As Central Texas rebuilds after the tragic flooding that has already claimed more than 120 lives, a special group of responders has stepped in to support some of the most dedicated, and often overlooked heroes on the ground – the search and rescue dogs.
The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) was deployed to Kerr County to provide care for canine search teams combing the area, according to the university.
The search and rescue dogs, alongside their human handlers, have been working long hours along the Guadalupe River, searching through dangerous debris, unstable terrain, and the ever-present threat of more flooding.
Additionally, beyond the risk of injury from sharp debris and unpredictable currents, dogs also face threats such as snake bites and heat exhaustion.
“These elite canine partners are critical to the mission, and our team is committed to helping them stay healthy, safe and mission-ready. We are honored to do our part in supporting these heroes, and we’re hopeful that the search missions will be able to help grieving families find closure,” said Dr. Deb Zoran, director of the VET.
The flooding, triggered by relentless storms over the Fourth of July weekend, left families across Central Texas mourning, with over 160 still waiting for news of missing loved ones, as previously covered by DX.
For many, these rescue dogs may represent the last hope of finding answers and, if possible, a sense of closure.
The Texas A&M VET team first sent out six members to the area on July 4, joined by two AgriLife Disaster Assessment and Recovery agents. As the weather and road conditions intensified, three more team members from A&M joined the mission, focused solely on the health and availability of the working dogs.
The veterinary team has worked around the clock to monitor their physical condition, tend to their wounds, and keep them hydrated and fueled to continue their demanding work.
While local veterinary clinics are caring for pets and displaced animals from the community, such as Wings of Rescue, which has flown hundreds of dogs from flooded shelters to safer areas, A&M has zeroed in on ensuring the canine search teams can continue their missions.
“This has been a particularly solemn mission; while all loss of life is tremendously sad, the loss of young children hits particularly hard for the entire community and state. We know Aggies everywhere are keeping the folks in this region, and in other flood-ravaged areas of Texas, in their thoughts and prayers,” Zoran added.