humanitarian aid to the human population is established, animal rescue will wait probably until next week to go in to assist.
Best Friends of Utah has posted a good summary of what is now happening:
http://network.bestfriends.org/groups/rapidresponse/news/14108/post.aspx
"We received the following email from WSPA today regarding disaster relief for animals in Haiti and wish to share it with you all:
The world is responding to the disaster in Haiti, and people around the world are coming together to help in any way they can. The animal victims of this disaster will desperately need help too, and animal welfare groups are joining forces to come to their aid.
Our international partner, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), together with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), will be working on the ground to help the animals in Haiti. They have developed the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) to assist in the response efforts, and all animal welfare organizations are invited to join the ARCH and direct their financial support to the coalition.
The relief teams will be working out of a mobile clinic, which has been donated by the Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society.
WSPA and IFAW have pledged funds to fully outfit this mobile clinic, and it will be shipped from Antigua to WSPA member society, Sociedad Dominicana Para la Protección de Animales (SODOPRECA), in the Dominican Republic for them to drive across the border into Haiti.
WSPA will continue to provide up-to-the-minute reports from the field through their
Animals in Disaster Blog. http://animalsindisasters.typepad.com/wspa/
To contribute to the disaster relief effort, please visit WSPA's Animal Disaster Fund page."
https://www.wspa-usa.org/pages/3095_haiti_disaster_appeal_1_10_general.cfm
And.....
There is a great concern about the zoos and wildlife in Haiti.
http://news.discovery.com/animals/fate-of-haitis-zoo-and-animals-remains-uncertain.html
KinshipCircle.org is also assisting in the relief effort by raising funds and gathering volunteers:
"We are happy to announce that Kinship Circle is part of a unified response effort called the Animal Relief Coalition Of Haiti (ARCH). Under the leadership of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), we will keep you informed about endeavors to save Haiti's animal earthquake victims.
We've joined forces with professional animal protection organizations to help stricken animals. As a coalition member, we are seeking donations to fund "feet on the ground," as well as the overhead involved for
communications and coverage in photos and notes from the field."
* DONATE SECURELY ONLINE:
http://www.kinshipcircle.org/donation
Type FOR ARCH, after your name.
Even more interesting:
Christian Veterinary Mission has served in Haiti since the early 1980s and has set up a dedicated fund for earthquake relief. They currently have three long-term fieldworkers on site, all of whom have checked in as safe. They have also trained more than 1,000 village-level animal health workers.
The fieldworkers are "working with the Haitian people to assess the damage, respond to the immediate needs, and understand how to help once again," CVM Executive Director Dr. Kit Flowers said in a statement.
Heifer International, which has worked in Haiti for 10 years, and currently has 16 projects under way with more than 16,000 families and several farmer associations, has issued an emergency appeal for funds to help families in Haiti recover.
"Heifer is by no means a traditional first responder, but we have projects and partner families in Haiti who likely have lost everything, and now, with this devastation, the need is even greater than before," said Steve Denne, chief operating officer of the global hunger and poverty organization, in a statement. "This appeal will help us help our current families begin to rebuild their lives, and provide the chance to help even more families recover from this devastating blow."
Heifer International has seven employees in Haiti. Their projects, which are scattered around the country, range from training in sustainable farming and crop diversity to gifts of livestock, seeds, trees, and grains to training in nutrition, aquaculture, and fish production.
American Veterinary Medical Foundation has an ongoing Animal Disaster Relief and Reimbursement Fund. All appeals and donor designations around animal disaster and emergency efforts support this fund.
"As the human issues are being addressed by those organizations that support this work, it is also time for those of us concerned with animal welfare to get ready to provide our assistance," the AVMF noted on their Web site.
Support from this fund is granted and distributed for efforts involving animal disaster and emergency efforts that meet AVMF approved criteria and initiatives (including the AVMA's Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams-VMAT and their efforts in support of animals in disaster situations).
One of the AVMA VMAT Commanders is en route to Haiti in his role as a member of a National Disaster Medical System Incident Response Team, providing a key link between both human and animal welfare.
Contributions received from specific appeals and donor designations are tracked and every effort is made to align the level of contribution received with support distributed for timely efforts and initiatives. It is important to remember that disaster and emergency programs, planning, and support are ongoing, without the high visibility of specific events.
"Our thoughts are with both the people and animals of this terrible disaster in Haiti," said AVMF Executive Director Michael Cathey. Further information specific to the Haiti Earthquake will be posted later today on avmf.org.
The Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), an international group of professional animal welfare organizations committed to aiding animals in the earthquake-stricken region. The American Humane Association committed significant resources to ARCH, which was created by the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The international coalition is currently preparing a mobile animal clinic and staff to perform outreach work in Haiti. The coalition also will be assessing and assisting with the needs of animals belonging to people displaced by the disaster, as they move into temporary camps. Their plans include providing food and clean water, as well as vaccinating companion animals against rabies.
Due to restricted access, coalition personnel are not yet on the ground in Haiti, but they expect to arrive in Haiti in the coming days to begin assessments of animal needs and provide initial assistance. Naturally, the situation might change quickly, and the coalition will adapt its plans and efforts to best meet the needs of the animals.
And from the New Hampshire American Red Cross, this very informative e mail:
"Dear all:
The Haiti Relief Effort continues to grow, and our chapter has been very busy with fundraising-related activities this week. We still need your help in contacting schools and other organizations, preparing materials for mailing, and helping with specific events. Many thanks to those of you who have already helped – and if you haven’t yet, don’t worry! There’s still plenty to do.
Attached is some updated information regarding how to help through donations, tracing family members, and the like. Please share this information with anyone interested. To date the American Red Cross has pledged $60,000,000 (that’s 60 million, folks!) in aid to this effort.
Because of the very challenging conditions on the ground, highlighted in all the media, cash is what’s most needed in order to search, rescue and care for individuals and meet emergency needs. Long-term recovery also will require much financial support. This weekend there are a number of special Red Cross fundraising events: a donation drive in town today, the Common Man dining event in Claremont NH tomorrow, a special appeal at the Golden Globes tomorrow (NBC, 8 P.M.), possibly a Larry King special on Monday night, an MTV telethon on January 22, and more local events. Stay tuned for more updates this week ! "
Also joining in the animal rescue efforts, thru the new Animal RescueCoalition Haiti, is United Animal Nations, a disaster animal sheltering group. http://www.uan.org/ for their updates.
This is all new info as of 1 pm Sunday. Hope this has helped keep many of you up to date with the animal rescue issue.
What a good post. People forget all about the other victims out there, the animals.
ReplyDelete