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Hurricane Harvey: Supplies to Texas, and dogs to Iowa
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · September 14, 2017
When Houston flooded, many evacuated and filled up hotels.
Something similar happened with pets and animal shelters: No room at the inn.
Resident Lynn Snyder and 11 other volunteers made a whirlwind, 48-hour trip that both took supplies to displaced families and animal shelters and freed up space in those same shelters for the inevitable run on lost or left-behind pets.
The volunteers, representing AHeinz57 and Last Hope Animal Rescue, loaded up six vehicles with donations and headed Aug. 29 to areas in Texas hit by Hurricane Harvey.
Three large panel vans, a family van, an SUV and a horse trailer left at 8 p.m. with two volunteers per vehicle. Taking turns behind the wheel and chugging caffeinated drinks, the procession drove through the night, reaching the Houston area by 1 p.m. the next day, Aug. 30.
The mission: Drop off, and pick up.
“Our goal was to give relief to shelters inundated with dogs that had been displaced,” Snyder said. “We were there to pull pre-Harvey dogs to free up space for post-Harvey dogs.”
They dropped off blankets, cleaning supplies, kennels, clothes, paper towels and more donated to the two organization offices in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.
Snyder and the volunteers split up and drove from town to town — Brookshire, Columbus, Eagle Lake and Sealy on the west side and Alvin on the southeast side close to Galveston Bay off the Gulf of Mexico. The volunteers also picked up dogs in Oklahoma in anticipation of the far-reaching need for shelter space.
“Even prior to Harvey, Texas has had a tremendous pet overpopulation problem,” Snyder said.
In some cases, the timing worked out right — they arrived just when water levels lowered enough for their trucks to drive through and reach the shelters, she said.
“We prayed the waters would recede and we were able to get in,” Snyder said.
After nine hours going from shelter to shelter, the volunteers collected 101 dogs — 81 from Texas, 20 from Oklahoma — and headed back to Iowa.
Snyder moved to College Station, Texas, soon after leaving the U.S. Air Force, and attended college there. She used to take her pets to Highway 30 Veterinary Clinic and called the clinic to explain the circumstances behind their cargo.
Many of the dogs needed treatment of some kind, like rabies vaccinations, deworming, flea and tick medications and more, as well as updated health certifications for the next shelter to take them in. The vet, Dr. Gary Lackey, and his staff reopened the clinic, treated the dogs and did not charge for the services or medications.
“They were more than happy to help out,” Snyder said.
Snyder is originally from the Durant area and, after the military and college, she wanted to return, seeking work in Iowa City. She ended up in West Branch 19 years ago and currently works for the University of Iowa as an application developer.
“I chose West Branch as my home because of its small-town environment and its proximity to Iowa City,” she said.
She got involved in animal rescue efforts about 10 years ago and, about five years ago, joined Pilots N Paws, a group of volunteers who use a bucket line of short flights to transport pets long distances. Snyder coordinated many of those flights, which usually require four pilots to cover four-leg trips, and her ties to Texas and Iowa put her on those routes.
She also volunteers at Iowa Friends of Companion Animals as the Hawkeye Area team coordinator and the Nebraska Boston Terrier Rescue as a foster home volunteer.
“I was reached out to because of those connections,” she said.
The variety of vehicles — a couple with the words “Pet Rescue” painted on the side — loaded up with dogs in front of the vet’s clinic caught the attention of a passing couple, who pulled into the parking lot, Snyder said. The husband and wife asked if they were retrieving pets from the Houston area.
Snyder said the couple wanted to help and called what they were doing a “great effort.” The husband went back to the car and returned with a roll of $20 bills as wide as a can of pop, and handed them $1,000.
“It was heartwarming,” Snyder said of all those who made the trip and those who helped along the way. “It was a beautiful thing.”
The group had left Texas about 10 p.m. Aug. 30 and arrived in Des Moines by 2 p.m. Aug. 31. The dogs were dropped off in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.
“We were down and back in 48 hours,” Snyder said.
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