When the Rio Grande swelled this week, the Animal Rescue League of El Paso sprang into action to protect the shelter’s resident animals. Founder Loretta Hyde recalled the devastation of the 2006 flood, which inundated the rescue’s facilities and forced a frantic, last‑minute scramble. Determined not to repeat that nightmare, Hyde and her team began preparing to evacuate roughly 80 dogs and 75 cats before the water could reach the shelter.
Learning from the past
“You can’t wait till the last minute because that’s going to get you in big trouble,” Hyde said. “Anytime we get standing water, anytime the river overflows, you always have to be prepared for an evacuation. It’s just a given. You can’t have a shelter and not be responsible to take care of these babies.”
Hyde’s preparation involved securing transport crates, coordinating with local volunteers, and identifying a temporary holding site outside the flood‑prone area. The team also stocked extra food, water, and medical supplies to sustain the animals for several days if needed.
Community support and resources
Local businesses and neighbors responded quickly, donating blankets, pet food, and gasoline for the evacuation trucks. The El Paso Animal Services Department offered assistance with traffic control and provided a staging area at the city’s emergency operations center. In addition, the Texas Department of Emergency Management reminded all animal shelters statewide to review their flood‑response plans, emphasizing the importance of early action to safeguard vulnerable pets.
Why early evacuation matters
Animal shelters are critical infrastructure during disasters. Pets left behind can suffer injury, illness, or death, and abandoned animals often become a public‑health concern. By moving the animals before the river breached its banks, the Animal Rescue League avoided the chaos that plagued many shelters during the 2006 event, when floodwaters forced staff to abandon cages and rescue animals in the dark.
Hyde noted that the shelter’s preparedness plan was developed in partnership with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and follows best‑practice guidelines from the National Animal Rescue Association. The plan includes a checklist for water‑level monitoring, a communication tree for volunteers, and a pre‑identified evacuation route that avoids low‑lying streets.
Looking ahead
Although the river has not yet overtopped the shelter’s perimeter, the team remains on standby. “If more rain comes, we’re ready,” Hyde said. The Animal Rescue League continues to accept donations of pet supplies and encourages El Paso residents to consider fostering animals during high‑risk periods, which can reduce the number of animals in the shelter and ease the logistical burden of an evacuation.
City officials praised the rescue’s proactive stance, noting that the collaboration between nonprofit groups and municipal agencies exemplifies the community spirit that makes El Paso resilient in the face of natural threats. As the Rio Grande recedes, the shelter will conduct a post‑event review to refine its procedures and ensure even smoother operations should another overflow occur.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
