJ News. “They were just brought up here so that animals in true emergency mode could get the help they need in Texas, so they could get reunited with their homes. If they hadn’t been brought here, they likely would have been put down. Now, they’ll be checked over by a vet at Angels of Assisi, before going up for adoption.”

Around 180 dogs have been relocated in the past several days to escape flood-prone areas and to create more space for local animal shelters. According to Linda Torelli, Brandywine Valley’s SPCA marketing director, adoption rates have gone up by 15 percent, setting records in some areas since the start of COVID-19.