A group of Big Island residents helped find and rescue animals in Lahaina last weekend after the deadly wildfire swept through the town.
Four volunteers with the Hawaii Animal Kuleana Alliance, or HAKA, three Hawaii County Animal Control officers, two Big Island veterinarians and a doctor traveled together to assist the Maui Humane Society with recovery efforts.
Last week’s devastating wildfire 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 trying to reunite pets with owners and treat the many animals that arrived at clinics.
HAKA was originally contacted by the Hawaii County mayor’s office to potentially rescue animals from the wildfires on the Big Island. When those fires were contained, HAKA immediately contacted the Maui Humane Society to see if they could go to Lahaina to help in any way.
After traveling to Maui last Friday, Hawaii County Animal Control and HAKA were authorized to assist the Maui Humane Society in recovering and rescuing animals.
They could not enter residences and were limited to searching streets and public areas. Safety also was a factor, and the group could not enter certain areas with a lot of debris or hot spots.
“We spent a day doing block-by-block searches for animals that were deceased or alive,” said HAKA Executive Director Syndi Halualani-Texeira. “It was surreal. It didn’t feel real to me. It looked like a war zone or something out of a movie. There were dead animals pretty much everywhere.”
During the search, HAKA found 11 deceased animals that they could scan for microchips and a handful of live animals that they took back to the Maui Humane Society.
“That made the search a little worthwhile — the fact that we at least found some live animals that could be helped,” Halualani-Texeira said. “Maui Humane Society has also set up feeding stations for animals that are hiding or may be coming back to their former homes.”
The Maui Humane Society had teams of volunteers and was well-stocked with donations of crates, pet food and other supplies for the hundreds of animals in their care.
The HAKA volunteers also spent time taking food into the Lahaina community, where they spoke with residents about their experiences and how they were feeling.
“I think many people were grateful for a new face and someone to talk to. Many of them had been evacuated but were able to come back, because their homes were untouched,” Halualani-Texeira said. “As we’re driving through, there are blocks and blocks of homes with nothing left, but then there are random buildings that look unscathed.”
HAKA was able to provide some of the animal recovery volunteers with respirators, which they knew to bring after rescuing animals during the 2018 Kilauea eruption.
“Respirators are very much needed. I can’t describe the smell, except that it’s a mix of dead flesh, dead animals and chemicals from everything burning,” Halualani-Texeira said. “Windshields were melted into cars, there are melted metal rivers flowing from driveways, I mean, it’s so hard to see what’s happened to this community.”
Hawaii County Animal Control Director Regina DoDaro Romero Serrano helped set up operations at the Maui Humane Society, so it could be better organized and equipped to handle the huge intake of animals and calls regarding missing pets.
“There were many calls and questions from pet owners and families that are seeking animals, as well as community members who have taken in animals they found that were burned or injured,” Serrano said. “In four days, we’ve been able to successfully extract and treat a number of different species of animals, cats, dogs, birds, pigs, goats, tortoises and horses.”
Serrano and the Hawaii County Animal Control officers were able to bring the lessons they learned from the 2018 lava flow to help organize the volunteer efforts. They have experience in animal handling, safety and emergency response.
“We wanted to make sure that (Maui Humane Society) is supported with people with the appropriate skill sets that can handle the work,” Serrano said. “It is a very sobering experience. While the work itself is extremely taxing mentally, physically and emotionally, it’s fulfilling and an honor to provide services we do to our neighbors.”
Serrano said the seach for animals is likely to last a long time.
“While this effort will continue for months to come, we don’t know what to expect. There are many animals that may have fled that may try to return,” Serrano said. “We’re likely going to be finding more animals outside the initial impacted zone.”
Hawaii Island Animal Control plans to continue supporting the Maui Humane Society and Maui County as much as possible, and some officers will volunteer on Maui on their days off.
Serrano urges landlords and property owners on Maui to open their homes to displaced people, especially those with pets.
“Right now, if someone is a landlord or has a residence and is willing to work with somebody displaced with pets, it’s time to open up homes,” Serrano said. “Many individuals will be seeking housing with pets, and that’s a challenge to find on any island.
“We want to make sure that people and pets stay together. For many, it’s all they have left.”
So far, more than 60 fosters have been able to take in displaced animals so the Maui Humane Society can utilize the shelter for injured animals.
Those interested in becoming a foster, donating to the Maui Humane Society, or learning more about volunteering can visit mauihumanesociety.org.
Serrano also hopes that anyone coming to Maui to volunteer will respect the ongoing search and recovery of human remains, utilize any skills they have, and do whatever is necessary to help the community.
“If anyone is going to help, respect is everything. So many lives were lost and people are unaccounted for, so we want to make sure volunteers are sensitive to that and are there to provide whatever service is needed,” Serrano said.
“Some people are still in shock after losing everything. Many just need to talk or a shoulder to lean on.”
Those with animal search and rescue experience interested in volunteering, or those who wish to donate to volunteer efforts, can do so at hawaiianimalkuleanaalliance.org.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.