Shelter dogs displaced by Hurricane Harvey arrive in Chattanooga [photos]

Pearl Pangkey delivers water to new arrivals from Houston at the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga Sunday afternoon. Pearl Pangkey delivers water to new arrivals from Houston at the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga Sunday afternoon.

By Rosana Hughes September 4, 2017 7 min read

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Shelter dogs displaced by Hurricane Harvey arrive in Chattanooga

Chris Rust, left, and Kory Rockhold, from Muttnation Foundation Redemption Ranch in Tulsa, move one of many kennels into the shade as Gayle Boring waits to handle Vince, 2, a yellow lab mix, Sunday afternoon at the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga.

Gayle Boring controls the leash on Vince, 2, a yellow lab mix, Sunday after removal from his kennel at the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga.

Jessica Ammon, left, restrains Isabella, 5, a beagle mix, as volunteer Gayle Boring looks back Sunday at the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga. The animals arrived from Houston via a Muttnation Foundation Redemption Ranch transport vehicle that left Memphis early Sunday morning.

Humane Educational Society Director Bob Citrullo, left, gives instruction to volunteers Sunday afternoon as the center receives many animals from the Harvey disaster in Texas.

Heather Bradshaw cuddles Ike, the first arrival from Houston at the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga. HES Director Bob Citrullo oversees the delivery as kennel after kennel was removed from the Muttnation Foundation Redemption Ranch transport vehicle from Tulsa, Ok.

Humane Educational Society Director Bob Citrullo walks toward a temporary shelter for incoming Houston animals Sunday afternoon at the N. Highland Park facility. "The National Guard came over and set this tent up for us," Citrullo said. "Later this week, Chattanooga Tent said they will come and set up a bigger covering for us."

Volunteers wait to help unload dogs from Houston contained in individual kennels from the Muttnation Foundation Redemption Ranch transport vehicle Sunday afternoon at the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga.

Humane Educational Society Director Bob Citrullo, left, and Ashleigh Gil-Turner carry one of the many kennels transported by volunteers from Muttnation Foundation Redemption Ranch, of Tulsa. "We deployed to Houston to pick them up," said Chris Rust.

A special delivery arrived Sunday afternoon for two Chattanooga animal shelters.

Nearly 50 dogs and puppies displaced by Hurricane Harvey arrived at the Humane Educational Society and McKamey Animal Center. A van from the MuttNation Foundation, country singer Miranda Lambert’s nonprofit pet rescue organization, dropped the dogs off after picking them up in Tulsa, Okla., where they were taken after evacuation from Houston and other areas hit by the hurricane.

Dogs of all sizes and colors were unloaded. And as volunteers attached their leashes and took them out, their different personalities started to light up. Some were still shy, while others couldn’t contain their excitement. Volunteers walked them around to use the bathroom and stretch their legs, and some took the dogs on runs around the block.

Chris Rust, one of the transporters, said that over the next few weeks or months the MuttNation Foundation will be moving animals around the country to make room for more coming in from affected areas.

Both HES and McKamey are coordinating with the Humane Society of the United States to send volunteers to parts of Texas and Louisiana to pick up pets. A group of HES volunteers set out for San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday morning and are expected back later this week with about 25 dogs. McKamey sent a group to St. Landry Parish, La., on Aug. 30. That group was back with 17 dogs within a day.