103. The 101st Step (S11: Animal of the Maui Wildfires)

Episode 4/4 Series 11  Animals of The Maui Wildfires Transcript

Welcome to the 103rd episode of The Deal with Animals AND the last episode of Season One.  In episode 3/4  we heard stories of survival and reunification of the animals lost in the fires. Then we delved into the question of why access to the burn zone to save more animals was suddenly denied.

In this episode we delve into the ongoing housing crisis for Lahaina's community post-wildfire, we explore the roles of trapping, fostering, and transport programs in managing displaced animals and Staff from the Maui Humane Society share heart-rending stories of rescue and reunification, while reflecting on their experiences working in the burn zone.

Please take a moment now and visit Donate to Maui Humane Society
a special joint page set up my MHS in partnership with TDWA to raise money for MHS' continues efforts for the animals of Maui.

Thank you to All the staff of Maui Humane Society for the dedication to the animals of Maui but in particular, thank you to the guests of this series who shared their stories.
Follow the Blog and/or the Newsletter for full bio's and links

• Moani Makaiwi was one of the first animal rescuers on scene during the tragic Lahaina fires. Between her strong family history in Lahaina as a native Hawaiian and her dedication to rescuing animals as a Humane Enforcement Officer, Moani's story is truly one that you will not forget.
• Emily Drose is one of MHS' two Fire Cat Specialists. In this role, she has worked closely with the feeding/trapping team in the burn zone and manages the cats' movement once in the care of MHS.  She was born and raised on Maui, with a background as a large animal veterinary technician, lead emergency vet tech, ( Hawaii's first ) community cat coordinator ,community outreach and humane enforcement.
• Johnny Lingao is Maui Humane Society's Wildfire Community Liaison. In this role, Johnny works directly with displaced Lahaina residents and those affected by the fires to get them what they need to keep their pets, whether that be veterinary care, pet housing deposits, supplies, food, etc.
• Jenny Miller The Director of Development of MHS at the time of the wildfires and my guide around the Maui Humane Society campus in October 2023 
• Katie Shannon worked at Maui Humane Society for 3 years, including Director of Marketing and Communications during the fires in August 2023. Katie's background is in media and marketing strategy
  
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Transcript

Introduction and Recap

Marika: This is The Deal With Animals. I’m Marika Bell, anthrozoologist, CPDT dog trainer, and an animal myself. Welcome to a podcast about the connection and interaction between humans and other animals. This is Series Eleven, episode three of Animals of the Maui Wildfires.

Marika: In this final episode of Animals of the Maui Wildfires, we're going to explore the next unfolding crisis, housing Lahaina's community. We'll be highlighting the community's efforts to rebuild and reconnect, and share the conclusions to some of the stories we've been following during the series. We'll also explore the role of trap neuter release, foster, and transport programs in managing displaced animals.

We'll conclude with reflections from the staff on working in the burn zone. On the disaster's impact and the path forward, there is still a great need for the animals in Maui. If you can, please make a donation using the link in the show notes or at thedealwithanimals.com to help cover the costs of Maui Humane society's lifesaving programs  

Housing Challenges and Community Efforts

We [00:01:00] would also love for you to include a message about what Maui and these stories have meant to you. Please remember that this content may not be appropriate for all listeners. To start off this segment, let's hear from Emily, our fire cat and reunification specialist, and then Johnny, our community liaison, both who I talked to eight months after the fires ended.

[00:01:30] Emily: And as you can imagine, like, people don't have any resources they had. A lot of people, their homes and jobs were in Lahaina. So they're having to restart their whole life with nothing. There was already a housing crisis here before the fire, the lack of pet friendly housing, the lack of affordable housing.

And, like, where do you start? Where do you start trying to help and where we can provide resources.

[00:01:55] Marika: So eight months post disaster, what is the current status [00:02:00] of Maui's housing situation? I turned to Johnny for answers.

[00:02:04] Johnny Lingao : You know, with the fires, the inventory of housing was already very scarce and with the fires, it just, brought it down much more.

And if you think about 10 percent of what's available, allow pets less than 10%. So how do we address to increase that percentage or come to a compromise between Property management companies and their perspective of pets and the displaced families were what can we do to at least keep a family with their pet together and here in Maui.

[00:02:38] Marika: What would it be like to have to endure the trauma of the fires,  loosing your home, loved ones, your physical community...and then be confronted with the decision to give up a beloved animal companion that has gone through all of this with you, in a search for stable housing.

[00:02:58] Johnny Lingao : Your dog is all that [00:03:00] you have left. You've lost everything in the fire. To be presented with the ultimatum of either taking a unit that doesn't allow pets or not knowing what's Over the horizon, if you were to still stay with your pet and be in the hotel. I've heard various stories of people escaping the fire just by bicycle with them and their pet, and you just look behind and your house is engulfed in flames, and then your next step is to find a place of shelter.

