Pictures of Rescued Pets: How They're Coping with Harvey
Dogs respond unpredictably during natural disasters such as hurricanes, and often try to escape, an expert says.
As federal agencies focus on bringing the many Texans stranded by Hurricane Harvey to safety, animal rescue groups are also mobilizing to save beloved pets that may have been lost or left behind.
Animals can often sense storms, which may make them anxious and distressed and thus more likely to run away. Some pick up on stress from their owners, which can also cause an otherwise well-behaved animal to suddenly flee.
And Harvey, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, is no normal storm—it may dump a record-setting 50 inches of rain on parts of coastal Texas from Sunday to Thursday. (See pictures of Harvey's catastrophic destruction.)
“Pets are much more likely to try and make an
