A vet and animal rescue group from Humane Society International (HSI) released to Antakya, Turkey, following the earthquakes, are working to bring help to hurt, frightened animals – and assisting residents discover their missing animals.
According to HSI, who are dealing with a group of regional veterinarians, “dogs and cats can be seen roaming the streets, and desperate barks and meows can still be heard coming from abandoned and collapsed buildings”.
Kelly Donithan, HSI’s director of animal catastrophe reaction, is leading HSI’s implementation. She says, “Every day here our group is going out to look for animals in the worst impacted locations. We’re reviving rescued dogs and cats experiencing cuts, bruising, poor nutrition, dehydration and infections. We’re dealing with a remarkable group of regional veterinarians and volunteers in a veterinary field medical facility camping tent, and the calls for help keep can be found in.
“People who evacuated are worried for their pets left behind, so wherever possible we locate their apartments and find them. We’re also picking up animals on the street; we found a mother dog who had very recently given birth, her puppies were still blind but somehow she’d managed to keep them safe. When we settled her in a comfy bed at the hospital she was so exhausted she slept all day while her pups suckled.”
“We’ve been setting up water bowls on street corners as so many roaming animals are suffering from dehydration. It’s hard to estimate how many animals have been impacted by this disaster, but the numbers are certainly high. It’s clear that for the people here who have lost everything, to know that their pet companions are safe means a lot and it is humbling for our animal rescue work to be so welcomed by the people we’re meeting in Antakya.”
You can contribute to HSI’s Animal Rescue Fund here to offer grants, essential products and fund our groups in emergency situation circumstances such as this.
