National nonprofit The Petfinder Foundation recently awarded Fort Bend County Animal Services a $3,000 disaster grant to cover costs related to animal rescue operations that took place during Tropical Storm Harvey. Staff took in about 17-20 cats and dogs throughout the duration of Harvey, and animals continued to be brought in to the shelter even after the storm passed, said Rene Vasquez, director of animal services. The grant will pay for costs associated with caring for these displaced animals, including spaying and neutering, vaccinations, and medications, he said. “We have one dog right now that’s in a foster home, who ended up having whipworms,” he said. “We’re having to get him medicine. He’s lost a lot of weight, so we’re going to have to get him on a new diet. He was going to get fixed because he’s in a foster home, but now we’re going to have to wait a little bit [before the surgery].” Vasquez said he did not know the exact cost of housing, medicating, and feeding these animals, but this grant will help offset expenditures, Vasquez said. “Some of those animals came with a lot of ticks and fleas—possibly from the water,” he said. “Some of them do and did have some medical issues. That’s money we didn’t account for. We didn’t have that in our budget.” The Petfinder Foundation awards various grants and offers assistance to shelters, adoption organizations, and rescue groups throughout North America, according to its 2016 annual report, giving out over $1 million worth of cash and products to organizations throughout North America. The foundation’s disaster grant program is designed to help shelters serve the community during devastating events, such as floods, tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes. “We’re really grateful for this Petfinder Foundation to help us,” Vasquez said. “It’s really helpful for the animals because that’s what it’s going to—their needs.”