Houston SPCA Rescues Over 1,000 Animals After Hurricane Beryl

In the days after the storm, residents regularly brought injured birds and animals, mostly tree-dwelling animals, to the center, spokeswoman Julie Kuenstle said in a telephone interview. Those animals included opossums, squirrels, blue jays, mourning doves, white-winged doves, ducks and Mississippi kites.

“We are grateful to so many people for showing compassion,” Kuenstle said. “Some of them are from Galveston Island.”

“Our campus is built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, so we are well prepared for whatever comes our way,” Kuenstle said.

The center received a call from a Cypress neighborhood Monday about a nesting colony of egrets. The organization conducted a massive rescue operation, she said, saving more than 340 egrets.

“Their nests had been destroyed and locals called us because hundreds of birds had died,” Kuenstle said. “They had fallen out of their nests and drowned in the water. Many of the birds that were rescued were waterlogged.”

Most of the birds that died were juveniles that had not yet learned to fly. The rescued egrets were brought to the center for treatment and placed in incubators, she said.

Kuenstle reported that as of Wednesday, the egret chicks were showing marked improvement.

“They are white and fluffy now, instead of the poor little waterlogged souls we found,” she said.

The Houston SPCA has released a list of ways people can help injured animals.

The Houston SPCA relies on donations and would be happy to receive contributions at this time, Kuenstle said. Additionally, people can offer gift cards to grocery stores like HEB or Kroger, which will be used to purchase nuts and seeds to feed the birds.