As evacuees from villages like Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, Nightmute and Tuntutuliak boarded military helicopters bound for safety, many had no choice but to leave their dogs behind.
The mass evacuations from Western Alaska villages in the wake of ex-Typhoon Halong are mostly over. More than 600 people were airlifted to Anchorage aboard military helicopters and transport planes.
But a parallel effort to shuttle dogs and other pets out of storm-damaged villages aboard everything from Cessnas to cargo planes is continuing — and many of them are coming to Anchorage.
"People know how they would feel if this happened to them, so they want to help," said Julie St. Louis, the cofounder and director of The August Foundation for Alaska’s Racing Dogs. She started the nonprofit to find long-term homes for retired sled dogs, she said, and today, the group takes rescue dogs of all ages and connects them with families.
Now, she said, planeloads of dogs are arriving on cargo flights just about every day. Twenty-nine arrived in Anchorage Wednesday night.
But reuniting those dogs with their families is a complicated task. So Anchorage Animal Care and Control on Tuesday started taking in dogs at an emergency shelter set up in a long, sandy-brown heated tent outside its main facility. The idea is for it to serve as a hub, said the agency’s community outreach manager, Joel Jorgensen.
"We specifically are being told to get involved because no one knows how to go about finding their dogs without calling 10 different rescues," he said. "So, at this point, Anchorage would like to funnel the animals that are coming to the Anchorage city into Anchorage Animal Care and Control, and then disperse them out from there."
The emergency shelter keeps dogs isolated from one another and from the shelter’s other dogs before they can be checked for diseases like Parvo. Once they get to the shelter, a veterinarian gives them a quick health exam and checks their vaccine records before connecting them with rescues and foster homes, Jorgensen said.
"The animals wouldn't stay here for hopefully more than 24 hours, is the goal," he said.
As of Thursday, the agency appeared to be meeting that goal. They wouldn’t let the public inside for health reasons but Jorgensen said the emergency shelter was empty.
Jorgensen said some volunteers have stepped up to provide long-term fostering for people who won’t be able to return to their homes for months, or longer.
"You would hate to lose out on a family pet just because of a natural disaster like this," he said. "But we have folks lined up that are willing to hold on to animals for six months, and then when that six months is over, they get their animal back and they have the happy ending they all deserve. "
As local animal shelters and rescues coordinate evacuations and reunifications, other groups are taking on support roles. Alaska Rural Veterinary Outreach, a nonprofit that provides vet service to rural communities, is shipping out dog food and airline crates to places like Kotzebue, Nome, Bethel and Aniak. Board member Christine Witzmann said it’s all part of an important mission.
"I think people just want to make sure that the animals are treated humanely, and that they get rescued too, and that they are valued — they are valued as a living being," she said.
St. Louis, with the August Fund, said there have been some hiccups along the way as everyone involved figures out the best way to handle the complex task — the kinds of hiccups you might expect in a disaster. She said she's grateful for everyone who's stepped up to help.
"Stand by, I guess, and be patient, is the best thing I can can tell people," she said. "We're all working really hard and are going to get the dogs out."
How you can help
Anchorage Animal Care and Control is taking supply donations at its facility at 4711 Elmore Road, including:
- Unopened bags of kibble and cans of wet food
- Gallon jugs of water
- Toys
- Leashes
- Collars
- Blankets
- Airline-approved kennels
Alaska Rural Veterinary Outreach has a dog food collection site at South Side Animal Hospital in Anchorage.
Best Friends Animal Rescue, a Wasilla-based group helping with the effort, also has an extensive list on its Facebook page.
