WSPA - Animals in Disasters Blog

WSPA and local university establish animal aid centre

Following Brazil’s recent devastating floods, WSPA and local university UNIFESO have just opened an operations centre to co-ordinate assistance to animal victims.

The centre, situated in the worst-hit town of Teresópolis, opened on 27th January to respond to the essential emergency needs of dogs and cats, the animals most affected by the recent flooding.  The centre is now holding 12 tons of dog food and one ton of cat food, as well as veterinary and other essential supplies, to be distributed according to the needs identifed by WSPA in its assesment following the disaster.

The centre’s response team is being co-ordinated by Dr. Sérgio Vasquez, a specialist in disaster management from WSPA’s Central America, Mexico and Caribbean office. The team comprises members of WSPA Brazil and the director of a Brazilian member society, Ecosul, which co-ordinated relief in the state of Santa Catarina in 2009, as well as a profesor from UNIFESO.

Vounteer teams made up of local vets and veterinary students from UNIFESO will leave from the centre on a daily basis to distribute provisions in areas identified as priority in the assessment. On 28th January, the team went to the district of Santa Rita in Teresópolis.

WSPA’s emergency response plan is focussed on the provision of food and medical treatment to animals which remain unclaimed or lost, and the distribution of food aid. We will also be informing the local population about the risk of possible diseases passed from animals, which generally appear two to three weeks after a disaster. Any animal which requires specialist attention will be taken to the emergency clinic at UNIFESO’s veterinary hospital.

WSPA’s global experience in managing disaster relief work demonstrates that, besides ensuring the immediate survival of animals, in this case, largely conducted by member societies located closest to the disaster zone, and local inhabitants and volunteers,  it is essential to enact plans for the animals’ medium and long-term welfare.

WSPA continues response to Rio floods

A WSPA team has now completed assessment of the animal need in the wake of the devastating floods and, together with local member societies,  is delivering emergency aid and assisting in rescue operations.

A WSPA team arrived in the disaster zone in Rio de Janeiro state as soon as was possible to do so, with disaster management emergency response specialists flying in from WSPA’s Costa Rica office, and joining general WSPA Brazil staff in the worst-affected areas.

Following its assessment of the three worst-hit towns, whilst simultaneously rescuing animals and providing emergency treatment and aid, WSPA identified a specific need to principally assist dogs and cats. Together with its local member societies and volunteers, WSPA will initially provide enough food and vet care for the critical first month following the disaster, with relief operations now underway.

In Rio’s floods and mudslides, local member societies SOS Animal, GAPA, AnimaVida and COMBINA all had animal shelters or other facilities in the disaster zone, and were able to respond initially, with the help of donations sent to WSPA Brazil. These organisations will continue to be involved as part of a WSPA-coordinated emergency response, which will focus on immediately providing food, and medical treatment. In the ensuing recovery period, WSPA will continue to co-ordinate such efforts, provide necessary shelter if required, and also engage local authorities and citizens in future preparedness for such disasters.      

The WSPA assessment found a need to assist around 2,000 animals in the town of Nova Friburgo, benefitting the pets of some 250 families besides unclaimed or lost animals, and to more than 2,000 in Teresópolis town, benefitting 300 families. There was found to be no immediate need in the largest affected town, Petrópolis. At the time of the disaster, many shelters for human survivors did not permit pets, leading to initial abandonment, however animal shelters have now been established and animals taken to existing or new facilities.  
 
Whilst in affected communities, WSPA will conduct a survey on peoples view of animals in disasters and increase future preparedness for disasters any future events using results from the questionnaires. It will also provide public service announcements to boost communities’ disaster preparedness.
 
WSPA is also studing the possibility of forming a coalition of local partners to create a task force to deal with the immediate effects and aftermath of the distaster, where much of the survival work is concentrated, as was the case  on a much larger scale in Haiti.

Meanwhile, in Australia, after WSPA was called on to assist in Queensland’s devastating floods, the situation for animals in floods in Victoria state is much clearer.  We have been monitoring the situation, together with local member society, RSPCA Victoria.  Our member society reports that, as yet, there is little impact on animals from the floods.

