Thousands of families are scrambling for safety as wildfires ravage Maui’s idyllic landscape and destroy untold homes and irreplaceable landmarks. To date, 11,000 people have been airlifted to the Big Island. Several hundred fled by boat while dozens more dove into the sea to escape the flames. Fifty-three people have perished. The historic town of Lahaina has been hardest hit. Fierce winds, up to 80 MPH in some areas, continue to fan several blazes.
But it’s not just humans who’ve been pushed to the brink. Already exceeding capacity before the tragedy, Maui Humane Society (MHS) runs perilously low on supplies and available families to foster companion animals. Frank pleas for help blanket social media.
“We will need to band together as a community for both our humans and animals,” MHS posted late Wednesday. “We need SOS Dog Fosters. Come into the shelter and temporarily foster a dog. We 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. We need the kennel space to be able to house these animals in hopes of reuniting them with their Ohana's once this is all over.”
A two-year-old Sharpei mix dog that was among the first to become separated from her family during the mayhem. A firefighter spotted her frantically wandering the streets of Lahaina, scooped her up and placed her in an ambulance. She sustained burn injuries and was taken to the shelter where she was treated. Unfortunately, she was not microchipped.
MHS also urgently needs donations of pet food, pop-up kennels and litter, as well as help in communicating with the community.
All animals at the MHS are safe, officials report. However, MHS is expecting an influx of animals who have been burned, lost or displaced during the evacuations or in critical condition due to smoke inhalation.
MHS has established online resources to generate support. The Maui Fires Pet Help Group, encourages community members to join the group and communicate with follow residents to ensure animals stay with their owners, whenever possible. At S.O.S. Dog Fosters, volunteer fosters can sign up to temporarily care for animals while shelter and community volunteers search for their humans. Donations of supplies can be made directly to the shelter or through Amazon Wish List.
Sadly, tragedy attracts trollers and scammers as well as good-hearted people. Roseann Frietas, PR and Communications Manager for the BBB in Maui, told CW News affiliate KHON that a challenging strategy for giving is “to take our emotions out of this. Start to do a little bit of homework. Figure out which organizations can make the biggest impact on Maui right now.”
Check out give.org for more tips on how to spot fake charities.