A Safe Place for Animals Displaced by the Maui Fires

August 27, 2023 - After the fires, many families displaced into transitional housing were unable to bring their pets with them. Others were separated from their animals while escaping the fires. With the support of HCF’s Maui Strong Fund, the Hawai‘i Animal Rescue Foundation (HARF) stepped in to provide food, shelter, and medical care for dogs, cats, and farm animals evacuated from fire zones and no longer under the care of their owners.

For those displaced residents unable to care for their pets, HARF has committed to caring for the animals at its Waiheʻe facilities for however long is needed or, if requested, finding them permanent homes. When the need for shelter was at its peak in late August 2023, HARF was housing a rotating population of about 100 pets.

“Every animal we’ve taken in so far has been in from a family that has lost their home or been semi-permanently evacuated from the Lahaina area,” said HARF CEO and co-founder Dawn Pfendler in late August 2023. “They didn’t know where they were going to stay, what they were going to do. We’ve been able to give their pet a soft landing place so they don’t have to worry about it, and they can come visit their pet anytime they want.”

In addition to its boarding services, HARF also traveled with veterinarians into the Lahaina community to treat animal medical needs on site, and the organization has been working closely with the Maui Humane Society to coordinate response efforts.

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