In the aftermath of the earthquake, Humane Society International (HSI) sent emergency funding to Grupo Caridad, a Lima-based animal welfare organization, and other local animal welfare groups to allow them to help as many animals as possible.
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| Grupo Caridad |
| An earthquake survivor and her companion. |
As residents of Ica and Pisco begin picking up the pieces, Lima-based animal welfare organization Grupo Caridad is stepping in to help care for the animals affected by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake, which jolted the region on August 15.
Humane Society International (HSI) has been monitoring the situation and has given emergency support to animal protection organizations like Grupo Caridad.
Providing Relief
Fernando Moreno, founder of Grupo Caridad, has been sending HSI frequent updates from the field. He and a volunteer team of veterinarians, veterinary technicians and other trained disaster responders reach Pisco on August 19.
"We arrived in Pisco with other organizations, Unidos Por Los Animales and the Asociacion Peruana de Proteccion a los Animales. The magnitude of the catastrophe is much worse than what has been shown on TV. Downtown Pisco no longer exists—it has been reduced to rubble," says Moreno. "Many frightened animals are roaming the streets, traumatized by what happened. Many others wait among the debris, perhaps expecting that their owners will return."
Grupo Caridad veterinarians have treated more than 200 animals in Pisco so far and distributed over 1,500 pounds of food to pet owners and roaming animals.
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Grupo Caridad |
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Rescue teams are distributing food to animals |
Using a small rented truck, the Grupo Caridad team drove all over the outskirts and city centers of Pisco and Ica, assessing damage and helping animals—both stray and owned—along the way.
"What a misfortune that such wonderful animals, after losing their owners and living through a destructive and traumatic earthquake, have to continue suffering," says Moreno. "But we are here to help."
Staying Through Thick and Thin
Grupo Caridad is planning to continue their rescue and relief efforts and expand their assessment and response to other affected areas.
"We will keep a team of vets and responders in Pisco until Sunday [September 2] to keep offering free services and food to pets and their owners," reports Moreno. "There is also a region called Huancavelica where animals and people are really affected by the disaster. Apparently no aid has arrived there yet. We expect to be able to visit Huancavelica and continue our work in Pisco and surrounding areas."
HSI is receiving almost daily updates from the field and will continue to offer our support to the disaster responders.
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| Mariana Bazo/Reuters |
A man carries his dog, Jedi, after rescuing
him from the debris of his home in Pisco. |
On Aug. 15, the Ica region of Peru, south of Lima, was shaken by an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale. The quake toppled houses and destroyed buildings, killing more than 500 people and injuring more than 1,000.
Humane Society International (HSI) is sending emergency funding to Grupo Caridad, a Lima-based animal welfare organization, to assist in the recovery efforts.
Hundreds of animals—dogs, cats, sheep, cattle— have been abandoned and are in desperate need of help.
"How sad that these catastrophes happen in the cities where there is the most poverty and least development," said Fernando Moreno of Grupo Caridad. "In countries like mine, where the situation is as bad for the people as it is for the animals—it is now even worse."
Several powerful aftershocks made remaining structures dangerous. Most of the region's residents have abandoned their homes and are now living in tents with minimal or no supplies. Currently winter in Peru, temperatures are hovering in the 50s (F). A strong seasonal wind is keeping the air frigid.
As rescue efforts mobilize and aid begins to flow into the country, the impact beyond the human cost of this disaster are realized. Pets, livestock and wildlife have also suffered.
"I have to assume that many animals have been abandoned or left homeless. Others have been left to die and many have already died," said Moreno. "We will assist in any way we can."
Animals in Zoos Need Assistance
Captive animals in local zoos are also feeling the effects of the earthquake. HSI received reports of animals languishing in their enclosures without any at two zoos in Ica, Peru that have survived the quake. Many of the zoo caretakers lost their homes and family members and have been unable to respond to the needs of the animals.
HSI is supporting an expert team from the Wildlife Center of Virginia to assess the zoos and recruit local veterinarians and volunteers to assist in the temporary feeding, cleaning and overall care of the animals. The HSI team will partner with local Peruvian organizations like Amigos de los Animales, an HSI Animal Advocate, in visiting and assessing these zoos.
Other Peruvian animal protection groups, including Unidos Por Los Animales and the Asociacion Peruana de Proteccion a los Animales, also have disaster teams in the affected areas.
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Updated Jan. 22, 2009.
