Group Stresses Importance of Alerting Animal Rescue Agencies to Injured, Abandoned, or Lost Animals, Including Dogs, Cats, Birds, and Cattle
For Immediate Release:
April 28, 2011
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
Montgomery, Ala. - As search and rescue efforts continue in the tornado-ravaged southern U.S., PETA has sent out an urgent appeal to rescue teams to keep an eye out for animals in trouble and to call local animal control or animal rescue agencies with information about animals of any species who are injured, trapped in the rubble, lost, or abandoned, and if that fails, to call PETA. The group is also pleading with citizens returning to their homes to look out for animals in distress. Please share this information with your audience, as a simple phone call can allow these agencies to rescue lost animals and hopefully reunite them with their families.
"Rescuing animals from disaster zones certainly saves animals' lives—and helps unite families," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "As we've seen in other natural disasters, many people will refuse rescue if their animals aren't also taken to safety, so it's truly imperative for rescuers to help all family members to safety."
Compassionate individuals across the country can help by donating to PETA's Animal Emergency Fund, which provides grants to organizations that do rescue work.
For more information, please visit PETA.org or click here.
PETA's letter to search and rescue teams follows.
April 28, 2011
Search-and-Rescue Team
Re: Tornado-Stricken Southeast
Dear Search-and-Rescue Team:
This is an urgent plea. I am writing on behalf of PETA, the world's largest animal rights organization, with more than 2 million members and supporters dedicated to animal protection. In times of disaster, such as the current tragedy in which tornadoes wreaked havoc in the southeast part of the country, honoring the human-animal bond is imperative to the safety of citizens. When people have lost everything, they need their animal companions more than ever. While search-and-rescue teams are combing through rubble in search of human victims, we ask that emergency workers please make a simple phone call in order to alert animal control and animal rescue agencies if they see or find animals—no matter the species—who are injured, trapped in the rubble, lost, abandoned, or simply on site. This will allow agencies to rescue these animals in order to protect them and hopefully reunite them with their loved ones.
Initiating the rescue of animals from disaster zones is crucial not only for the well-being of animals but also to keep people from entering dangerous disaster-stricken areas in search of their companion animals. The safe rescue of animals also helps to prevent the desecration of deceased humans and even the death of injured or trapped humans by roaming and starving animal victims.
Search-and-rescue teams should be aware that many people will refuse rescue if their animals are not also taken to safety. The bond between people and their companion animals is well-documented, and human victims of disaster are benefitted when kept with or reunited with their beloved animal companions.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this notice. We understand the urgency of deploying search-and-rescue teams to aid human victims of this disaster and appreciate your consideration of animal victims. PETA stands ready to assist you in contacting animal rescue agencies if needed.
We appreciate all your efforts in this time of crisis.
Most respectfully,
Michele Rokke
Special Project Coordinator
Cruelty Investigations Department