A S S E R T Disaster Animal Rescue

Two days ago we lost an amazing leader, colleague, friend and devoted animal rescuer.

Margo Gresham joined our disaster rescue team over three years ago as an advisor and lead rescuer. She shared with us nearly 20 years of disaster rescue experience, techniques and knowledge. Her will to rescue was second to none.

Margo’s passing is a loss to all animal rescue and welfare, especially disaster animal rescue.

Always positive, always willing to help… Margo is already dearly missed by our entire team and beyond.

RIP, you amazing woman—your legacy will live on!

❤️🐾🐾❤️

Aloha Maui! 🌺

The ASSERT team’s first mission to Maui has come to a close and we feel we’ve made an impact on the survival and safety for the animals of Maui, especially the cats. Most of our team departed this past week, our final volunteer, Ryan Okrant, will be departing today.

Team ASSERT accomplished the following since arriving in Maui on August 28th:

🐾 We rescued 26 cats which were impacted by the toxic burn zone. 4 of which were in conjunction with an independent rescue team.
❤️ All rescued cats which may have owners are available to review on Save Maui Cats website here: https://savemauicats.org/found-cats-maui-fires
❤️ 4 of these cats were reunited with their owners
❤️ 2 are in long term foster care waiting until their owners have the ability to bring them to a new home
❤️ 2 are chipped and local rescues are trying to reach their owners
❤️ 4 were relinquished by their owners and are now in great foster care decompressing until they are ready for adoption
❤️ All of the cats which needed medical care were seen by a vet and are all being cared for accordingly.
❤️ The pictures below are some of the cats we rescued.

🐾 Our California based volunteers transported 5 cats off the island, none of which were fire cats.
❤️ All have received vet care on the mainland and are decompressing in foster environments in preparation for adoption
❤️ These volunteers paid out of pocket to change their own flights to accommodate cats, paid for the cats to travel, and paid for the vet care for all 5 cats. We have some of the most dedicated volunteers in all of disaster animal rescue.

🐾 With the help of multiple organizations we brought in nearly $10,000 in physical donations to give to the smaller local rescues which are an instrumental component in the rescue efforts happening in Maui.
❤️ Donations include: kennels, litter boxes, beds, toys, dry food, wet food, airline approved soft kennels, medical supplies of all kinds and more!

🐾 Our partner rescue, Spoofdawg, secured a $5000 Home Depot grant which allowed us to help expand Surf Cat Ranch’s enclosed capacity by almost 600 sqf across 4 new enclosures.
❤️ Surf Cat Ranch paid the remaining amount for the enclosures to make this possible.
❤️ Well over 2 dozen volunteers came out and helped seal the lumber and erect the enclosures in less than one week!
❤️ As of 9/9/2023 cats are already housed in these enclosures as their safe haven.

❤️🐾🐾❤️ We want to extend our sincerest gratitude to all Maui and island based rescues and organizations which made our efforts possible, in no particular order: Save Maui Cats, Rusty Mauicat, Surf Cat Ranch Maui Kokuakats, Hawaii Animal Kuleana Alliance, Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation, Aloha Animal Oasis, Kitty Charm Farm, Honi Honi Cats Maui, Action 4 Animals Hawaii, and Central Maui Animal Clinic.

❤️🐾🐾❤️ We also want to thank the off-island organizations for assisting the entire effort, again in no particular order: Spoofdawg To The Rescue, Inc., The Home Depot, Southwest Airlines, Pet Pals Santa Cruz, Westside Farm and Feed and Mountain Feed & Farm Supply.

Our volunteers will be returning to Maui to continue efforts as their schedules allow.

We thank you all for your hospitality and aloha spirit.

Maui is part of our hearts.

Mahalo 🌺❤️🐾🐾❤️🌺

Our volunteers transported 5 Maui cats to California yesterday. These are cats which were already up for adoption prior to the fires, making room for 5 more fires cats to have a space out of the toxic burn zone.

Thank you Kathy, Samantha and Chrissie for everything you have done while helping Maui fire animals and the community as a whole!
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What an amazing day full of super helpful volunteers!! Another catio is done and then next is well on its way. Thank you to everyone who came out!! ❤️🐾🐾❤️

Thank you to all the volunteers who came out in force yesterday; there were approximately a dozen people helping in addition to our team! All the wood is now sealed and it will expedite our building process!