That's why my initial thought process was to, okay, how can we, what are the creative methods that we can go about? And I knew that one was to have an animal as an emotional support animal. And then now you are there with your pet, who is the only being and the only feeling of home with you. It made absolute sense for me to present [00:04:00] people with that option.

Rebuilding and Reconnection

[00:04:02] Marika: It's not just about ensuring property management companies cannot legally discriminate against those with emotional support animals. The real issue is the profound realization people experience when they understand the true significance of their animals. Their dogs, cats, or other companion animals,  are not just pets, but essential support systems. And in many cases, their only support system.

[00:04:26] Johnny Lingao : And I think especially. Amidst the most extreme of cases within our lives, a disaster. That's when we realized that everything around us, especially our animals, they have such an intrinsic value. That's when we truly understand the blessing and purpose of their role in our particular life.

[00:04:46] Marika: I asked Johnny if he could share a story with us of any particular family that stuck with him.

[00:04:52] Johnny Lingao : Sure. So, uh, there's a family and actually saw the husband, the gentleman yesterday, cause I attend these weekly. Recovery meetings [00:05:00] with partners in the community. So this particular family, they're still in the hotel and they're very much understanding that there'll still be a roof over their head until they find a place.

But this particular family they have right now, they have three cats. It's a family of four. They were only able to escape the fire with one cat. So they lost two others. They were able to reunite with the other two cats. Malachi main site was able to rescue the other two and reunite them back in January.

For five months, they only had one cat with the hope of thinking that their other two cats survive because, you know, as Maui Humane throughout the process of being in the burn zone and our search and rescue efforts, when people start to see that we are continuing to trap and rescue cats, people who are cat caretakers, they continue to find hope and they check the lost and found, and they try to, you know, go to the shelter and to our other cats.

Other offsite fire cat cat annex. There's like a little glimmer of hope. And so for this particular family, [00:06:00] they were able to regain the spark when they re-unite with the other two cats. And so now all three cats are with them in their hotel and they're well taken care of. And I think when I talked to him last night, asking him how his housing situation is.

It wasn't as negative a conversation as it was like a month or two months ago, because you know, when FEMA tries to match folks with a house, most displaced people want to stay in Lahaina. They want to stay in the west side. But FEMA is, you know, trying to work with what's available in Maui. And so they'll say, Hey, we have a house in Kakaului, which is on the other side of the island, about 45, 50 minutes away.

People don't want to. And so when people deny a place, they'll get put back on the list. I think the fact that this family, they already have their cats with them. They have their cats, their cats are healthy. The kids are happy. To the point where like the unit is together. That's all that matters. [00:07:00] And as long as they're together, all these other problems, the problem with housing that will work itself out.

[00:07:07] Marika: Moments like this allow all of us to reflect on what truly matters in our lives. The essence of our quality of life lies in our connections with people and with our animals.

[00:07:20] Johnny Lingao : We still have about 1100 families and hotels. American Red Cross who. Manages the hotel stay for displaced families. They're aiming to expire their operations middle of this month.

So even as we speak, the whole principle is to create that conversation and to implant to the property management companies to think about their policy and be flexible. And based on conversations with some displaced people. And some of the property management companies, there has been a bit of ease and understanding and flexibility.[00:08:00]

[00:08:00] Marika: So with the fires having exacerbated an already difficult housing situation and many hotels stays starting to expire, MHS has taken it upon themselves to help families that include animals to find pet friendly housing, advocating with management companies. While they still continue to reunite families with their lost pets.

Here's Emily discussing that complex process of reunification.

[00:08:26] Emily: So we were taking very detailed photos. We kind of have a joke where Hawaii is still very much behind the times. Like we're still stuck in the nineties and early two thousands. So not a lot of people are on social media or they still listen to radio or they're not just kind of up and tech savvy.

So a lot of people without microchips that were registered, weren't even aware that microchips were a common practice tattoos that were illegible, that we're trying to look through paper records that are like 20 years old. And then social media for those who were on social media, just trying to backtrack, like, is this your cat?

Are you [00:09:00] a colony caregiver? Are you, it was just herding cats, like doing the impossible. And in the meantime, providing resources to those owners who were coming in every day and reclaiming those cats and looking for their cats, because they could have been anywhere on our property. They could have been family room, annex, or.

Outdoor adaptive housing, I'm exhausted just repeating that remembering that head space that we were in. Yeah. Um, and so after those first initial weeks, we had, I think, just in my, I call it my department, even though it is all one department, just our cats alone that we were in charge of. I think it was close to 300 cats, if not over that we were.

Having in care, trying to keep healthy, trying to get back home, trying to figure out what the next steps were.

[00:09:50] Marika: It could have been the shortage of tech savvy individuals, or perhaps everyone was simply trying to survive. But in the aftermath of the fire, the staff at Maui [00:10:00] Humane Society faced significant challenges in spreading the word about their efforts to reunite animals with their families.

