Homeless pets displaced by Hurricane Harvey touch down at Hollywood Burbank Airport

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Founder of Lucy Pet Joey Herrick unloads a pet crate flown in from Houston, TX, at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Pet handlers from all around Southern California help unload a plane filled with pets in crates, arriving from Houston, TX, at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Pets that hours ago were in overrun shelters in Houston, TX, sit on a tarmac at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank after being unloaded from a plane on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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A crate of kittens sits with other pets, divided between organizations that will help find homes for the pets that were just flown in from Houston, TX at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Lucy Pet Foundation Chief Veterinary Officer Karen Halligan and founder Joey Herrick in front of the plane that flew 50 pets from Houston, TX at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Houston Astro pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. gets a kiss from a puppy before it put in a crate to transfer to Burbank, CA, at an airport in Houston, TX on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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A plane with about 50 pets from Houston, TX arrives at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. Lucy Pet has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Jim Edwards and Joey Herrick smile as a planeload of pets from Houston, TX arrives at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. Lucy Pet has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Lucy Pet Foundation Chief Veterinary Officer Karen Halligan holds a kitten as she is about to embrace Lucy Pet founder Joey Herrick after arriving from Houston, TX with a planeload of pets at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. Lucy Pet has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Lindsay Kirschner, with Lucy Pet Foundation, comforts “Dusty,” a nervous kitten that just arrived from Houston, TX with a planeload of pets at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. Lucy Pet has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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A luggage handler begins to unload a planeload of pets at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. Lucy Pet has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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A curious puppy looks out the grate of its crate as it is unloaded from a plane of pets flown in from Houston, TX at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. Lucy Pet has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Pets in crates are moved from an airplane down a luggage conveyor for unloading at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Volunteers and pet handlers unload pets from a ramp with pets flown in from Houston, TX at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Volunteers and pet handlers wait for the pet plane to arrive at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. Lucy Pet has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Founder of the non-profit Lucy Pet Foundation Joey Herrick at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. Lucy Pet has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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A crate with kittens is unloaded from a plane filled with pets flown from Houston, TX at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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An Akita, in a crate, is unloaded from a plane loaded with other pets rescued by Lucy Pets at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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The hatch to a plane that just arrived with about 50 pets from Houston, TX is opened and evaluated at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. Lucy Pet has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Houston Astro pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. helps unload crates of pets to transfer to Burbank, CA, at an airport in Houston, TX on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Pets from owners in Houston, TX, were dropped off at area animal shelters after Hurricane Harvey destroyed tens of thousands of homes displacing many thousands of residents to shelters where pets were not allowed. The Non-Profit Lucy Pet Foundation has made four trips and rescued a couple hundred cats and dogs and relocated them around the country, with this flight the first to Southern California. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

By Anthony Clark Carpio

Nov. 17, 2017 4:50 PM PT

Local nonprofits and pet stores are hoping to find more than five dozen cats and dogs displaced by Hurricane Harvey new homes in Southern California.

The Lucy Pet Foundation, a Westlake Village-based nonprofit best known for its free mobile spay and neuter clinics, flew in 63 animals from Houston, Texas, to Hollywood Burbank Airport on Thursday and distributed them to several nonprofits and pet stores to be put up for adoption.

More than a dozen volunteers from the various groups gathered on the airfield tarmac next to Atlantic Aviation’s hangar on Sherman Way and started off-loading small and large plastic kennels with cats and dogs of various ages inside.

Pet handlers from all around Southern California help unload a plane filled with pets in crates, arriving from Houston, Texas, at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017.

As soon as each animal was accounted for, they were quickly placed into the backs of SUVs and vans to be taken to pet stores and foster locations.

“Every pet needs a home,” said Dani Caouette, owner of Shelter Hope Pet Shop in Santa Clarita. “We saw them abandoned in Texas, and we know that they’re suffering, so we’re bringing them into our stores to help them find a new home.”

A crate with kittens is unloaded from a plane filled with pets flown from Houston, TX at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017.

Jim Edwards, who works for Theresa’s Country Feed & Pet in Simi Valley, said it is important that animal nonprofits and stores help homeless Texas pets in their time of need.

“We can’t have these animals put down,” Edwards said. “We need these animals to go to homes where people will love them and make them feel safe for as long as they live on this planet.”

Joey Herrick, founder of the Lucy Pet Foundation, said there have been hundreds of animals held the past three months in an abandoned supermarket in Houston that was converted into a temporary animal shelter. However, the facility is scheduled to close on Dec. 7 and could result in those animals being euthanized.

An Akita, in a crate, is unloaded from a plane loaded with other pets rescued by Lucy Pets at Atlantic Aviation in Burbank on Thursday, November 16, 2017.

The pet delivery in Burbank was the fourth drop-off of animals from Houston that Lucy Pet has made in the United States. Herrick said his organization has previously transferred cats and dogs to Oregon, Rhode Island and New York.

Herrick said he has been amazed at the generosity and support that other nonprofits and businesses across the country have given his organization to give the hundreds of animals affected by Hurricane Harvey another chance.

“Many rescue groups have gotten together to make this happen,” Herrick said.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio