OHS Staffers Travel to Oklahoma to Help Local Animal Shelter

Emily Davidshon, OHS employee, shown volunteering at the Brooklyn shelter helping animals stranded by Hurricane Sandy.

Portland, OR - Two staff members from the Oregon Humane Society depart tomorrow, May 25, to provide hands-on help to the Central Oklahoma Humane Society affected by the devastating tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma.

The OHS staff members will be in Oklahoma May 25 through May 31 helping to manage the extraordinary influx of calls that the Central Oklahoma Humane Society has been receiving. The calls are from people wanting to donate money, resources and time to help the pets that were affected by the tornado. OHS also expects to send more people to assist with caring for animals that were displaced by the storm and are on standby to deploy these additional staff and volunteers.

The first OHS staffers departing for Oklahoma will be available for interviews tomorrow morning as they check in to board their flight at Portland International Airport, from 6-6:30 am at the Southwest Airlines ticketing counter. The OHS staff members deploying to assist in Oklahoma are Jennifer Barta and Jordan Buck.

OHS was contacted for help through the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA). "The Society of Animal Welfare Administrators (SAWA) collaborates with a national emergency response coalition to help animals affected by national disasters," said Maurine Dyer Stevens, SAWA President & CEO. " At their request, we work with the local shelters affected by disaster and are so happy that the Oregon Humane Society was able to respond quickly to our callout for help."

"OHS has a long history of helping out with disaster responses across the nation," said Sharon Harmon, OHS Executive Director. "Real life experience is invaluable in furthering OHS' readiness to respond in Oregon if the need arises."