Let's turn to Moani to understand why this was particularly difficult.

[00:10:11] Moani Maka'iwi : I want to say I think the owners in the beginning just honestly thought their pets had passed away and why even try, right? Because right now we don't even know where our next meal is going to come from. We don't have clothing, we don't have nothing.

Not realizing that, hey! Your dog got out. Thank god, you know, I was able to hop that fence or figure it out a way, you know Wait till the house collapsed while it was burning, you know what I mean to be able to see that Hey, if I just run through the side or run through the house, I can get out But at the same time knowing they're gonna injure themselves, you know, I think animals are beyond smart, you know beyond smart I I looked at some of the animals that came through and i'm like You thought about it, didn't you?

Before you did what you had to do to [00:11:00] survive. You know, it took the owners a little over a month to realize that, Hey, maybe, you know, maybe Fluffy did make it. Maybe Cora did make it. And then they realized, hey, maybe we should call a mild humane society.

[00:11:19] Marika: Animals have a unique way of connecting us, revealing the spectrum of human animal interactions.

Within the realm of animal welfare, we're often confronted with the harsh realities of these relationships, encountering scenes of neglect or abuse. In disaster recovery, these scenes can be all the more heart wrenching as families share the trauma of their loss. But it's in these moments of adversity that the bonds between humans and their companion animals shine the brightest.

Consider this story shared by Emily, a testament to the resilience and compassion that emerges in the face of trauma.

[00:11:58] Emily: And there was a cat tango. So [00:12:00] he Thankfully had a microchip and a lost report, tying him back to his owner, Alan. When we reached out to Alan, he was beside himself because he had already retrieved two of his cats at separate, separate timeframes from the fire, because we had multiple feeding stations in multiple areas of the burn zone and trail cameras monitoring these.

So these cats were brought in, in waves, we call it. He had kind of given up hope that Tango. Was still alive because this was I'm looking back at the date. He was trapped back in November and he wasn't severely injured. He actually looked good as a result of those feeding stations. He had a little bit of singe whiskers, but when I called Alan, he was in disbelief.

He was living at one of the hotels temporarily that did allow pets. to be brought in. And he almost couldn't believe it. So when he actually came in to look at Tango, like it was, it was a beautiful moment. We all, you know, broke down crying, holding each other. But that day and his [00:13:00] story, he was telling me he could see the fire encroaching.

People literally didn't have time to grab anything or to think or to call anyone. There was no self service. Everything happened. So in such a freak way and so quickly that he was just trying to grab his cats. However way he could, he has four total. So he had two in carriers, Tango was loose in his arms.

One was just in a pillowcase. People were literally just grabbing what they could and running. And his apartment building was actively on fire. Vehicles were on fire, surrounding area was on fire. And as he was trying to get Tango in the vehicle, he got spooked by. It was either an explosion or some other noise happening in the background and Tango took off.

And that was the last time he saw Tango. And I just, I'll never forget that moment when he came in to the room and saw Tango in that carrier. Tango instantly recognized him and he was a totally different cat. Because the process I saw from Tango coming in, so he's trapped in the burn zone. He's freaked out.

He has all these big [00:14:00] ugly humans looking at him. He's given 24 hours to decompress. He's sedated. He's given a head to toe exam. He recovers. We're putting him in a, in a placement for housing with other cats he's never seen. And as you can imagine, they're all shut down. They're processing. They don't, they don't understand what's going on.

And to see him just the way he instantly responded to Alan and his voice. And it was just. is unreal. And it just made like every, every doubt I had, every tear I cried, every frustration I had. I'm trying not to cry now. Um, just so worth it and just validate it. Like this is why we do it for these moments right here.

And to just never give up hope. You just never know. So Tengu and Alan are still very much in my mind, he still hasn't found permanent housing but still keeps his cats with him and we're trying to support him the best way we can with food, with litter, any type of, like, structure that he needs to keep them contained and safe.[00:15:00]

Be able to stay in temporary housing, um, but I think about them every day and it's just, it's amazing that after that long, like I said, these animals and the bonds that they have, it's just these stories like Alan and Mahina. It's like, these are just, just two, just two cats that. Inspire us to keep going forward and we have hundreds and we're seeing these stories every day and making these stories every day.

[00:15:24] Marika: And what about the first victim of the wildfires? Remember Katniss? What was the next step in her story?

[00:15:32] Moani Maka'iwi : She made it. She's doing great. She looks amazing. Yeah, but I think with all the trauma, um, and not knowing, you know, her past prior to that day, you know, she came in with no forms of ID at all, but, you know, she was sweet as pie, sweet as pie, but, you know, you had to take it really slow with her, really, really slow.

So I think, you know, with the injuries and not knowing her past, [00:16:00] to me, I think she just missed her family. But you know, no one came forward for her at all and she was on the news But, you know, I think afterwards it, it made me realize the importance of truly our shelter and what we do for our community.

