Animal shelters on Kauai are shipping pets to the mainland after Hurricane Lowell, a lifeline for the animals but a sign of how overwhelmed the island's shelter system is.

• The East Bay SPCA in California took in 220 animals from the Kauai Humane Society.
• The transfer frees up space on Kauai for pets displaced or separated from owners by the storm.
• It is one of several emergency flights the Kauai Humane Society has arranged to the mainland.
• Shelters on small islands run out of room fast after a disaster, so off-island help is the only option.

Outlook: More animals will likely be flown off Kauai as storm recovery drags on.