On August 8, 2023, wildfires ravaged Kula and Lahaina, resulting in thousands of homes and businesses destroyed, human lives lost, and thousands of people and animals displaced. Tragically, an unknown number of dogs, cats, farm animals and wildlife perished in the fires.

Maui Humane Society responded to the fires immediately to save as many lives as possible. Horses and other livestock were rescued and relocated early in the day, and later that night pets were rescued from the flames in Lahaina and brought to MHS for medical care. To this day, MHS staff are still caring for injured and displaced animals, and many others who had to be surrendered by owners who lost their homes and were forced to relocate. Though we are still grieving the losses and impacts of this disaster, we are committed to supporting the pets and people of Maui who have been directly and indirectly impacted by this tragedy.

After rescuing more than 880 animals from the burn zone since August 2023, Maui Humane Society’s Fire Task Force has transitioned to phase II of its response throughout Lahaina and the surrounding areas.

We are incredibly grateful for all of the community support we have received during the initial phase where our primary focus was rescuing animals from the burn zone, and we look forward to working together to continue serving the Lahaina community and their pets. Mahalo to Neighborhood Cats for their partnership and dedication throughout this response.

Learn more about the current status of MHS’ Fire Response here.

Our community, neighboring islands, supporters on the mainland, and around the world showed aloha to Maui’s pets beyond what we could have imagined. Thousands of volunteers showed up at our doors. Emergency response teams deployed to Maui, ready to help. Donations from animal lovers across the world poured in. Thanks to you, support will continue for the pet owners of Maui and those economically impacted by the fires.

Veterinary care will be provided to pet owners via Maui Humane Society’s public spay/neuter clinic, mobile wellness clinics, on-site veterinary care, and other community veterinary medicine efforts. Access to veterinary care is limited nationwide during the current veterinary staffing shortage, but MHS is committed to mitigating further limited access.

Lahaina-Based Resource and Donation Hub: The Lahaina Pet Resource Center supports Lahaina’s pet owning residents and those economically impacted by the fires. This location offers resources for veterinary care (including weekly mobile veterinary clinics), pet training, and financial support, as well as donations on site to be distributed as needed. Maui Humane Society’s Wildfire Community Liaison will directly work with pet owners in need, with the goal to keep pets with their ‘ohanas.

Housing Support: Financial support towards pet deposits and rental insurance is available for those who have been displaced by the fires. Pet training is also available for pet owners in jeopardy of losing housing due to their pet’s behavior, including those who are struggling due to environmental or housing changes as a result of having to relocate.

After the fires, Maui Humane Society was committed to rescuing as many pets as possible. By working around the clock with the partnership of local and national organizations to humanely trap and remove pets from the burn zone, nearly 900 pets were rescued from the burn zone, received medical care, and were either adopted, reunited, or placed in foster care.

• 12/4/23 Community Meeting – MHS’ Fire Response
• 4EverPets: A community resource that assists low-income pet owners of Maui, as well as those experiencing financial hardship, who need help caring for their beloved pets.
• Free Health Certificates & Airline Carriers: Those affected by the fires and leaving Maui with their pets may request a free health certificate and airline carrier, provided by Maui Humane Society.

Funds raised in the aftermath of the fires are expected to support these lifesaving programs and initiatives for the next two years, but this disaster’s impact on our community’s pets and people will last much longer. We cannot continue this work without your support. Please make a gift to Maui’s pets.

Incident Commander Eric Thompson of Animal Search And Rescue (ASAR)/Animal Incident Management (AIM), Greater Good Charities, ASPCA, San Diego Humane Society Disaster Response Team, Arizona Humane Society Emergency Response Team, Neighborhood Cats, Hawai’i County Animal Control & Protection Agency, STAT Hawaii, Humane Society of the United States, FieldHaven Feline Center, John Peaveler, Trevor Skaggs, plus more than 40 volunteer, dozens of veterinary technicians and over a thousand volunteers.

We would also like to thank our local animal rescue organizations Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation (HARF), Honi Honi Cats Maui, Kitty Charm Farm, Valley Isle Animal Rescue, and East Maui Animal Refuge, Surf Cat Ranch, and Save Maui Cats or all their dedicated work.