I know it's hard for some folks because, you know, always the past, you know, people, that's all they, you know, want to remember, you know, we are here to help facilitate care

You know, just supplies, like a leash, a collar, you need a collar? Got you. Hey, let me help facilitate, you know, if mom's not feeding them all, here, here's some puppy milk, you know? Here's some kitten milk. Here's some bottles. And I think a lot of folks, too, tend to forget that, you know, we're on a rock. What we have is what we got.

Part of it, too, is [00:17:00] rebuilding the trust with our community. And I think that's heavily where my role comes in also. Because, you know, I come with a badge, right? And most times with a badge, most people don't like people with a badge. Or they've had some bad interactions. And then you have me, one, you know, they see a local, it's a Kanaka, it's a Hawaiian, it's someone who not only looks like me, but she speaks like me.

And she doesn't look down on me, and she's not judging me because she's from here, so she knows our culture. I see some folks and they're like, Oh yeah, you know, in the past. And I'm like, look, it's a now. It's now, we're here now and all I can do is I can help you facilitate a healthier relationship with your animal.

The 101st Step

I can help facilitate care and I can help facilitate you just in general as an owner. Let's change that cycle, and that's what I'm doing now. Yeah, I, I help with our [00:18:00] community, uh, clinics, so I'm able to help get some animals for surgery. If that's been an issue to get them on, you know, the schedule, I educate dog owners also on the laws, our licensing, our microchip.

That has been my biggest, biggest push microchip, microchip, microchip, no matter what.

[00:18:27] Marika: Eight months after the fires, Moani has reconnected with her community and found moments of hope. There has been a noticeable increase in community outreach. Prompting a shift in thought processes, the Lahaina fire served as a reminder to Moani of the community's importance, highlighting what members mean to each other.

But it wasn't just the fires that caused this awakening. In recent years, there has been a cultural resurgence with renewed emphasis on the Kanaka identity, languages, traditions, and beliefs. [00:19:00] These cultural elements, once marginalized, now hold a significant place, fostering a sense of unity and collaboration.

I have to think that this resurgence is one reason the community has held so tightly together in the aftermath of the fires.

[00:19:15] Moani Maka'iwi : Our traditions and our culture and our beliefs all come into play more so now, where in the past that didn't have a seat at the table, where now it is at the table and now everyone else is now coming to that table.

Right. With that and understanding, we can do amazing things and we've just begun.

[00:19:41] Marika: Emily also highlights the positive changes she's seen between MHS and the community since the Lahaina fires.

[00:19:48] Emily: Now people see us and see our vehicles and it's a happy experience. They're waving, they're flagging us down, they're asking for help, they're asking how they can help.

Just to see that shift over the last few years and [00:20:00] especially in the last few months. Thanks. And this response, like it really, like COVID kind of separated all of us and it took something as, as horrible as, as this fire to kind of bring us all back together and kind of reset and remember who we are and who our La Jolla is and what we stand for and what true Aloha spirit really means and what it is.

[00:20:20] Marika: Let's circle back to the concept of the hundred and first step. Everything leading up to this moment, each step, decision and challenge has shaped us into who we are today. And now as MHS staff stand on the brink of this new phase, they step forward, not just as individuals, but as a unified team, organization, and community linked closely with their animals.

So what's next for MHS staff, the Kahu, the guardians of Maui's animals? How will they navigate this new chapter, and what priorities will guide their journey? Here again is Emily.

[00:20:58] Emily: Yeah, biggest, um, and [00:21:00] main focus will always be rescue, reunite, rehome. And we're still, even the animals, in care. If there's any way we can get you back to your people even months later, that will always be the main focus.

And having that presence out in Lahaina, so having our vets out there, having our vet department, having, um, The food, the leashes, the collars, the licenses, the access to affordable spay and neuter and the education. It all comes back to education and being present, whether or not people are ready to accept the help or not, that we're there.

If we can take XYZ off your plate so that you can keep your animal with you and keep your family together, we will look for any possible way to do it. I think even at one point for a houseless individual who. Was at risk of being arrested and car impounded and his dog seized and his dogs, he loves with his life and he has a small income and it feeds them first before himself and that's all he needed was a car battery to be able to [00:22:00] just move his vehicle and continue to live with his dogs on the beach until.

His next steps are figured out like we will go above and beyond. We will look at every possible option. And if we cannot, we will look at what we can do the normal day to day that we face aside from just fire response, um, at our transfer partners. We rely so heavily on our transfer partners to help us with our population and our adoptable animals.

I'm like, where do we start? Like, where do we start? But one thing at a time. Um, and I, like I said, continuing to monitor the burn zone, even though we're not going to be actively feeding and trapping, we want to see any sign of life that's still lingering and then really back to a boots on the ground effort where we're going door to door.

We're actually spending time in the field, looking at these animals ourself and figuring out. What our next steps really do look like, because we can talk about it all day on paper, but until [00:23:00] you get out there and are in the field, it's a totally different ballgame.

[00:23:04] Marika: Maui faces a unique struggle with community cats, yet TNR stands as the sole humane solution for population control, a concept not universally agreed upon, but because of the clearing of the animals from Lahaina.

Maui has witnessed firsthand the vacuum effect as free roaming cats from outside the burn zone move into the newly cleared territory, underscoring the necessity of the TNR program MHS began four years ago, which achieved remarkable results, spaying and neutering over 9, 000 animals last year. The essential role of TNR and Maui's community cat program cannot be overstated, playing a pivotal role in the high live release rates for cats in Maui.

It's a testament to the resilience and passion of those who advocate for the humane treatment of Maui's animals. So what do you do with 300 traditionally [00:24:00] unadoptable cats who have been rescued from the burn zone? Releasing them into another colony is not an option.

[00:24:07] Emily: So while all this movement is going forward, we now have these two new factors where Operation Fire Cat Placement Program, Neighborhood Cats has provided us with the Catios outdoor adaptive housing.

And the idea behind it is you can sign up. Specifically for this vulnerable group of cats who are not going to be friendly, they're not going to be your traditional adoption candidates, they thrive best outside. Because their home was outside and it's now not safe to go back to. Um, and we will come out, we will build the catio for you, we'll provide you with the food, the litter, the enrichment, everything you need, you just have to say yes.

And to date, we've placed 74 cats through that program. Still growing. And while that was moving, while we were writing the book on what this program looked like, Lanai Cat Sanctuary reached out to us and honestly saved the lives of over 200 cats. So they approached [00:25:00] us with this project. Beautiful idea.

And this is a shirt I have on today of our partnership. So that's Maui Island and that's Lena'i. They took over 200 of our fire cats that were the most at risk. They've been in our care the longest. They are ranging from the most feral to the most stressed. And I don't like the word feral. I like to use unsocialized.

Free roaming. Happier outside, but they, they took them all into their facility where they're living their best happy cat lives and they are totally different cats. And in exchange, we would take some of their adoptable cats that sit on Lānai because Lānai is a very, very small island, also very limited resources.

And I'm happy to report that as of today, that annex space is closed and all of those cats have either been brought back to our shelter or have been adopted out or transferred out.

[00:25:49] Marika: After learning about the successful placement of cats over the past few months, I was wondering, when were the last cats removed from the burn zone?

And what does the burn zone look [00:26:00] like now?

[00:26:01] Emily: So thankfully, um, we have trapped our last known fire cat a couple of weeks ago. And when we say last known fire cat, these are truly the areas of the burn zone where there's nothing around for miles. The only thing that was sustaining these cats were our feeding stations.

So that last known cat has been trapped. And now we're kind of in a totally different phase where. A lot of residents have returned back home and to the perimeter. And when we say perimeter, it's really hard to wrap our mind around because there are large spans of burn zone where there's nothing around.

And then there's like a patch of residents or like businesses have reopened. So things are looking different. Like those perimeter cats that have pushed out that didn't stay and dwell in the burn zone. We're trying to move forward. And get a real look at what cats are out there, who's intact, who's thriving, who's not, who needs TNR.

This is actually part of [00:27:00] phase two, we're calling it, of where I'm going to start shifting my focus, is literally going door to door talking to our community. Like, are you seeing cats? Are you feeding cats? What is the activity you're seeing? And we're still actively monitoring the burn zone. Without having as much food in that area, because obviously if you leave food out, you're going to draw in surrounding animals.

So we're still very much monitoring the burn zone, but also there's a lot of construction going on. There's a lot of bulldozing and, you know, work is starting to be done to try and clear out and rebuild. So things are just looking totally different. Like their behavior is going to be different. Their food sources are going to be different.

So that's kind of where we're focusing is what we're calling perimeter cats and TNVR and resources for the people that are returned to that area while still actively monitoring the burn zone and kind of seeing what's going on now that we're six, seven months post fire and vacuum effect is still a thing.

We just kind of want to see, like, what will happen now [00:28:00] that the food is removed and we're monitoring, like, what cats would still be going in there if at all, because they have no reason to be going in there. There's no. No way anything could survive out there. So we're just kind of trying to take it every day and assess and then figure out our next steps based on what we see and what we find a whole different response.

So phase two.

[00:28:19] Marika: To give a rough estimate, almost 900 animals were rescued or recovered from the burn zone. And of those that survived, 200 were reunited with their families. Almost 200 others have been adopted to new families and 250 free living cats now live at a free roaming cat sanctuary in Lena, and 1500 animals who made it out with their families have been seen by MHS Vet Clinic for low cost care in the months since the fire.

Let's take a moment to reflect on what the future holds for each of the staff members as they move forward with their next steps. Katie [00:29:00] Shannon left the Maui Humane Society, although not the island,two months after the fire. Jenny Miller, the Director of Development, and my guide during my visit to MHS, departed soon after. 

The combined impact of this tragic event and the everyday emotional challenges inherent in animal sheltering work has taken a significant toll. Here's Katie.

[00:29:21] Katie: Well, I have since, um, you know, I am the former director, right? So I needed to decompress my, my mind and my nervous system. I was, I don't know, I was, I was able to sleep, which is phenomenal.

It was just short, but the intensity of which every day existed is something that I've never experienced before. And I think through this understanding that the recovery is a marathon and not a sprint is really important for people to understand. Because at the height of a [00:30:00] tragedy, everybody wants to rush in at the same time because everybody wants to help.

But in reality, there's very few people that can go in at the beginning and help. And the strength that people need through the duration of recovery is very, very long. And so in order to take care of yourself, it's the whole oxygen mask idea, right? You have to put on your oxygen mask first before you can help somebody else.

And that's really what I hope the people of Maui, the people of Hawaii, are able to do. Rebuilding is going to take years and years and years. And, you know, I told the media this, you know, while we were in the heat of it, that these cameras are going to go away. These cameras are not going to focus on my main society They're not going to focus on maui in two weeks three weeks time and the rest of the world needs to know That we're going to need help and that's why Monetary donations were so important [00:31:00] to communicate because people were willing to give then when quite frankly It's nearly impossible to really understand where those funds needed to go in the height of it all and it's going to take years and years for her That rebuilding process to happen and ultimately what we wanted to do was just help the people that needed it most, you know Just give them some sort of hope to know that they're not alone in this and that we are here to serve them and We'll do everything that we can but you take yourself out of it And I think that that's probably the the human aspect of it in order to serve others during a time of tragedy You really have to stop thinking about yourself Um, but at some point, you have to come back to yourself to make sure that you can continue taking care of others.

[00:31:48] Marika: Listening to these stories, I couldn't help but imagine the heart wrenching choices some had to make, deciding between one animal and another, or even prioritizing their own safety [00:32:00] over a lost pet hiding in fear. These decisions made in split seconds often lead to regrets. My hope is that those who made them can find forgiveness for themselves.

As community liaison, Johnny would regularly hear these stories of profound regret.

[00:32:18] Johnny Lingao : Correct. Yeah. I mean, and there were certainly like those incidences where people would. Present that to me. For me, it's to remind them, you know, self forgiveness, being kind to yourself. You did what you had to do within that very moment, because this is not something that everyone is muscled into a disaster where we many people don't know the instinct, the initial five, the next five steps that they will take when a specific disaster happens.

Comes at them. So the, the healing part comes with the self forgiveness and with the self forgiveness comes the experience. Because in life, a lot of the [00:33:00] best people in life have gone through moments of suffering. And I think suffering is a great teacher for many of us, because if everything was so kind and if everything was so modest and humble to us, then we wouldn't have these resilient traits that we have in our character.

So it's not so much that we want to. Obtained the lesson from the suffering, but it's like it happened in that particular moment. And what are we to learn from it? Uh, a family who lost their dog is now able to know that if, and when they care for another dog, the incremental behavior, they hold her dog closer.

When they come home from work, they be sure to acknowledge her dog and be more positive with it, or like their behaviors change. But that is because of these particular incidences. And I still interact with people who are undergoing like the self forgiveness because I tell people it's not a, it's not a clear cut road.

There's no duration. There's no timeline on [00:34:00] when you're able to forgive or like heal, but you'll fluctuate. But it's just the idea that you know that you're in it and being present and being gentle on yourself. That's what matters.

[00:34:11] Marika: And as I reflect, I think about Mahina, the cat who flew to Montana, and how much I would have loved to be there in those moments of reunion at the airport.

And I can't help but think that those moments that Emily was present for made the long hours, the undue criticism, the trauma of witnessing everything she saw. Maybe this was her reward.

[00:34:33] Emily: I would have given anything to have been in that airport or even just to see her come home and be with her family and her kids.

Like they did send us pictures and video, but it just, nothing amounts to the, to the feeling like, and in our culture, like mana is a thing like power and spirituality and energy. Like we. We are sensitive to that and I would have given anything in the world to been present [00:35:00] and to see it, but like we feel it and we see it every day and other circumstances, but to just have that, have that moment with them and be able to grant them that moment and just that little bit of peace and something of home that has survived with you.

Like, I can't even, nothing could put that into words.

[00:35:18] Marika: Johnny may have been the only MHS staff member with previous experience helping in disaster relief. What kind of advice would he give others who were going through this for the first time? Unlike his previous disaster recovery missions, this one hit closer to home.

How did it change his perspective, and did it feel different than the others?

[00:35:39] Johnny Lingao : This one did. This one combined both my personal ties with Maui to my overall arching compassion for animals. And so I think with that force of bringing experience from other disasters, I wanted to make sure to bring in things from within my experience so that [00:36:00] way Maui Humane Society does not learn through trial.

Because, you know, it's one thing to be reactive after a disaster. When I came into position, it's like, okay, how can We just still have a presence within the disaster and proximity, you know, based on conversation from people who aren't in Maui. People are still wondering, oh, like, you're still doing wildfire efforts.

I thought they're already rebuilding houses, or I thought everything's kind of getting back to, and it's like, people who are not directly involved in disasters are not connected to the tedious process from various parts of the world. Parts of how the recovery efforts go, people do not think about the environmental standpoint on making sure to like, assess the affected areas.

So that way, when people do re inhabit the place, or an animal does re inhabit the place that they don't. Inhabit a environment that has high. Toxic recreate metals or [00:37:00] asbestos or lead. I feel like we all have this human experience when I go into the fire, when I go in towards a disaster, I want others to kind of emulate when things do happen, how to go against the resistance, how to not be afraid to, to tackle it and to not listen to your fears for the past.

Like, you know, especially the past eight years, I've, I've focused on self empowerment. And I have a, I have a therapist as well, too. So want to make sure to every day I move, I work out because for me, a key thing is movement is medicine. So for me, as long as I take care of myself incrementally every day, I want to be able to show up the next day with that same vigor and effort, something I'm very well aware of from disasters and what people experience when they address disasters.

is burnout. A book that I always go back to is like The Four Agreements. It's something that I advocate for people who [00:38:00] don't dive into books too much and want a really good read, is because I remind myself when I interact with people, both in the positive and the negative sense, when someone pulls up to the shelter and they are shaken, they are upset, there's a lot going on.

I know. To not absorb that and take it personally to, you know, lose composure and to not show up for the next person because I feel so affected and depleted from the previous person. I want to be able to show up for each person and, you know, as evenly distributed as possible. I am just here present for people and for the disaster and where this takes me beyond that.

I'm very much willing and able to. Accept the experience. Think about what has brought like light and creativity and you, even if that was the you 5 or 10 years ago or 15 years ago, I would say try and tap into that version of you at least [00:39:00] 5 to 10 minutes of the week. And as you do that, as you tap into showing up for yourselves, you're incrementally.

Continuing to find reason and positive and be more positive and be more resilient to what's to come because showing up for animals within the animal care space can definitely be hard. It is definitely challenging, but it's how we accept the challenges to the challenges. And like, those are inevitable.

But it's how we show up that defines it.

[00:39:29] Marika: Let's hear one last piece of advice from Moani.

[00:39:34] Moani Maka'iwi : Take those pictures of your pet. Take those pictures with your pet. I get a lot from folks that, oh, my wife said, you know, I was taking too many pictures and now I don't have anything. And it's. It makes me sad, knowing that they lost their pet.

You know, people for whatever reason didn't want to take the picture. Take the video! Take the [00:40:00] picture! I, you know what? Make sure your phone, you know, you have to dump it. You know, every, you know, six months, you know. On a USB drive or something, you know, take the photos and you know what if your dog hasn't been to a beach take them to the beach, especially we keep saying you want to take them to the beach or to a stream or a lake or Anything the things that you think of now that you're like, oh My dog's four years old or five years old and I always wanted to take him to the beach take him to the beach Get him the ball Take him for the bike ride Take him for that, you know starbucks pop cup or make your own picnic with your dog, you know Take him to the park and have that treat That you went and took that extra time to look for that is homemade or something like that You Put them in the silly [00:41:00] sweater, take the goofy family portraits with them, do those things folks.

I highly encourage everyone because you just never know.

[00:41:15] Marika: Eight months after the devastating fire, one visit to Maui, and five interviews later, talking with Emily, the question on my mind was, Whether she felt they had achieved their initial goals in the aftermath of the destruction.

[00:41:29] Emily: There's definitely small victories in between, like every week.

Like, you know, I look back, I'm like, okay, 12 cats got placed today. Or, you know, this person came in and received this service or this cat got reunited. But then when you look in the grand scheme of things, like all the things I just listed, like you can probably see the hamster wheel going in my brain.

I'm like, we're not anywhere near done. And I don't think we will be for a long time. This is going to be in the years to come and it's going to affect. Our community [00:42:00] way, way beyond us and the next generations, like, it truly is going to change the way we look at animal welfare and the way it needs to be rewritten.

And it's constantly being rewritten. It's like, it's my dream. Like, I see this 1 day, like, speaking on a stage and talking to people and talking that people in animal welfare, like. This is what we did. This is what we messed up. This is what went great. Like, learn from us and learn from our mistakes and our victories.

But I just, every day just kind of feels like you're barely keeping your head above water. But you just got to kind of take a step back and look at those small victories every day, every week, and not listen to those voices that are saying you're not doing enough. And it's hard. And I'm so proud. So proud.

