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Entergy Employees Help Hurricane Harvey’s Four-legged Victims
10/10/2017
Natural disasters can be cruel, and Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall in Texas in late August, was no exception. In addition to flooding cities and knocking out power to thousands of people, the massive storm left thousands of pets abandoned, lost or homeless.
Entergy employees in the company’s utility division were busy restoring power to impacted customers. Touched by the overwhelming need to help Harvey’s four-legged victims, other employees across the company stepped up to help in their own way.
Palisades Pampers Pets
Displaced pets in Texas inspired faraway help. Employees at Entergy’s Palisades Power Plant in Van Buren County, Michigan, collected Clorox wipes, sheets, towels, paper towels, mops, kitty litter and bleach as requested by Austin Pets Alive! in Austin, Texas.
APA! provided displaced animals with emergency care, vaccinations, shelter and food. The organization also worked to reconnect lost pets with their owners and aimed to help find new homes for those animals that need adopting.
Fire Protection Engineer Stephanie Weimer and Engineering Supervisor Michael Liska drove a van full of supplies from Michigan to Texas.
"When we saw the videos of animals impacted by the flooding, we knew we had to help,” Weimer said. “The amount of supplies Palisades employees pulled together in a short time was beyond what I ever could have imagined. It was amazing. When we arrived with the donations, the volunteers were very appreciative.”
Before making the long drive back to Michigan, Weimer and Liska helped clean crates and organize supplies.
Taylor Takes Tex-as
Pets also benefited from a supply drive led by Entergy Arkansas employees. Once the supplies were amassed, Customer Service Vice President Melanie Taylor delivered the truckload of goods to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter in Conroe, Texas.
“It was heartbreaking to see the rows and rows of displaced pets the shelter was caring for in Conroe,” Taylor said. “The workers at the shelter were amazed at the volume of supplies and could not believe they came from individual donations. They literally were in tears as they unloaded the food, kennels and other goods.”
One lucky dog – whose family had to surrender him because they had lost their home in the flood – now has a new home in Arkansas with Taylor. Taylor has aptly named her new dog Tex.
Caring for Man’s Best Friend
In Conroe, a customer approached several employees, asking to borrow a shovel. Upon further questioning, an Entergy lineman and two meter readers learned that the customer’s dog hadn’t survived the floodwaters. They volunteered to help bury the beloved pet.
“You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us.” — Robert Louis Stevenson, author
