Current:Home > MyAs people fled the fires, pets did too. Some emerged with marks of escape, but many remain lost.-LoTradeCoin
As people fled the fires, pets did too. Some emerged with marks of escape, but many remain lost.
View Date:2024-12-24 00:52:28
PUUNENE, Hawaii (AP) — A dog with hind legs bandaged tightly from paw to hip whimpered in pain through a plastic medical cone, chest rising and falling quickly in shallow breaths.
The animal is one of the pets and people bearing marks of their escape from the smoke and flames of Maui wildfires that claimed more than 90 lives and decimated a historic town.
“We have seen animals come through our shelter that have severe, severe burns,” said Katie Shannon, director of marketing and communications at Maui Humane Society. “We have seen dogs that have essentially had their paws all the way burnt down to the bone from running from the fire.”
The deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years has left hundreds of dogs, cats and other pets lost, injured or dead. An estimated 3,000 animals from Lahaina remain missing, according to the Maui Humane Society, which is now trying to reunite pets with owners and treat the many animals that arrived at clinics wrapped in blankets covering wounds.
“We have had chickens, love birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats,” Shannon said. “We even have a pig here.”
Fueled by dry grass and propelled by strong winds from a passing hurricane, the fires raced as fast as a mile (1.6 kilometers) every minute in one area, forcing people to scramble and flee in harrowing escapes they later relayed to family members who waited in agony to learn of their fate.
The stories of the animals, though, were told by the damage on their bodies.
A cat arrived with singed fur and spots of leg burns. A chicken needed both scorched claws wrapped with thick, blue medical tape.
A clinic worker used surgical tweezers to delicately remove debris from a dog’s paws while another technician cradled the head, rubbed the neck with gentle thumb strokes and spoke calmly into the animal’s ear.
They were the lucky ones. On a Maui street, a dog’s charred body was found.
As the smoke clears and officials survey the scope of loss and destruction, animal welfare advocates are working with the Maui Police Department to enter the burn area in search of lost, injured or deceased animals.
“As those areas continue to widen,” said Lisa Labrecque, CEO of the Maui Humane Society, at a Monday news conference, “we will be able to expand our scope of services.”
Dozens of feeding stations stocked with food and water have been set to draw scared animals out of hiding so they can be tracked and transported to a shelter, where veterinary staffers treat both burn injuries and smoke inhalation cases.
Found animals are checked for identification and scanned for a microchip so owners may be contacted. The Maui Humane Society has asked that deceased animals not be moved or destroyed so they can be cataloged and checked for identification.
“But this is only the beginning,” Shannon said. “People need to understand that we are in the midst of this. And, you know, there is a harsh reality to come.”
veryGood! (92555)
Related
- Wicked's Ethan Slater Shares How Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Set the Tone on Set
- Ariana DeBose Pokes Fun at Her Viral Rap at SAG Awards 2023
- 20 injured by turbulence aboard Germany to Mauritius flight
- The new Spider-Man film shows that representation is a winning strategy
- Beyoncé course coming to Yale University to examine her legacy
- Emily Blunt, John Krasinski and More Celeb Couples Turning 2023 SAG Awards Into a Glamorous Date Night
- Wes Anderson has outdone himself with 'Asteroid City'
- These are the winners of this year's James Beard Awards, the biggest night in food
- It's cozy gaming season! Video game updates you may have missed, including Stardew Valley
- In 'The Fight for Midnight,' a teen boy confronts the abortion debate
Ranking
- When does Spirit Christmas open? What to know about Spirit Halloween’s new holiday venture
- John Goodman tells us the dark secret behind all his lovable characters
- Bus with 40 children crashes in French Alps
- 'The Talk' is an epic portrait of an artist making his way through hardships
- Paraguay vs. Argentina live updates: Watch Messi play World Cup qualifying match tonight
- In the horror spoof 'The Blackening,' it's survival of the Blackest
- LA's top make-out spots hint at a city constantly evolving
- Lady Gaga Sued by Woman Charged in Dog Theft Who Is Demanding $500,000 Reward
Recommendation
-
Wind-whipped wildfire near Reno prompts evacuations but rain begins falling as crews arrive
-
Cuba Gooding Jr. settles a civil sex abuse case just as trial was set to begin
-
New and noteworthy podcasts by Latinos in public media to check out now
-
Princess Diana Appears with Baby Prince William and King Charles in Never-Before-Seen Photos
-
Shawn Mendes Confesses He and Camila Cabello Are No Longer the Closest
-
'Of course we should be here': 'Flower Moon' receives a 9-minute ovation at Cannes
-
Hayden Panettiere's Family Reveals Jansen Panettiere's Cause of Death
-
The new Spider-Man film shows that representation is a winning strategy