Posts tagged "flood"

During a hurricane, fire or flood, the first priority of rescue personnel is to get people to safety. But what about the pets and other animals left behind? Who takes care of them?

Enter Noah's Wish, an organization founded in 2002 with a single mission: to provide rescue and recovery for animals during disasters.

When the call goes out, volunteers from all over the country arrive within 10 hours to begin caring for affected animals. They commonly go into areas with no power, no water, flooded streets, toxic debris all around and animals in desperate need of help. The animals may suffer from burns, smoke inhalation, wounds, infection, injury, exposure, dehydration, hunger, parasites and toxins. Pets may be lost, scared, and running and swimming through dangerous polluted streets. But Noah's Wish volunteers have been trained to help.

There are 1,500 unpaid trained volunteers and two paid employees at Noah's Wish who are ready to help when emergencies arise. Veterinary care, vaccinations and emergency services are provided free.

When something bad happens, California-based Noah's Wish contacts animal service providers in the affected area to get the invite to help, then rescuers find a location to set up "MASH"-style hospitals and shelters, throw up fences and gather supplies to handle the dogs, cats, horses and other pets that soon are brought into the triage stations. In just 11 weeks after Hurricane Katrina, 1,974 animals were cared for by Noah's Wish volunteers.

These baby bats in blankets are beyond cute, but they're also among the many animals affected by the massive flooding in Australia.

The little guys pictured above are five of the 130 orphaned bats rescued by director Trish Wimberley and the other caretakers at the Australian Bat Clinic and Wildlife Trauma Centre.

Saving These Babies
Young bats are extremely susceptible during natural disasters such as floods because they feed on the ground, where they're vulnerable. Rescued baby bats are bottle-fed and kept hanging on clotheslines or in special intensive care units for four weeks or so, until they're ready to fly on their own.

Wimberley emphasizes the bats' importance in the ecosystem. "Bats are a barometer to what is going on in the environment. They're our canaries down the coal mine," she says.

How You Can Help
Interested in lending a hand? You can purchase a membership or make a donation on the Australian Bat Clinic website, or to learn about other ways to help affected animals ranging from kangaroos to turtles and wombats, go to Animals Australia. If you are particularly concerned about the pets and livestock, consider donating to the Australian RSPCA. Our friends at Catster note that this link is the best one for a credit card donation to the RSPCA.

Recently, when East Edmond, Oklahoma was swamped with rain, rescue teams mobilized to save animals that were caught in the flooding. Animal Welfare Officer Lacie Smith told KFOR Oklahoma City that the fire department, strapped into life jackets, went swimming to save three horses, neck deep in water. Fashioning harnesses out of dog leashes, they managed to rescue two of the animals. Sadly, amidst the chaos, one of the horses, Reg, was swept down the Coffee Creek that had risen 25 ft. due to the storms.

According to Officer Mike Sullivan, the incident was "heartbreaking." He told KFOR Oklahoma City that "all we could do was hope in God and pray the horse could catch its grip and swim to higher ground and get out of the water."

Sullivan's prayers were answered. About a mile down the creek, Reg -- a retired race horse -- was found alive by Rick Scarberry, an animal lover who pulled the animal to shore, saving its life. Not only did Scarberry have the satisfaction of getting the animal to safety after several hours of tugging and pulling, he also ended up with another special gift. Watch the video to discover what that was.

Spikey, the dog who captured national headlines when he was airlifted from a Los Angeles river in a daring helicopter rescue is finally home. The 4-year-old German-shepherd mix was in quarantine for several days before being released and reunited with his owners, the Los Angeles Times reported.

On Friday, Jan. 22, viewers were glued to their television screens when news stations broadcast live coverage of a dog being rescued by the Los Angeles Fire Department from a surging river. The video from Fox 11 News shows firefighter Joe St. Georges, 50, dropping from a helicopter into the river, grabbing the struggling dog and airlifting him to safety -- but not before dangling high above the river for several long, nail-biting moments.

"We got reports of a dog in the Los Angeles River, which is really a concrete-walled flood control channel," Los Angeles Fire Captain Steve Ruda tells Paw Nation. The dog couldn't climb out of the river, which was extra-high due to heavy rains that had been flooding Los Angeles all week.

"The incident commander made a decision to rescue the dog," explains Capt. Ruda. "It was wearing a collar and appeared to belong to somebody. If we did nothing, we were concerned that humans trying to rescue the dog would be harmed." A helicopter swift water rescue team swooped in under high tension wires and lowered firefighter St. Georges into the river. "Joe [St. Georges] was able to capture the dog, put a capture strap around it, and get the dog to safety," Capt. Ruda says.