RSPCA Victoria says that some of its regional shelters have had an increase in strays coming in from the flood areas, but nothing which authorities and the group have not been able to cope with without seeking external assistance.

 

Update: WSPA to assist Sri Lanka's animal flood victims

Continuous heavy rain since December has affected more than 1 million people in the north and east of the Indian Ocean island nation, and led to the creation of 600 camps to shelter the homeless.

According to local member society TAPA, around 4500 calves have died and more than 3200 cattle and buffalo, while veterinary services have also been adversely affected.

Since 22 January, WSPA has been assessing the situation on the ground in three of the worst-affected districts. and identified buffalo as the animal most in need of assistance and requiring feed and injections for water-borne diseases, such as foot-and-mouth.

The WSPA team, consisting of staff from Bangkok and New Delhi offices, is currently treating emergency cases wherever they encounter them, and will finish its detailed assessment at the end of the week, detailing what further action should be taken and where resources should be directed.  

WSPA completes one emergency operation and embarks on another

As images of devastation in Brazil and Australia fill our TV screens, WSPA has begun assessments in the South American nation, as we end our participation in the aftermath of floods in Queensland State.

On 18 January, a WSPA assessment team arrived in the worst affected area of Rio de Janeiro state where floods and associated mudslides have killed more than 700 people to date.  The team is currently assessing the animal need in the three worst affected towns, Teresópolis, Nova Friburgo and Petrópolis, and providing assistance to any animals encountered in the operation.

We had already received reports of dog fatalities in inundated animal rescue centres, and of other dogs trapped in isolated shelters without food. Animal shelters were also destroyed.

The WSPA team is on the ground for five days for its initial assessment which will determine what further steps should be taken to assist the animals of the area, thought to be mainly dogs. The first delivery of donated aid, consisting of some 300 kilos of food and medical supplies, was taken to the area on 20 January. 

WSPA’s Brazil office is co-ordinating donations of animal food and money for the emergency and recovery period, as well as organizing an event on 22 January to find homes for homeless animals rescued. The operation is also providing food to the sniffer dogs being employed in the gruesome talk of recovery of bodies.  

In the town of Nova Friburgo, WSPA is working with the local governmental animal welfare coordinator in providing food and shelter for rescued animals. A huge barn is being used as a makeshift home for dogs, some of which are the sole survivors of the families they lived with until the week before, the coordinator Carla Freire told us.

Local WSPA member society SOS Animal has managed to rescue 200 animals already in the worst-hit town of Teresópolis and expects to save around 800 in total.  Another WSPA-affiliated NGO, GAPA-MA, which saw one of its own shelters destroyed, has rescued 15 animals in the Petrópolis area.

Across the other side of the world in Australia, the WSPA team sent to Queensland to assist local member society RSPCA Queensland, has headed back to Sydney following its assessment of the animal situation.

WSPA, the RSPCA Queensland and local authorities are confident that the latter entities are able to cope without further WSPA assistance in terms of both resources and capacity.

Local Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries, Rural and Regional Queensland Tim Mulherin said a State Animal Welfare Flood Control Group had been setup to prevent and respond to animal welfare issues during the flood response.   

Meanwhile, a WSPA assessment team is also on standby to fly to Sri Lanka to determine the need for animals following devastating floods which have killed dozens of people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

 

WSPA aids animal victims of Colombian floods

The annual rainy season at year end, combined with the La Niña Phenomenon, have caused Colombia to experience its worst flooding in the last 40 years. A State of Emergency has affected 712 out of over 1,100 municipalities and 28 out of the 32 provinces in the country. 

The Colombia-based WSPA team has been active in rescue operations and has been assisting animals affected by flooding in four different locations throughout Colombia, including the outskirts of the capital city, Bogota. After a couple days of respite during the recent holiday season, our disaster management team went to the northern coast of the country, where thousands of dogs, pigs and poultry are in desperate need of help.

WSPA South America’s Ricardo Jimenez has sent us this update from the northern coastal province of Atlántico, where he rejoined ongoing efforts to assist animals in the country.

“Following our earlier work in interior provinces, there was a huge need to help animals in Atlántico, after a dike, usually preventing surrounding communities from a large river, cracked open and flooded five municipalities.

A disaster management team made up of WSPA staff, vets from WSPA’s Veterinary Emergency Response Unit (VERU) and member societies was deployed to Atlántico as quickly as possible by plane. The team brought sacks of food, vaccines and other veterinary equipment to the worst-affected areas.
When we arrived, it was a necessary to travel on a navy boat to the town of Santa Lucia – as there was no way to get to the town by car any more.

Some of the most affected municipalities have a huge stray problem, and I saw hundreds of dogs all around the tent cities and the roadside shacks which had sprung up, competing with people for the scant resources available. 

When stepping out of the boat, we were welcomed by the community and immediately we started feeding the few animals around the improvised port .Then, as if by magic, tens of dogs arrived as the croquettes of dry food were being thrown from sacks. I couldn’t believe my eyes but knew that there were far more hungry animals all around. The dogs were so hungry that they were growling at each other to protect their share of the food – what they didn’t know is we had enough for them to eat once and then again!

During the operation, we found that, fortunately, most of the dogs were fairly healthy. The team fed all the dogs they saw around the shacks, and strays were taken to veterinary facilities in the main city to be treated and re-housed - WSPA member societies are now committed to finding decent homes for these abandoned dogs.

The animal need in the town was huge. On the second day, we needed to bring food and medicine for pigs and poultry, as, the day before they had tried to loot the dog food. In fact, the smaller pigs did very well, camouflaging their coiled tails among the dog groups and getting fed without having to root on the floor!
Besides suffering from an empty tummy, dogs and cats in the towns were affected mainly by skin diseases, parasites, injuries from bites by other dogs in fights and broken bones, so our veterinary team of nine provided the necessary treatment.

So far, WSPA has assisted about 3,000 animals, not only dogs but pigs, goats, cattle and poultry that are facing hardship too. Luckily animals matter not only to WSPA, people who care about animals are everywhere here. Community leaders have organised their people to help WSPA deliver the relief their animals desperately need.

During our intervention, we were helped by Jesus, a local man who guided us through the town, wanting no reward except for us to help the animals he could not do alone. He had been in distress watching the animals suffering and having no extra food to give them once small rations were handed out. A local 8-year old boy, Brian, also insisted on delivering food hand outs to animal owners.

Although I had to leave, the WSPA veterinary team is staying in the disaster zone, at present, moving relief efforts to reach more animals in the towns that were paradoxically devastated by the waters of the same river that -along with their animals- has been the source of the local livelihoods.”

Animal welfare is a priority in Queensland response effort

WSPA’s DART team were able to work with the RSPCA Queensland and the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) yesterday to assess the animal welfare needs in the rural area of the Lockyer Valley.

Much of the Valley is still inaccessible by land, but working with the local police and council representatives we were able to visit some of the area. The destruction has been devastating; we saw cars, trucks, even entire houses swept away by the power of the flood. Emergency services continue to search the area for those still missing.

Pets, livestock and wildlife have been affected, but the full extent of the situation is still uncertain. The RSPCA Queensland and the local council are continuing to check homes and land for animals, treat those that need help and reunite those that have been lost with their owners, where possible.

Small livestock like chickens and geese are left free to move around and have access to food until their owners return. Dogs, cats, birds and other small pets are being rescued and taken temporarily to the Gatton vet school. Larger animals, such as horses and cattle are being treated for injuries and moved to the vet school if in need of major care.

WSPA’s Disaster Management team usually works in developing countries where the lack of infrastructure and resources make response and action exceptionally difficult. Our experts responded to this unprecedented disaster here in Queensland to offer our advice and support to our member society the RSPCA Queensland.

Together with the AVA Veterinary Emergency Taskforce and the wider animal welfare network here in Queensland, they are working to ensure animals do not become the forgotten victims of the flooding and that animal welfare is a key part of the overall disaster response.

