Animal shelters in the Upstate have reported increased numbers of animals following Hurricane Helene.
Anderson County PAWs shelter currently has 100 dogs in its care.
"Many of these animals are strays who became separated from their owners during the storm, and a few are injured animals with various injuries that were obviously out there during the storm," said Dr.
Kim Sanders, a veterinarian and director of Anderson County PAWS shelter located at 1320 Highway 29 South in Anderson.
"A lot of people lost their homes or fencing, or they lost the ability to take care of their pets during this time," she said.
"So we are seeing a lot of stray animals."
On October 8, the Greenville Humane Society assisted the Anderson County PAWS shelter by transporting and caring for 12 dogs.
These included two puppies, four young dogs, and six large adult dogs.
Sanders expressed gratitude for the additional support provided by their rescue partners.
This collaboration has helped manage the overflow and ensure these animals receive attention and resources.
The Greenville Humane Society's efforts have helped reduce overcrowding and increased the chances of these pets being reunited with their families or finding new foster homes.
Additionally, the shelter coordinated the safe transport of numerous animals from Asheville, North Carolina, where Tropical Storm Helene displaced many animals from their families.
Dr.
Sanders recommends that pet owners microchip their pets.
Lost pets with microchips have a 20 times higher chance of being reunited with their families.
At the very least, write their phone number on their collar with a Sharpie in case of separation.
Additionally, she advises having an emergency supply kit prepared for your pet in case of a natural disaster.
"The shelter is the last place you should bring a pet unless it is injured or you have no other option," Sanders said.
"Most of these animals are just within a few miles of their homes.
It's easier for one person to work on finding that pet's owner than for shelters to try to find them a home."
If you have lost or found a pet, please complete the appropriate form and email it to Pawsrescue@andersoncountySC.org.
Then, search for your pet on Finding Rover and post it on PawBoost.
"We currently have around 300 cats and dogs in temporary foster care in our shelter and foster homes," said Emily Zheng, marketing manager for the Greenville Humane Society.
She expressed the community's continued generosity, which has helped ensure the well-being of these animals.
"The community truly stepped up during our biggest time of need and provided hundreds of donations that we were able to distribute between our organization and our partner shelters," she said.
"We have been slowly welcoming our foster pets back into our shelter."
She mentioned that the Greenville Humane Society transported 12 dogs from the Anderson County PAWS shelter, including two puppies, four young dogs, and six large adult dogs.
The impact of Hurricane Helene left the Greenville Humane Society without power.
"We immediately called our supporters for foster homes," Zheng said.
"Our shelter pets were without lights and air conditioning and had limited interaction due to staffing issues.
Within just three days, we sent nearly 300 cats and dogs to foster homes, ensuring their safety and well-being during the crisis.
"This allowed us to free up a significant amount of space to support several other local shelters and transport nearly 100 animals from Greenville County Animal Care, Anderson County PAWS, and Asheville Humane Society."
Now that the storm passed, Zheng said, "We've been seeing an uptick in adoption which has been an incredible thing to witness after the aftermath of Helene.
Many of the cats and dogs that were transported to us right after the storm have already been adopted, allowing us to save more lives."
Click here to discover more about the adoptable pets at the Greenville Humane Society. Every cat or dog that gets adopted enables the shelter to transfer other homeless pets from facilities struggling for space and resources.
The Greenville Humane Society's two biggest needs at this time are financial support (donations) and adoptions.
"If you’ve been considering adding another four legs to your family, there truly is no better time than now," Zheng said.
On Wednesday, the Greenville Police Department teamed up with the Bon Secours Wellness Arena to gather donations for the Greenville Humane Society and Greenville County Animal Care.
These shelters are currently caring for pets from the Asheville Humane Society.
While all the pets have been adopted, there is a chance that more will arrive soon.
On Wednesday, community members contributed to the cause by driving through the Bon Secours Wellness Arena to drop off donations.
Aileen Eastergaard, a Greenville Humane Society team member, said, "I've been at the shelter for about two years, and it was amazing last year.
The generosity of our community never ceases to amaze us.
We're grateful for every donation that helps us care for these animals.
We have a big need due to the things we use and go through every day."
Sgt.
Diana Muñoz of the Greenville Police Department said the department was helping the Humane Society by collecting pet food, paper towels, blankets, and litter control to help the animals brought from Asheville due to the hurricane.
"We are able to get a bunch of donations for the Greenville Humane Society and Greenville County Animal Care," Eastergaard said.
"We love working with our officers.
They're amazing.
They're so, so helpful and we're just always grateful for their help."
Anderson County PAWS has not only benefited from the support of the Greenville Humane Society but has also extended a helping hand to neighboring shelters severely impacted by Tropical Storm Helene.
Anderson County PAWS shelter received animals from Fur-baby Ranch Rescue in Union after Tropical Storm Helene caused significant damage to the rescue, rendering them unable to care for the animals.
Fur-baby Ranch Rescue is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in Union.
It is owned by veteran Jamie Wise, who has dedicated his life after the military to the welfare of animals in his community.
The ranch provides shelter, care, and rescue and reunites pets with their families or find new homes.
Wise said the facility suffered significant damage during the storm.
The rescue ranch lost nine kennels and doghouses; nine were destroyed, and the rest were broken or flooded.
Additionally, shade tarps were damaged, and the facility is currently without power.
Showcasing their commitment to assisting shelters in need, Anderson County PAWS took in some of these animals, alleviating the burden on Fur Baby Ranch Rescue and allowing them to focus on recovery efforts.
Fur-baby Ranch and Rescue in Union is raising money for repairs and lost supplies.
The ranch is also accepting donations that will be credited to Furbaby Ranch's store account.
Donations can also be given by heading over to their GoFundMe page.
The Fur Baby Ranch and Rescue has set a goal to raise $22,000 through its GoFundMe campaign to aid in rebuilding and recovery efforts.
So far, the shelter has only raised $240, highlighting the urgent need for more community support.
The shelter will use these funds to purchase animal feed, straw, and other supplies to aid in animal clean-up and care.
"Over the years, we have saved thousands of unwanted animals, provided care, and helped our community with programs dedicated to assisting the good folks of our community in keeping their pets in their homes and not on the streets," Wise said.
"We can house up to 50 fur babies at any given time," he said.
"With the rebuilding of the new building, we will be able to provide better and safer housing for the unwanted animals in our community, along with the many other rescue partners that depend on us and help us along the way in finding homes for all the unwanted animals that seem to grow daily."
With increasing animals arriving daily, Upstate shelters struggle to keep up with the growing demand for food, medical care, and shelter space.
This influx of animals places a burden on already limited resources.
Community members can support these shelters through donations and volunteer efforts.
If you want to volunteer with Anderson County PAWS, please fill out the Volunteer Application and email it to Volunteer Coordinator atanmoser@andersoncountysc.org.
"Monetary donations are also accepted for the Anderson County PAW's Shelter.
These donations help supply essential items such as food, toys, and animal bedding.
You can also donate via PayPal or mail to support the shelter's needs.
Every contribution, no matter the size, helps provide necessities such as cat and dog food, toys, and cleaning supplies, ensuring the comfort and well-being of the animals.
Click here to purchase an item from Anderson County PAWs shelter Amazon wish list.
Residents can donate to the Greenville Humane Society by visiting their website and choosing emergency relief funds as the donation type.
They can also donate through Venmo to @greenvillehumanesociety or mail it to 305 Airport Road, Greenville, SC 29607.
At the Greenville Humane Society, residents can volunteer as general volunteers to help wash dishes and toys, ensure that laundry is clean and folded, prepare newspapers to line kennels, and keep the facility healthy and clean.
Volunteer dog walkers help by taking adult dogs on walks at the Greenville Humane Society.
This provides exercise and adds enjoyment to their time there.
They also work on teaching the dogs simple commands and leash walking skills, as well as socializing them with humans and other animals.
A Special Event Volunteer assists Greenville Humane Society staff members in public settings, including events and other meetings.
This role represents the Greenville Humane Society at on- and off-site events and establishes goodwill in the community.
Click here to fill out the form to volunteer at the Greenville Humane Society.
All volunteers must fill out an application and be 18 or older.
Volunteers are accepted on a case-by-case basis and must go through an orientation session before beginning their volunteer services.
On Thursday, the Spartanburg Human Society wrote on their social media sites that they were back open.
They are open regular hours, noon -6pm.
"We have full power, full staff but still incredibly limited and much slower internet and printer access.
We also still do not have phone service, so if interested in one of our animals for adoption please contact us through Facebook messenger or send an email to adoption@spartanburghumane.org.
"Like many in our community we have had to get creative with our internet due to an outage, and we appreciate your understanding and patience as we try to open fully."
The shelter asks that if you are coming in to adopt, browse their website first and have a list of animals you might be interested in will speed the process along.
https://spartanburghumane.org/adopt/
They are still beyond capacity in terms of space, have no available kennels, and are currently operating on a waitlist for animal intake.
To donate to the Spartanburg Humane Society, click here to complete a form.
Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail.
Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com.