If you’ve ever been through a Houston storm, you already know what it’s like. The walls shake and the windows rattle. On January 24th, Pasadena Animal Shelter experienced every Houstonian’s worst fear.

Kennel techs working with the dogs that day looked up to see the roof over their heads peel away, letting strong winds and sheets of rain inside. An AC unit flew outside, and another disconnected from the ceiling and hung precariously in midair, suspended by bent beams and pipes. Insulation went flying, and outside there were cars crushed by chunks of metal. It all lasted around thirty seconds, but to the staff and the dogs, it was an excruciatingly long thirty seconds.

In true Houston fashion, help came immediately and from all sides. There were even Pasadena residents wading through floodwaters carrying kennels, and every dog and every cat found their way to safety with the help of an incredible number of volunteers. All dogs, cats, and people from the Pasadena Animal Shelter are currently safe.

The survival period is over, but there is a lot more work to be done. We know you’re wondering:

How can I help?

The first thing that the Pasadena Animal Shelter needs is time. Time to catch their breath, to make sure their families and homes are safe, to double check that they’ve eaten something in the last 24 hours. Despite having no power, no water, and no access to their systems, they are hard at work organizing how best to move forward from here, and they will have a plan very soon.

Before any of their animals go into foster homes, they need to have their systems back up and running to make sure this max exodus of dogs and cats is organized in a way that keeps the animals safe in the long term.

If you are in the area and are able to donate items such as dog/cat food and blankets, all donations should be dropped off at the Asbury United Methodist Church at 5354 Space Center Blvd, Pasadena, TX 77505, since there is limited space at the shelter.

These donations are incredibly important not only to the animals at the shelter, but to the residents of Pasadena as well. This tornado didn’t just hit the shelter; roofs have flown off of houses and families have been displaced. In situations like these, a city’s shelter usually provides relief to those families, but now without a place for their pets to temporarily stay, resources such as food and water are more important than ever. You can also support the shelter monetarily by donating on their website.

Thank you for your support, your generosity, and your passion for saving lives. This tornado has caused devastation and trauma to the entire community, and it is only by coming together that we can help in an impactful way.

If you would like to help Houston Pets Alive! as we support our local shelters and communities, click here:

TL;DR: On January 24th, the Pasadena Animal Shelter was devastated by a tornado that ripped through the city. The same day, rescues and volunteers rushed in to help, and all animals and people made it to safety. The survival period is over, but there is still work to be done. You can help by:

A) Sign up to support them through volunteering, fostering, donating, or other ways,

B) Donate supplies to the Asbury United Methodist Church on 5354 Space Center Blvd. Pasadena, TX 77505, or

C) Donate funds directly to the shelter by going to https://bit.ly/pasadenatornado