Austin Humane Society evacuates animals in path of Hurricane Beryl

The Austin Humane Society was one of those teams. Over the weekend, it evacuated 96 dogs and cats in the path of the hurricane.

AUSTIN (KXAN) --- Several Central Texas crews headed to the Gulf of Mexico to help respond to Hurricane Beryl.

The Austin Humane Society was one of those teams. Over the weekend, it evacuated 96 dogs and cats in the path of the hurricane.

AHS activated its emergency pet shelter, something they've done before during natural disasters.

"We have partnerships with a lot of shelters throughout Texas, especially Central Texas, but also some of the coastal shelters as well. We helped with the Bastrop fires several years ago," said Charlotte O'Banion, AHS' shelter manager.

O'Banion made the trip to the coast Friday evening.

"Got all the animals loaded into the vans, got everyone ready, made long lists, got paperwork prepared, and then made the drive back up."

Charlotte O'Banion, Austin Humane Society shelter manager

However, bringing nearly 100 animals wasn't easy for their small shelter. So, they turned to fosters to help.

"We don't have a huge amount of kennel space," O'Banion said. "So we luckily have a really great community and foster base that really stepped up and helped us get a lot of the animals out so that we can make room for everybody."

O'Banion said taking the animals freed up the coastal shelter to deal with the aftermath of the hurricane.

"They've been helping with their community and strays and people who have lost their pets throughout the storm," O'Banion said.

While there have been a few adoptions already, AHS still has dozens of evacuees ready to find a home.

It is running an adoption special this week. The adoption fee for animals over six months old is $25.