PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Portsmouth Humane Society lost heat in their dog kennels Friday morning, and the nonprofit is using industrial space heaters as a temporary replacement until they can get the HVAC system fixed.   Executive director Dyanna Uchiek said that when it stopped working, they had to work quickly to make sure the animals were OK.   "We had to, number one, find somebody to address the HVAC system and get it back up and running," Uchiek said, "and number two, find a solution to get the temperature back up in the kennel and keep it at a reasonable temperature."   She explained they were able to secure the space heaters with the help of the city.  HVAC technicians are still working to repair the system, she said, but it could be days before it’s fixed. She said they are waiting for more parts to come in. it has had an impact on the way they work because of the space the heaters take up, she said.  “We've had to modify the way that we clean, and we've also had to modify our adoption process to accommodate our current heating system," Uchiek said.  She said community members have brought them fleece blankets to help out. She said they are hoping to get more blankets, monetary donations and to find temporary homes for their dogs.  She said they’ve had eight dogs go into foster care since Saturday in the midst of the heating crisis.  "We are deeply grateful for those folks who have called, emailed [and] offered solutions," Uchiek said. "Some folks brought us their personal space heaters, which I thought was just an incredibly kind gesture. We can't do the work that we do here without people in the community, in partnership with the city of Portsmouth, really be having our back and making sure that we're able to support our mission.”  For more information on how you can help, you can call the Portsmouth Humane Society at (757) 397-6004.