Lost and stray dogs and cats are available to be reunited with their families daily at NRG Arena from 10a to 7p, except game days. They are housing animals that have been found on the street or turned in by owners no longer able to provide for them, and will have them available for reunions for 30 days.
“If you find an animal it’s best to take it to a local shelter. A lot of those shelter animals will then end up at NRG Arena, the Pet Reunion Pavilion, where at the end of the month we hope to have a pet adoption event,” says Tama Lundquist, who with twin sister Tena are co-presidents of Houston Pet Set’s Board of Directors. Their organization is overseeing funding and grants, working with Best Friends Animal Society, Houston Pets Alive!, Austin Pets Alive!, and the Harris County Public Health’s Animal Shelter to keep the Pet Reunion Pavilion operating. She says for now their focus is on reunions, but there are options for those offering new forever homes. “There are no adoptions going on at the Pet Reunion Pavilion right now, but certainly a lot of the rescues and the shelters are open for adoptions now so please contact them.”
KTRH is helping Houston out, offering a foster home to the amazing cat Ollie, who was in the shelter before Harvey struck but has been taken in to make room for more of the animals now in need of shelter space. Anchor Nikki Courtney, a lifelong cat owner, says Ollie is exceptional. “I’ve had cats for about 40 years, but never one like Ollie,” she exclaims! He is overtly affectionate, but gentle and never demanding. Ollie, it turns out, is cat without issues. Housebroken, gentle, friendly as all get-out, and a world class jumper, he has been carefully inspecting every nook and cranny of his temporary home with infinite curiosity. “He just loves everyone. I had him home for a couple days while my husband was out of town, but when he got home and sat down Ollie immediately jumped into his lap and started purring. He’s like a dog that comes to say ‘hello,’” says Nikki. Ollie will be available for adoption at Friends for Life, 107 East 22nd Street in Houston in a couple weeks or so.
If you made it through Harvey safely with your home and family intact, consider becoming a foster parent of a cat or dog to free space for other animals who are coming through the system as we work through Harvey’s aftermath. “Fostering is huge in our city, even when there’s not a disaster,” says Lundquist. “It would be great if anyone is interested in fostering to contact one of the local shelters or a rescue and find out how they can contribute by being a foster.”