Rescue Kitties of Hawaii is a nonprofit run by a small group of volunteers dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating sick, injured, and displaced cats across the Hawaiian Islands.
And when the islands began experiencing the largest flooding they’ve had in 20 years, those volunteers didn’t hesitate to go straight to the most devastated areas in search of cats to help.
“When it rains, it pours … and it’s pouring cats and water buckets!” One Rescue Kitties of Hawaii volunteer posted to Instagram on March 24.
“I made it into town,” she continued. “The roads were still muddy with water running through them, but I could feel the aloha everywhere, so many smiles, waves, and people lending a helping hand. Roads were cleared quickly, and everywhere I looked, there were people helping each other dig out homes buried in mud and debris from the flash floods.”
According to the volunteer, there is no veterinary office on Molokai and no spay and neuter options.
“Leaving pregnant cats outside right now is extremely dangerous,” she cautioned. “If we can make space, we have to bring them in so their babies don’t drown or get washed away in these conditions.”
Over the last 48 hours, Rescue Kitties of Hawaii volunteers have been taking in as many cats as they can find. They currently have four pregnant cats in their Molokai foster program and a slew of kittens.
Thanks to a fundraising campaign, the volunteers were able to purchase “much-needed cat and dog food and supplies” — not just for their rescues, but for stranded pet owners as well.
“Thank you to everyone who donated so quickly,” a volunteer wrote on Instagram. “I delivered large bags to local families who truly needed it.”
This isn’t the first time Hawaiians have worked together to save animals from disaster. When wildfires spread across Maui in August 2023, the island’s only open-admission animal shelter was overflowing with strays and pets displaced from their families.
“We know that there are animals in the burn zone that need help,” Katie Shannon, director of marketing at Maui Humane Society, told Today after the fires erupted. “We are prioritizing lifesaving and reunification between a pet and their owner.”
While the fires were still ongoing, veterinarians and shelter volunteers banded together to clear injured animals and fly them off the island in an emergency airlift. In total, 33 dogs and 103 cats were flown from Maui to Portland, Oregon, to get aid from the Oregon Humane Society.
“The people of Hawaii are amazing and so resilient,” she said. “They love their pets.”
In September, after the wildfires subsided, the Maui Humane Society reported that they had reunited 104 pets with their owners, in addition to treating and housing 219 cats, 88 dogs, and 43 other animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, tortoises, and a pet pig.
“Our staff — I can’t say enough about how dedicated, resilient, passionate, and hard-working they are — has come together like never before to care for the animals and serve the Maui community,” Lisa Labrecque, the CEO of the Maui Humane Society, wrote in an open letter. “I am so thankful for every single member of our team; they are truly the best of the best.”
You may also like: Neighbors use a tractor to lift a 98-year-old Hawaiian woman out of her flooding home
Header images via Rescue Kitties of Hawaii