And my whole team. So proud of my team. There were days we would look at each other and just be like, what are we even doing? And sometimes we didn't even know, but we, we made it [00:43:00] through. And it's still just till today. We just kind of look at each other. Like what?

[00:43:06] Marika: Teamwork goes beyond just getting things done.

It's about emotional support, shared strength, and the bonds that form when we face challenges together. In crisis and recovery, these emotional connections and community bonds are what truly keep people showing up day after day, not because they feel like they have to, but because they want to.

[00:43:28] Emily: A thousand percent.

I honestly, I think that's really one of the main reasons that we have all held on so long because As you know, in animal welfare, like every day is a battle and there are certain days and situations that make you want to walk away from it or where you do have to take a break. But we are literally all in the trenches together and we see how each of us is just pouring our heart and our soul into this and doing our best.

And we, we hold each other accountable. Like when we see it, when we see that the next one is defeated, like, how can we help you? You need to take a [00:44:00] day off, like, let me take this off your plate, or, like, even outside of work, like, we truly are, like, our own ohana, in a way, like, the way that we've bonded through this experience and through this field and just in our day to day lives, like, you, there really is something and a very specific bond about that.

Going through these situations with these people, like it'll forever be burned in our brains and that bond will, like, I don't think anybody else could relate to it, but it is good. They've become my family and my work family and. We all care about each other very much in and outside of work. And, you know, we're all just kind of try to hold each other together.

And like I said, hold each other accountable when compassion fatigue is sending in to be able to call each other on it and be like, you need to take a minute, um, or I need to take a minute. It's like that email was a little spicy. Like, talk to me, like what's going on. Um, but it is, it really, I honestly don't know how I could have done it.

Without my [00:45:00] team and the way we all got assembled and thrown into this and each of our skills and our backgrounds, like I can't speak about them enough and praise them enough and it wouldn't have been doable truly wouldn't, we needed each person to be able to do this. I can't wait till I'm, you know, old and gray and I can look back and be like, I was a part of that.

We did that. We did that. Just us, this team, just this group, just this organization, but it also, in the same breath, like it wasn't just us, it was the help of, of the nation and each other.

[00:45:35] Marika: The Maui wildfires were horrific, but the confusion that followed created another kind of trauma. A distrust in those who were responsible for protecting the community.

However, through the actions of the Maui Humane Society team, their transparency, and their willingness to help wherever and whenever needed, they have built a strong bond with the greater [00:46:00] community. This bond feels like family. And family, whether they have two legs or four, is what will get you through anything.

Conclusion and Call to Action

[00:46:10] Katie: So we had another red flag warning, which is basically heat and high wind warning. So we were under red flag warning and the Humane Society just had another scare. They were prepping for evacuations, fortunately did not have to, but gratefully didn't have to evacuate and all the animals are okay. You know, as we get further and further away from the fires, I think it becomes more about what can you do next.

But I did feel it was imperative to the role at the time to hear everything. But what could actually provide the viewer on the other end, the person who doesn't even know that Maui was its own island? What is the impact of having this small town be completely [00:47:00] decimated and how scary it was? You know, because it, the fire didn't happen and then it was done.

[00:47:08] Marika: As we bring this series and season of the deal with animals to a close, let's remember the idea of the hundred and first step while a hundred signifies completeness and the culmination of effort. A hundred and one embodies the notion of carrying forward the energy lessons and impacts of what has come before.

It's about that one extra step, the additional piece that signifies ongoing growth. It's with this same energy. I wish to bring future seasons of the deal with animals. And is the energy I think the staff at Maui Humane Society embodies. 101 reflects my belief that the knowledge, stories, and insights shared throughout this series will continue to resonate and influence your life.

all the stories shared On the Deal with Animals, can Echoin your actions and decisions moving forward. Thank you for being part of this journey. You will hear me again this summer as I focus my energy on fundraising efforts for Maui Humane Society's continuing progress in their community and being present with my own family.

If you haven't yet, please go to Maui Humane Society's webpage or the deal with animals. com and make a donation on the link there. All funds go directly to MHS and their work. And remember, this is not an end. Thank you But a beginning and ongoing expression of the energy and wisdom we've cultivated together.

The theme music for the deal with the animals was composed by Kai Stranskoff. Thank you as well to Christina Blanco, the TDWA communications volunteer. And for this series, a very special thank you to John La Sala [00:49:00] for his masterful audio engineering.

TDWA has literally never sounded better. And for this help, I would also like to dedicate the series to Boo Boo, who lived a beautiful life full of so much love and dirt and gross things to eat. You are missed. This podcast was produced on historical tribal land of the Snoqualmie, Quinault, and Waccamaw Indian nations.

For more information, go to the Snoqualmie tribes ancestral lands movement. The Deal with Animals is part of the Iroh Animal Podcast Network.