Exactly How to Help the Animals and Pet Owners Affected By the Maui Wildfires
As emergency crews get more control over the wildfires burning around Maui, the situation continues to look worse. Sixty-seven deaths have been confirmed, and the entire historic town of Lahaina appears to have been destroyed. Thousands of people and animals have also lost their homes.
The Maui Humane Society has been working around the clock to assist the animals of Hawaii who have been displaced, lost, or injured, but they need help. On August 10, they made several posts explaining how people can help from the island or from home.
As this Facebook post from the humane society explains, they are managing multiple rescue efforts from the animal shelter and from emergency shelters across the island. They are "expecting an inundation of hundreds of animals who have been burned, lost during the evacuation process and those in need of critical care due to smoke inhalation."
Donations from those who live on the mainland will help fund the round-the-clock care these animals are needing. The Maui Humane Society has set up a Facebook Fundraiser where people can donate, and we're happy to report that they've already raised nearly 300 thousand dollars. The public can also donate on the humane society's website, though some users have reported issues accessing the website due to high online traffic.
According to the humane society, all of the animals and staff at the Puunene shelter are safe, but emergency cat and dog fosters are needed due to the high number of recent shelter intakes. Anyone living on Maui who is safe and able can learn more about becoming an SOS foster.
No matter where you live, you can also help the animals of Maui by purchasing something from the Maui Humane Society's Amazon wishlist. Due to the island's small post office and delays in shipping due to the fires, though, monetary donations are best.
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