This week's brutal heatwave is coming at the worst possible time for the Nebraska Wildlife Rescue in Louisville and they need help getting relief for the animals.
The rescue's air conditioning has gone out and Executive Director Laura Stastny says they have exhausted their resources to keep the building cool. "We're on an industrial plant ground and our windows don't open, so we can't put in a bunch of window air conditioning or air conditioning to the outside."
Stastny says getting the air conditioning up and running again will be no easy fix. "Due to the enormity of the problem and the system that we have, it's probably going to take another four weeks to get that replaced."
In an effort to keep not only the animals cool, but employees and volunteers as well, Stastny says they will have to move many of the animals, that can go outside, into outdoor enclosures. "They'll be in the shade, they'll be a little bit cooler. It'll also be easier for our staff and volunteers to take care of them."
Stastny says most of these animals would have eventually been taken outdoors before being re-released, but the weather is forcing their hand early. "These are all animals that would need time outside to wild before release anyway, but we're just moving them out quicker by getting this extra caging up. It's just caging that we didn't have available for them right now outside."
That is where Stastny says the community's help comes in. "We are really looking for 40 to 50 of these 10x10x6 chain link, kennel panels and the hardware that holds them together, as well as the door panels for those."
The rescue is also looking for donations of a number of other things including litter boxes, large buckets, tarps, heavy duty zip ties, wood chips.
Material or cash donations can be dropped off at the rescue in Louisville or a trailer has been placed in the northeast corner of the Bone Jour Dog Daycare parking lot at the Nebraska Humane Society on 90th and Fort.
For more information or a full list of items needed, visit the rescue's website here.