Austin shelter housing Harvey animal evacuees needs help

Austin isn't just opening its doors to human evacuees. The city's shelters are also making room for thousands of animals as well. Austin Animal Center expects to take in 1,500 pets and Austin Pets Alive! estimates it will have 1,800 by week's end.

The images of people carrying their pets through floodwaters and images of animals left alone it what volunteers like Damon O'Gan to help.

"I think just like everyone else you feel helpless because we weren't affected directly. You want a way to help, just trying to do anything we can do to lend a hand," O'Gan says.

O'Gan, who owns an equine hospital, helped fill a trailer full of supplies to haul to an animal triage of sorts that Austin Pets Alive! has set up in Katy which is west of Houston.

Supplies includes crates so they can house and store stray animals, medical supplies and food.

Hannah Horstman with APA says they've been working get animals out of harm's way even before Harvey made landfall. "We're in a community that loves animals and when we got word of the storm and how big it was going to be APA immediately started reaching out to shelters in the path and we started evacuating animals."

Crates were set up in a barn at the facilityy. You can get a look at that in a Facebook Live FOX 7 below.

600 animals have been brought in so far and the APA says it's expecting another 1,200. It's asking for help with items like crates, food, leashes and bowls. Volunteers are also need.

For a full list of supplies or more information on how to volunteer head to austinpetsalive.org