As people fled the Maui wildfires, pets did too. Some emerged with marks of escape, but many remain lost
An estimated 3,000 animals from Lahaina remain missing, according to the Maui Humane Society
By Ed Komenda and Haven Daley ••
NBC Universal, Inc.
The search for victims of last week’s devastating wildfires continues on the island of Maui as survivors begin the long process of rebuilding their lives after many have lost everything.
A dog with hind legs bandaged tightly from paw to hip whimpered in pain through a plastic medical cone, chest rising and falling quickly in shallow breaths.
“We have seen animals come through our shelter that have severe, severe burns," said Katie Shannon, director of marketing and communications at Maui Humane Society. “We have seen dogs that have essentially had their paws all the way burnt down to the bone from running from the fire.”
The deadliest U.S. wildfires in more than 100 years have left hundreds of dogs, cats and other pets lost, injured or dead. An estimated 3,000 animals from Lahaina remain missing, according to the Maui Humane Society, which is now trying to reunite pets with owners and treat the many animals that arrived at clinics wrapped in blankets covering wounds.
Drone footage shows the aftermath of the devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, after it swept through the city, leaving scores of people dead and thousands homeless.
"We have had chickens, love birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, cats,” Shannon said. “We even have a pig here.”
Fueled by dry grass and propelled by strong winds from a passing hurricane, the fires raced as fast as a mile every minute in one area, forcing people to scramble and flee in harrowing escapes they later relayed to family members who waited in agony to learn of their fate.
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The iconic Banyan tree stands among the rubble of burned buildings on Aug. 11, 2023, days after a catastrophic wildfire swept through the city.
Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The iconic Banyan tree stands among the rubble of burned buildings on Aug. 11, 2023, days after a catastrophic wildfire swept through the city.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Davilynn Severson holds a page of a yearbook as she looks for belongings through the ashes of their family’s home in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 11, 2023.
ustin Sullivan/Getty Images
Volunteers load water onto a boat to be transported to West Maui from the Kihei boat landing on Aug. 13, 2023, in Kihei, Hawaii. At least 93 people were confirmed dead over the weekend, and thousands were displaced after a wind driven wildfire devastated the towns of Lahaina and Kula this past week. Crews are continuing to search for nearly 1,000 missing people.
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Fire damage is seen on Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, HI. The death toll is expected to rise after devastating wildfires swept Maui early in the month.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Cars are backed up for miles on the Honoapiilani highway as residents are allowed back into areas affected by the recent wildfire, Aug. 11, 2023, in Wailuku, Hawaii. Dozens of people were killed and thousands were displaced after a wind-driven wildfire devastated the town of Lahaina on Tuesday. Crews are continuing to search for missing people.
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Burned houses and buildings are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire, is seen in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 12, 2023.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
An aerial image taken on Aug. 10, 2023, shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
An aerial view of Lahaina after wildfires burned through the town on the Hawaiian island of Maui, Aug. 10, 2023. Dozens of people have died after a fast-moving wildfire turned Lahaina to ashes.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Homes and buildings were burned to the ground around the harbor and Front Street in the historic Lahaina Town in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui in Lahaina, Hawaii, Aug. 10, 2023.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
A charred boat sits in Lahaina Harbor in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
An aerial image taken on Aug. 10, 2023, shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
An aerial view of Lahaina after wildfires burned through the town on the Hawaiian island of Maui, Aug. 10, 2023. Dozens of people have died after a fast-moving wildfire turned Lahaina to ashes.
Clint Hansen / Maui Real Estate Radio
Wildfires blaze through North Kihei overnight on Hawaii’s Maui island, Aug. 10, 2023. Residents were cleared to return to Kihei by Thursday afternoon, according to the town’s updates.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Passengers try to rest and sleep after canceled and delayed flights while others wait to board flights off the island as thousands of passengers were stranded at the Kahului Airport in the aftermath of wildfires in Maui in Kahului, Hawaii, Aug. 9, 2023.
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Passengers try to rest and sleep after canceled and delayed flights while others wait to board flights off the island as thousands of passengers were stranded at the Kahului Airport in the aftermath of wildfires in Maui in Kahului, Hawaii, Aug. 9, 2023.
Courtesy Chris Sendrey
Smoke billows over Kula in Hawaii’s Maui island, Aug. 3, 2023.
Courtesy Chris Sendrey
Smoke billows over Kula in Hawaii’s Maui island, Aug. 3, 2023.
Courtesy Chris Sendrey
Smoke billows over Kula in Hawaii’s Maui island, Aug. 3, 2023.
Master Sgt. Andrew Jackson / Department of Defense
Hawaii Army National Guard helicopters fight wildfires with bucket drops, Aug. 9, 2023, in Maui, Hawaii. The National Guard said they dropped more than 100,000 gallons of water on the fires.
Master Sgt. Andrew Jackson / Department of Defense
Hawaii Army National Guard helicopters fight wildfires with bucket drops, Aug. 9, 2023, in Maui, Hawaii. The National Guard said they dropped more than 100,000 gallons of water on the fires.
Master Sgt. Andrew Jackson / Department of Defense
Hawaii Army National Guard helicopters fight wildfires with bucket drops, Aug. 9, 2023, in Maui, Hawaii. The National Guard said they dropped more than 100,000 gallons of water on the fires.
County of Maui
Smoke billows over Lahaina in this undated photo released by the County of Maui on Aug. 10, 2023. The historic town of Lahaina was reduced to ashes by Thursday, aerial photos show.
The stories of the animals, though, were told by the damage on their bodies.
A cat arrived with singed fur and spots of leg burns. A chicken needed both scorched claws wrapped with thick, blue medical tape.
A clinic worker used surgical tweezers to delicately remove debris from a dog's paws while another technician cradled the head, rubbed the neck with gentle thumb strokes and spoke calmly into the animal's ear.
They were the lucky ones. On a Maui street, a dog’s charred body was found.
The famous banyan tree in Lahaina was charred in the blaze that devastated the Hawaii town, Maui officials said.
As the smoke clears and officials survey the scope of loss and destruction, animal welfare advocates are working with the Maui Police Department to enter the burn area in search of lost, injured or deceased animals.
“As those areas continue to widen," said Lisa Labrecque, CEO of the Maui Humane Society, at a Monday news conference, “we will be able to expand our scope of services.”
Dozens of feeding stations stocked with food and water have been set to draw scared animals out of hiding so they can be tracked and transported to a shelter, where veterinary staffers treat both burn injuries and smoke inhalation cases.
Found animals are checked for identification and scanned for a microchip so owners may be contacted. The Maui Humane Society has asked that deceased animals not be moved or destroyed so they can be cataloged and checked for identification.
"But this is only the beginning," Shannon said. "People need to understand that we are in the midst of this. And, you know, there is a harsh reality to come."
