Hawai‘i Animal Kuleana Alliance

Their mission began in 2018, when Kilauea volcano erupted, and Alessandra and a friend rallied together to help rescue animals from the impending lava. They started a Facebook group (the Hawaii Lava Flow Animal Rescue Network) and added a few admins to help out. At this point Syndi, Laurie, and Regina joined forces with Alessandra, and the group grew from there as they rallied family, friends, citizens and volunteers to help rescue animals in the lava zone. They transported and cared for the animals, and sent them to temporary or permanent homes, and worked with various local organizations, including shelters, trusted rescues and vetted sanctuaries. The cohesive effort they spearheaded saved countless displaced animals lives. Many were reunited with their families, and many others moved to safety in foster homes or were rehomed. According to the Hawaii Tribune Herald “the group admins worked nearly 20 hours a day. A GoFundMe account helped cover animal-related expenses, and they also provided information on resources and referrals.” Some of their eruption efforts included field search and rescue, and running a full time Emergency Rescue hotline for affected residents seeking assistance in finding and rescuing their animals. The rescue line was in partnership with Hawaii Island Humane Society, who helped dispatch local officers to assist. Another huge part of their effort was coordinating resources (food, supplies, etc). All of this involved coordination and collaboration between county, state, and private groups like USGS and local NPO’s

The focus of the Hawai’i Animal Kuleana Alliance will be to increase the capacity for its emergency rescue operations.

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