American Humane Society Marks 20 Years Since Hurricane Katrina
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, and American Humane Society, the country’s first national animal welfare organization with a legacy of rescuing animals dating back to World War I, honors the milestone by reflecting on the lifesaving work launched in the storm’s wake.
American Humane Society deploys to the front lines of natural disasters like severe floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and hurricanes, as well as severe cases of neglect or animal cruelty. Our first responders work tirelessly on the ground to locate, shelter, and provide veterinary care to vulnerable animals in need.
Today, the organization is releasing a free hurricane preparedness toolkit to help communities prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.
During Hurricane Katrina, American Humane Society had boots on the ground and logged over 18,000 man-hours by volunteers and staff.
Over the course of six weeks, American Humane Society, along with dozens of other organizations, rescued and evacuated more than 5,000 animals stranded. American Humane Society was part of the animal rescue team at The Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, which became the largest animal shelter and animal rescue operation in U.S. history.
"In the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s unimaginable devastation, thousands of beloved pets were lost when families were forced to leave them behind,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of American Humane Society. “That tragedy forever changed the way our nation views disaster response for animals. For two decades since, American Humane Society has deployed to some of the worst disasters, hurricanes, wildfires and floods, rescuing, reuniting, and protecting animals in crisis. Today, we remember the lessons of Katrina and reaffirm our commitment to being there when animals need us most.”
Following Hurricane Katrina, American Humane Society joined other organizations in the animal welfare space to advocate for a more comprehensive national emergency disaster response that accounts for animals as well as people. An Open Letter to the 109th US Congress, from the National Emergency Animal Rescue Coalition, was delivered on September 28, 2005. The PETs Act was then established, which represented a monumental step forward in ensuring the safety and well-being of animals during disasters.
Today, American Humane Society consistently monitors for natural disasters and deploys first response units with state-of-the-art rescue vehicles to help animals in danger. The organization also proactively goes into hurricane-prone communities to provide free vaccinations, microchipping and preparedness kits to ensure they are ready when disasters strike.
For more information, please visit americanhumane.org and for photos of deployments please visit this link. Additionally, please reach out to our media contact for interview requests.
About American Humane Society:
American Humane Society is the United States’ first national humane organization and the world’s largest certifier of animal welfare, helping to verify the humane treatment of more than one billion animals across the globe each year. Founded in 1877, American Humane Society has been at the forefront of virtually every major advancement in the humane movement to rescue, care for and protect animals. For more information or to support our life-changing work, please visit www.AmericanHumane.org, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram and subscribe to our channel on YouTube for the latest breaking news and features about the animals with whom we share our Earth.
Media Contact: Paige Strott
paiges@americanhumane.org
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