Flash flood damages North Bay dog shelter

WINDSOR, Calif. (KTVU) - A flash flood caused severe damage to a dog rescue shelter in Windsor early Sunday morning. Greendog Rescue Project, a non-kennel nonprofit rescue, faces thousands of dollars in damages.

“Around 5:30 in the morning, they called us to tell us we were being flooded and it just wasn’t stopping,” said Greendog Rescue Project founder Colleen Combs.

Four inches of water covered the entire rescue building. Greendog Rescue runs a 24-hour staffed pack-model shelter, which allows the dogs to roam free instead of in kennels. While some water dogs, such as Labradors, enjoyed splashing through the flooding, many other dogs were stressed in the cold water.

“She was just standing, shaking, stressed,” Combs said of a 10 year-old rescue dog who came to Greendog on Saturday.

“Where some of the dogs could get up on the furniture, she was just a little overwhelmed.”

Staff and local volunteers came to help with shopvacs and mops, but the damage was already done.
“Anything that was in a box on the ground, dog beds, dog blankets, food, treats, toys,” said Combs.

Greendog Rescue also lost all of its newly installed carpeting, low furniture, medications, and two computers.

The total damage is estimated over $20,000.

Greendog doesn’t sit in a flood zone and is without flood insurance. The water ran off of Highway 101, through a large culvert behind the property and straight into the dog shelter.

While none of the dogs were hurt, many are still under medical care and are uncomfortable in the colder, damp surroundings. The staff is racing to replace supplies.

Greendog Rescue Project set up a GoFundMe account yesterday. 

The rescue is also home to a number of service dogs, including detection K9s and a dog in PTSD service training.