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.
