By Adam Rollins, Record Staff Writer
When Hurricane Harvey made landfall over southeastern Texas late last month, it spent days dumping 51 inches of rain in parts of the region and creating massive flooding.The storm and its aftermath are a humanitarian emergency, displacing tens of thousands of people.Pets are also victims of the storm — lost, abandoned or surrendered by owners who no longer have the means to shelter or care for them.Anticipating that Texas animal shelters will be overwhelmed, a St. Louis-area organization helped lighten the load by bringing 17 shelter dogs to Missouri. One of them has found a temporary home in Warren County.Star, an easygoing, 2-year-old shepherd-rottweiler mix, is under the care of Warren County residents Michelle and Neil Feldhaus until a permanent home is found for him.Star was brought from Texas by the nonprofit organization Needy Paws Rescue, based in St. Louis. He and 16 other dogs were already in shelters before the storm, Michelle Feldhaus said, so there is no worry that an owner is looking for him.Michelle Feldhaus is one of a network of volunteer caretakers with Needy Paws. The organization provides foster homes for dogs and works to find permanent homes for them. After riding out the hurricane and then taking a 14-hour car ride to Missouri, Star is getting some rest.“He’s laid back compared to what he was when he first got here. He’s really decompressed here, and he’s enjoying the company and walks,” added Neil Feldhaus, between playing with another enthusiastic foster dog.This is a chance for Star to adjust to what life might be like in a new home. When he first arrived, it was apparent the dog probably had never been in a house, Michelle said.“He was frightened of carpet, he didn’t understand the step . . . we’re working on toys,” she said.After an observational period to see how Star does in a home environment and make sure he didn’t bring any illnesses from Texas, Needy Paws will begin distributing his information to interested dog owners.They will have a chance to come to the Feldhauses’ home and meet Star, and Michelle will ask to visit their home to make sure it is a clean, safe environment for Star to be adopted into.That’s the same adoption process the other dogs from Texas will go through, said Needy Paws staff member Angie Parris. She coordinated the trip to Texas, and said the organization’s volunteers took 14,000 pounds of dog food and other supplies with them.“There were some very bad, sad things that our volunteers saw,” Parris said, but volunteers gathering and becoming organized helped improve conditions.Needy Paws usually works with animal shelters in the St. Louis area to move dogs into foster homes, Parris said. The all-volunteer organization was founded three years ago and has rescued 2,600 dogs from shelters in that time, including 500 this year, she said.Needy Paws also uses donations to pay for all of the supplies foster dogs need, meaning volunteers don’t have any personal expenses, Parris said.Hard to let goMichelle said she has had animal-related work in Montgomery City for years, and their two children were in 4-H growing up. The Feldhauses still have a variety of farm animals on their property and have several dogs of their own.But after their children left for college, Michelle said she needed a new direction in her life. That’s when she became more involved in helping dogs find homes, and eventually joined Needy Paws Rescue in April this year.“I didn’t have money, but I had time,” she said. “I just felt like I could give love, and I could give comfort ... and for so many of those dogs, that’s something they never had.”Since then, she and her husband have fostered six dogs. Interestingly, their first two foster dogs came from Houston, Mo., in Texas County.It isn’t always easy to say goodbye once they’ve had a dog in their lives.“When they leave, they do take a part of you,” Michelle said. “I gave them my heart, my home.”It’s easier when the dogs are adopted quickly into a good home, Neil added.Every foster dog comes with its own story and its own challenges. One young dog had a series of significant medical issues that cost thousands to treat before it was adopted, all of which was paid for by Needy Paws. Michelle and Neil still become emotional when they recall what they went through for that dog.“I’ve been very blessed to find an organization (that) allows me to choose my foster’s home, and that’s important to me,” Michelle said.How to helpThere are several ways to help with the mission of Needy Paws, Michelle said. Fostering a dog through the organization is a way for those without much money to contribute, although donations are needed as well, she said.Simply sharing information about the dogs in need of permanent homes can also make a difference. Michelle explained that posting newspaper clippings about dogs up for adoption or sharing information through social media makes the animals more visible and helps them get adopted.One piece of information to share is that Needy Paws Rescue partners with PetSmart stores in the area to hold adoption events, Parris added. That include a National Adoption Weekend event this Friday through Sunday at PetSmart stores.“It’s a wonderful opportunity, especially this weekend, to get out to any PetSmart location and take advantage of,” Michelle said.For more information or to donate or become involved in Needy Paws Rescue, visit the organization’s website, NeedyPaws.org.Needy Paws Rescue volunteers Michelle Feldhaus (left) and Angie Parris sit with foster dogs Lindy (middle left) and Star at Feldhaus' home in Warren County Sept. 11. Star was brought to Missouri from a shelter in Houston, Texas, to make room for dogs displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Record photo/Adam Rollins.
