HOUSTON – Hundreds of animals rescued from a fur and urine farm in Ohio are now finding new homes in Texas, with more on the way. Bears Etc. in Huntsville has already moved nearly 30 animals to a rescue near San Antonio.

Kati Krouse, founder of Bears Etc., is now busy preparing for the arrivals of foxes at her rescue.

“These holes will support a new home for four foxes rescued from a fur and urine farm near Cleveland, Ohio,” Krouse said.

Krouse made a trip up to Ohio earlier this year to transport animals back to Texas. She plans to make a trip in the coming weeks to re-locate more animals.

The fur farm’s owner passed away in December 2024, worsening an already dire situation, according to Humane World for Animals.

The organization reports foxes, raccoons, wolf-dog hybrids, skunks, opossums, and coyotes were living in filthy wire-bottom cages with little to no protection. Some animals were missing toes, ears, tails, and limbs, while many were emaciated and severely dehydrated. Responders found some animals dead and covered in snow, and one coyote was found dying, caught in a leghold trap.

In total, 410 animals were rescued, more than 300 are still alive, according to Kelly Donithan of Humane World for Animals.

“We obviously had to make some humane decisions for animals on site. There were quite a few suffering deeply,” Donithan said.

Krouse described the conditions as one of the most horrifying things she has ever seen in her 30 years of rescue work.

“There are no words that can describe the hell that these animals were living in. They lived their entire lives in cages meant for rabbits,” she said, visibly emotional.

A volunteer from Bears Etc., a U.S. veteran, also expressed his shock at the conditions.

“Having served many years overseas in the Middle East, not a lot is shocking to me. But to see the condition those animals were subjected to was on the higher side of the shocking scale,” he said.

Animals at the farm were raised and slaughtered for fur, sold as exotic pets, and used for urine farming. Krouse criticized the practices, stating, “Even though it says it’s humanely collected, USDA standards are not enough for most animals.”

There are no federal regulations for animal welfare on fur farms, and this particular farm was licensed by Ohio’s Department of Natural Resources despite past fines. Ohio lacks laws for fur farms, unlike New York, which has passed legislation to protect animals.

When asked if anyone would face charges in this case, Donithan responded, “No. While he was a pretty lone operator, he did have one employee who worked under his authority. We are hoping to see some regulation change.”

Humane World for Animals urges the public to help by donating to rescues, contacting lawmakers, and avoiding products from these farms. Bears Etc. is ready to return to Ohio for the foxes once they receive the green light from Texas Parks and Wildlife.

In the first of two Elite Eight games on Saturday, the swarming offense of Texas Tech will lock horns with the relentless scoring prowess and swagger of Florida. It also will be a clash of two of the best up-and-coming coaches in the country, Grant McCasland and Todd Golden.

How to watch No. 1 Florida vs. No. 3 Texas Tech

• What: West Regional, Elite Eight
• Venue: Chase Center — San Francisco
• Time: 6:09 p.m. ET, Saturday
• TV: TBS, truTV
• Streaming: March Madness Live
• Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.

Don’t celebrate too early; you never know what can happen. Texas Tech trailed Arkansas by six with 1:10 remaining, but pushed the game to OT and sent the Razorbacks home scratching their heads. Tech beat Arkansas by attacking the offensive glass. Over their last five games, the Red Raiders have averaged 14.4 offensive rebounds per game, including 22 against Arkansas. To beat the Gators, they will need to continue that effort and make 3s.

Both teams can score in bunches and seem to play better when the game is on the line. You won’t see any panic from either squad, as both had to overcome deficits to punch their tickets to the Elite Eight.

Both offenses are among the top five in the country, but Florida has three guards capable of putting up 20 points with ease. How Tech defends them in the pick-and-roll will be crucial.

Tech’s best offense is letting Darrion Williams and/or Elijah Hawkins operate in the pick-and-roll with Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Both teams have future NBA players who could be drafted in the next couple of years, so expect them to show up big. But keep an eye on Texas Tech freshman Christian Anderson. He’s coming off a career-high 22 points and will need to make shots if Chance McMillian (upper-body) is still out.

Florida vs. Texas Tech odds

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MCALLEN, Texas – At least three people have died and hundreds have been rescued following severe storms that moved across the southern part of Texas on Thursday and Friday. 

What we know:

According to a report by the Associated Press, officials said the City of Harlingen received more than 21 inches of rain this week, with the heaviest rainfall on Thursday, causing authorities to rescue more than 200 residents. 200 additional people were still waiting to be rescued. 

In Alamo, the police and fire department responded to more than 100 water rescues, including people stranded in their vehicles and trapped in their homes, Fire Department Chief R.C. Flores said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

Officials estimated a couple hundred homes in Alamo were flooded by the heavy rainfall.

Weslaco Mayor Adrian Gonzalez said his city was inundated with about 14 inches (36 centimeters) of rain, prompting 30 to 40 water rescues of stranded motorists and residents trapped in their homes by rising floodwaters.

What they’re saying:

“This of course has been a historic and challenging event for the city. But Harlingen is strong. We have faced adversity before and we will get through this together,” Mayor Norma Sepulveda said at a Friday afternoon news conference.

“I assure the public that we are assessing the situation on the hour, every hour. We’re constantly going out, not just in our city,” Flores said. “Just because the storm is over, it doesn’t mean that the emergencies and the disaster is over. We are going to continue to work as long as we need to.”

“It’s a historic rainstorm and it’s affecting all the Valley, not just Weslaco. It’s just so much water in a short period of time,” Gonzalez told reporters at a news conference.

By the numbers:

In neighboring Cameron County, officials asked Gov. Greg Abbott to declare a disaster for the county after more than 17 inches of rain caused significant flooding.

“The rainfall amounts we received have been record-setting, and not in a good way. All county resources are being utilized right now, and we are assisting in all ways possible,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the county’s top elected official, said in a Facebook post.

Valley International Airport in Harlingen was closed on Friday and all flights were canceled due to area flooding.

“We are working tirelessly to reopen and focused on ensuring safety,” airport officials said in a statement.

Flood warning still in effect

A flood warning was still in effect for portions of South Texas, including Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties, through early Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

“There’s a break from the rain this morning, which will allow flood waters to gradually recede, but we’ll still need to keep an eye on the development of isolated showers and thunderstorms once again this afternoon,” the National Weather Service said on social media. “Any additional rainfall will be quick to cause flooding issues given the heavy rainfall that has already fallen.”

Power Outages

More than 3,400 in several counties in South Texas remained without power on Friday afternoon, according to AEP Texas.

School canceled

More than 20 South Texas school districts and college campuses canceled classes on Friday due to the severe weather and flooding.

PHOTOS/VIDEOS OF SOUTH TEXAS FLOODING

Dig deeper:

Here are some photos and video of the flooding and as well as the damage left behind: