Ladies headed to Texas to help rescue displaced pets after flooding
Sher Alloway is joining a nation-wide network of pet rescue organizations to help with relief efforts in Texas. She will be joined on her trip by veteran vet tech Teresa Olinger. Contributed | Beacon
COSHOCTON – Two local residents are planning on joining a nation-wide network of pet rescue organizations helping with relief efforts in Texas.
“You hear about what is going on down there (with the flooding), see the pictures and think what can I do to help,” said Sher Alloway. “I’ve worked with nonprofit pet rescue, fostering groups and the local animal shelter for 25 years so I guess I just have a service mentality in me. I just really wanted to do something for pets down there. It’s absolutely heartbreaking what’s happing. There is lots of human suffering and part of that comes with losing your pets. I know mine are like my children.”
Alloway plans to start the two-day drive to Texas next Friday or Saturday (Sept. 8 or Sept. 9) and is asking for the public’s assistance with rescuing pets impacted by the flooding there.
“I’m taking a small boat with a trolling motor to go in and do rescues with, and hopefully will have a pickup truck and stock trailer,” she said.
Alloway set up a Go Fund Me account online at texaspetrescue.com, where she has posted a list of suggested donations such as dog kennels and carriers.
“These have to be donated,” she said. “I’ll tag them as I get them, but I have no idea if I’ll be able to track them back to me once an animal is rescued and transported.”
Monetary donations to help with travel expenses and other expenses involved with helping displaced animals can be made on the Go Fund Me site, or dropped off at Coshocton Red Cross, 245 N. Fourth St.; Coshocton United Way, 402 Main St.; or the Coshocton UPS Store (inside Buehler’s), 830 S. Second St., Suite 178. Alloway also is taking donations of gas gift cards and Wal-Mart gift cards. Checks may be written out directly to her and she can take debit or credit donations over the phone if people call her at 740-202-0898. She also shared that Chris Sturtz from the animal shelter is helping coordinate her efforts and she is loaning her a pair of bite gloves and a catch pole.
“I could be there three weeks or more,” Alloway said. “There are people everywhere that are willing to meet you half way and take say a dozen dogs or so. It’s a big network of groups and it’s not just dogs and cats that need rescued. There’s everything from pot bellied pigs, goats and horses that need rescued.”
She was excited to learn that Teresa Olinger, a veteran vet tech will accompany her on the trip.
“I was raised on a farm and have always cared for animals in some way,” Olinger said.
Over the years she has tried to use her skills as often as she can to help others.
“I want to be a servant to those who are hurting and offer hope and help through something I have the training to do,” Olinger said. “I know God will use it for good.”
Updates on their trip will be posted to Alloway’s Go Fund Me account at texaspetrescue.com.
“We want to let people know about the things we are doing there and how their money is being used,” she said.
Any donations that are not used during her trip or come in after she returns to Ohio will be donated to the Houston Humane Society.
Category: People & Places
