Humane Society of Greater Miami: Disaster Response and Recovery Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

The $10,000 was used to purchase a new compressor for our AC chiller. The compressor was damaged due to the loss of power from Hurricane Irma. When the generator tried to kick-start the AC when we lost power, there was something during that process that damaged the compressor and rendered us without air conditioning in areas that housed more than 100 animals.

The only way we were able to open our doors for business and resume our operations was with a new compressor. As the pictures show, we had to line our hallways with cages filled with animals that we had to move out of the areas where the temperature was soaring to over 95 degrees. Some of the areas that were affected housed animals who were sick. Lining the hallways and intermingling healthy and sick animals saved lives but, unfortunately, spread illnesses among healthy animals. We knew this was a risk, but keeping the animals alive was of the utmost importance. Non-life-threatening illnesses were a consequence we felt was an acceptable alternative.

How many pets did this grant help?

More than 100 cats, kittens and small dogs.

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

This grant helped more than 100 cats, kittens and small dogs. When the air conditioning stopped working and temperatures reached unbearable levels, the only way we could get the animals back to their regular living areas was with a new compressor for the AC chiller. The staff were amazing as they moved cages into areas where cages didn’t belong, used the stairwell to transport animals from the upstairs heat down to an area in the shelter that still had power on the first floor, and made sure that any animal who had spent any time in the heat had proper water and care to make sure they cooled down to a healthy temperature.