There is a lot still to be done and WSPA will continue to be on standby, should further support be needed, but now these local organisations will continue the hard work. We are confident they are doing everything they can to help the animals affected.

WSPA team arrives in Queensland

A WSPA disaster assessment and response (DART) team has arrived in Brisbane to work with our member society the RSPCA Queensland in assessing and responding to animal welfare needs caused by the recent flooding. The situation has been described in media today as a natural disaster that is unprecedented in contemporary Australia.

Our main task for the day has been to meet with the RSPCA Queensland to discuss immediate needs. There has been good progress so far at an urban level. The RSPCA team are professional, capable and have found the capacity to deal with companion animal issues in Brisbane and other urban centres affected by the flooding.

Early flood warnings by the RSPCA in Brisbane informed local people to move their animals as soon as possible to safer, higher ground. Liaison with the local council ensured the opening of animal shelter facilities alongside the evacuation centre for those who were forced to leave their homes as waters rose.

 
But this has by no means been an easy task, made all the more difficult when the RSPCA’s own shelters were flooded. At Fairfield (pictured above) staff managed to evacuate almost 600 animals in three hours, thanks to a network of volunteer fosterers who raced to the shelter to help move animals away from the water and take care of them in their own homes.

What is still unknown is the situation in more severely hit rural areas. WSPA and the RSPCA Queensland are working together to assess and respond to this issue over the coming days. Our focus will be the Lockyer Valley where an ‘inland tsunami’ devastated local communities on Monday and where access is still not possible. This area had no warning of what was to come.

Both the WSPA and RSPCA teams have had specialist training in how to deal with disaster situations and are now preparing, all being well, to enter this area tomorrow. We hope to determine what help the livestock and wildlife there need, but we are still seeking permission to enter the area. We’re confident that working with our member society, this can be achieved.

Floods 'kill hundreds' in state of Rio de Janeiro

The WSPA Latin America disaster management team in partnership with the Brazilian office have been closely monitoring the ongoing floods and mudslides in South Eastern Brazil. Our disaster liaison officers in Brazil have been collecting information on the ground to see what animal need there is and member societies have also been contacted. As soon as we have more information we will give provide more details.

What about the animals ?

4:53 pm, January 12, 2010 – Haiti:  Rich and Poor, Black and White, Rulers and Ruled, Haitians and Foreigners faced the same horror of unexpected Death. 

300000 human deaths, 200000 homes destroyed or severely damaged, 1.500000 homeless… BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ANIMALS? How many of them died or had to stay in the streets separated from their owners? If we presume that each home had only one dog and one cat, that would mean that 400000 animals have been suffering the same consequences. 

ARCH made a commitment under the simple principle that Animals Matter, ‘’Protect the Animals to Protect our lives’’ and started not only treating and vaccinating animals but also sensitizing people, creating that sense of responsibility of owners towards their animals. This is great, this is human, and this is the example to give.

Today January 12, 2011, ARCH has reached a major milestone – we have treated more than 50000 animals. If that figure can be impressive in such short time and with one single team, the impact is even more impressive if we consider that one Anthrax contaminated cow could put thousands of human and animal lives in danger, if we consider that one Rabid dog could affect so many human and animal lives, if we consider that one person who received our message can do so much good!

This is a day of thinking, this is a day of introspection, and this is also a day to understand that we must care for any kind of Life. ARCH has learned and taught that lesson, ARCH has faced the challenge, and may this example be followed, so animals can live a better life in Haiti. 

John Francois Thomas

WSPA team heading to assist in Queensland flash floods

Following new flash floods which have taken the state of Queensland, including Australia’s third city, Brisbane, by surprise, WSPA member society RSPCA Queensland, has requested manpower to cope with increased demand. 

Since last week, the situation on the ground has deteriorated considerably, with further loss of human life and more than two dozen towns flooded. RSPCA Queensland has now also been forced to cease operations at several shelters in the Brisbane area, so a team comprising staff from WSPA Australia and WSPA Asia is flying to the area on 12 January to assist companion animals, livestock and, possibly, wildlife, in any way needed.

We will provide information once we arrive in Brisbane, and as soon as we are able to do so.