Mahalo! ❤️🐾🐾❤️

One of the biggest hurdles that the animal rescue organizations of Maui need to overcome ASAP is the large need for additional space to house all of the cats which are coming out of the burn zones.

The Home Depot gave a grant via Spoofdawg To The Rescue, Inc. to help get this process started.

We designed and are building 4 massive cat enclosures at a cat sanctuary in up country Maui which will house approximately 80 cats coming out of the burn zones. Thank you to all the local volunteers who came out to help seal the wood and build the structures. One enclosure will be done today, maybe two, and all four should be done by late Sunday or early Monday.

These enclosures will fill up rapidly.

There is still a need for more space to build enclosures - if you are aware of an empty temperature controlled warehouse in Maui which can be rented to build many more enclosures for these kitties-in-need, please reach out to us so we can get this information into the coordinators hands.

[email protected]

Mahalo! ❤️🐾🐾❤️

We have been incredibly busy with relief efforts of all kinds since we arrived.

Huge thanks to Spoofdawg To The Rescue, Inc. For coordinating a massive shipment of donations for the smaller animal rescues of Maui.

Thank you to all the donors: Grandma Lucy's, Inaba Churu, Bailey's CBD, PetShop by Fringe Studio, and Earth Breeze

And another thank you to Southwest Airlines for sending it from LAX to OGG - your entire staff is amazing!

Our volunteers were out today speaking with local volunteers and rescue organization leaders. Strategizing where we are needed most based on the gaps that need to be filled.

Lots of plans in place to help these Maui animals in need!

Mahalo ❤️🐾🐾❤️

Is your pet missing in Maui? Or did you spot one?

If you’ve lost or found a pet and have reported it to MHS then check this option out to help get the info into more local rescuer’s hands…

We have launched an app to help all local rescue volunteers track info while they are searching. It gives them map pin points and allows them to take notes for all volunteers to help coordinate rescue efforts.

Please take a moment and submit your missing pets using the URL below and this info will get to the the smaller rescue BOG volunteers.

assert.glide.page

Aloha! 🌸 🌺

We have arrived!

39 check bags and 12 carryons - we are prepared for nearly anything!

Huge thank you to Southwest Airlines and their entire crew for making this possible!

Our team spent most of today packing. We will be heading to Maui with approximately 50 checked bags including rescue equipment, gear, first aid supplies, pet food, and donations and more!

See you tomorrow, Maui!!!

We’re back!!!

After a couple days of technical difficulties with our main page we are back!

All missing data has been restored and we will use this page for all information coming from Maui.

❤️❤️❤️❤️
❤️🐾🐾❤️
❤️❤️❤️❤️

A nice piece on our upcoming mission to Maui

Geared up with drones, a Central Coast animal search and rescue team is heading to Maui Search and rescue efforts continue in Maui, one group from the Central Coast is planning to embark on a journey to rescue animals that have been displaced by the wildfires by using an infrared drone.

Most recent update of the current situation.

FIRE UPDATE
• Upcountry/Kula fire (initially reported 8/8): Now 60% contained. Estimated 678 acres. Three helicopters, four engines, two tankers and one utility are on-site. Hot spots in gulches and other hard to reach places, along with land divisions and fences, make this a difficult fire to contain.
• Lahaina fire (initially reported 8/8): 85% contained. Estimated 2,170 acres. Five engines, three tankers and one ladder are on-site. Search and recovery continues.
• Pulehu/Kihei fire (initially reported 8/8): Remains 100% contained. The Pulehu/Kīhei fire was declared 100 percent contained Saturday. One Chinook, one engine, three tankers, two dozers, two utility on-site.
• Puʻukoliʻi / Kaanapali fire (initially reported 8/11): One acre. Fire was extinguished 8/12.

When a fire is 100-percent contained, that does not mean it has been extinguished. It means that firefighters have it fully surrounded by a perimeter. Once a fire is declared “extinguished,” then it’s over.

FATALITY UPDATE
Maui Police Department at 2:30 p.m. confirmed fatalities remains at 93.

ROAD CLOSURES
Access into West Maui via Kahakuloa for West Maui residents: Open.
Access into West Maui via Maalaea: Restricted for pre-approved supply and outreach services only.
Exit West Maui via Maalaea: Open.
Exit West Maui via Kahakuloa: Closed

RECENTLY RESTORED IN WEST MAUI
Napili Market in the Napili Plaza is now open 24/7 and has power restored.
With power being restored in some areas of West Maui, Ohana Fuels/ Minit Stop on Keawe Street in Lahaina and Kahana Gateway Shell are open for gasoline.

EMERGENCY SHELTERS (Due to privacy, no media allowed inside)
Hannibal Tavares Community Center, Pukalani
War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Kahului
Kings Cathedral Church, Kahului
Grace Bible Church, Kahului
South Maui Community Park Gymnasium, Kihei
Maui High School, Kahului - Closed today, 8/13. People staying at Maui High School shelter were transported this morning to South Maui Community Park Gymnasium, Kihei

WEST MAUI DISTRIBUTION SITES
Lahaina Gateway Center and Napili Plaza for food, water and other needs and supplies.

WEST MAUI MEDICAL
Kaiser Permanente outpatient health and medical clinics will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Lahaina Gateway Center, Napili Park and Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center at the Lahaina Civic Center.

TRANSPORTATION
New, daily shuttle service from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Central Maui shelters to go to Central Maui shopping and medical locations launched today.

FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER (Due to privacy, no media allowed on premises)
The Family Assistance Center for those seeking information about loved ones who are unaccounted for in wildfires is now open daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at Kahului Community Center. The center launched Aug. 10 at the center, 275 Uhu St. Maui Emergency Management Agency passes out forms to be filled out to help in the process of locating unaccounted for family members.

MATERIAL DONATIONS
Donations of non-perishable food, bottled water and hygiene products are being accepted at a War Memorial Complex field off Kanaloa Avenue from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

We have created an Amazon wishlist for some rescue gear to support our volunteers.

We appreciate everyone’s support!!

❤️🐾🐾❤️

Check out my list on Amazon

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Calling ALL west coast animal rescues with foster networks…

We will be deploying to Maui on 8/28 to provide search and rescue efforts in the burn zones.

There will become a massive need to get adoptable pets off the island to ensure the local shelters and rescues are not overburdened with incoming burn victims.

If you can commit to a certain number of dogs and cats that you are willing to bring into your network to be adopted in your local area please comment how many and which major airport you are near so we can begin to work with airline transport operations to create opportunities for animals to leave the island.

We want to stick to the west coast in an effort to reduce the travel time and stress on the animals. All animals will travel with a volunteer to be cared for during the flight.

Please comment below how many and which airport.

Feel free to email us at [email protected] for any comments or questions.

We are a registered 501(c)(3)

Thank you, ASSERT

🆘 🆘 🆘

We are in the beginning stages of determining if we have the ability deploy a team to support animal rescue efforts in Maui.

Our team lead has extensive disaster training and experience with many FEMA certifications and other certifications that will allow us access to the burn zones.

Our initial research shows we will need around $3500 to cover travel, lodging, and rental vehicle expenses to get there and back to provide search and rescue for one week traveling there on 8/27.

Three things we are trying to understand better and would appreciate any comments to helps us gauge the situation:

(we are a registered 501(c)(3) since 2020)

1. Are there any local volunteers or rescues with gravity traps (Tomahawk or Trucatch) they’d be willing to loan us so we can travel lighter and save on baggage costs?

2. Is there any one willing to donate the use of a two bedroom home or apartment during this week so we can reduce the cost of lodging?

3. Is anyone willing to pledge an amount if we do decide to run a fundraiser? If so, please let us know how much.

Please feel free to provide any other helpful information.

Photo from Richard Olsten / AFP -Getty Images

They have arrived!!! Welcome home ladies!
❤️🐾🐾❤️

Holly and Hazel have arrived!! Our new Mtn. Lion cubs are beginning their quarantine. We expect them to be on exhibit sometime in June, until then we'll be providing updates all along the way. We're beyond thrilled for them to be under our care. Thank you so much Oakland Zoo for providing all of their medical care up until now. They are beautiful and healthy cats.

Attention Thornton, Colorado and surrounding areas. We are planning some drone search and rescue training exercises this month and are seeking residents with large fenced in backyards whom have dogs or are willing to allow a dog to be there (yard must be inescapable).

If you are willing to support our training exercise please comment here or email us at [email protected].

They’re on their way to there “furrever home”!!!