Puunene, Hawaii (AP) — In the aftermath of the devastating Maui wildfires that left over 90 lives lost and a historic town decimated, many pets and people have suffered from the traumatic experience. One such example is a dog with hind legs haphazardly bandaged, whimpering in pain as it wears a plastic medical cone. Its chest rises and falls rapidly with shallow breaths.
Katie Shannon, the director of marketing and communications at Maui Humane Society, expressed the severity of the situation: “We have seen animals come through our shelter that have severe, severe burns. We have seen dogs that have essentially had their paws all the way burnt down to the bone from running from the fire.”
These pets and animals bear the physical marks of their escape from the smoke and flames. The Maui Humane Society is working diligently to reunite lost pets with their owners and provide treatments for the injured animals that arrived wrapped in blankets, their wounds covered.
The wildfires in Maui have been the deadliest in the United States in over a century, causing the loss of hundreds of dogs, cats, and other pets. Sadly, an estimated 3,000 animals from Lahaina remain missing. The Maui Humane Society is taking on the challenge of locating these missing animals while also tending to the injured animals that have arrived at their clinics.
“We have had chickens, love birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats,” Shannon shared. “We even have a pig here.”
The fires were fueled by dry grass and propelled by strong winds from a passing hurricane, causing them to spread rapidly. Some individuals had to flee their homes with only moments to spare, escaping in terrifying ordeals that they later shared with anxious family members awaiting news of their safety.
The animals’ stories, however, were told through the visible damage on their bodies. Singed fur and burns on their legs were evident on a cat, while a chicken required its scorched claws to be wrapped with protective medical tape. In the clinic, a worker delicately removed debris from a dog’s paws, while another staffer comforted the animal with gentle touches and soothing words.
Unfortunately, not all animals were as fortunate. One dog’s charred body was discovered on a Maui street.
As officials begin to assess the extent of the loss and destruction, animal welfare advocates are partnering with the Maui Police Department to search the burn area for lost, injured, or deceased animals. With each passing day, as the search area expands, the Maui Humane Society hopes to widen its scope of services.
Feeding stations stocked with food and water have been strategically placed to entice scared animals out of hiding, allowing them to be tracked and transported to a shelter where veterinary staff can provide treatment for burn injuries and smoke inhalation. Found animals are checked for identification and scanned for microchips in order to contact their owners. The Maui Humane Society has requested that deceased animals not be moved or destroyed so that they can be properly cataloged and checked for identification.
“This is only the beginning,” Shannon emphasized. “People need to understand that we are in the midst of this. And, you know, there is a harsh reality to come.”
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