Photo: Emrah Gurel/AP Images for HSI
Over two weeks after apowerful magnitude 7.8 earthquakestruck Turkey’s central southern Gaziantep —killing over 40,000 and causing widespread destructionin Turkey and Syria — animal rescuers are stillfinding pets in the debris to save.
AHumane Society Internationalanimal rescue and veterinarian team arrived in Antakya, Turkey, shortly after the Feb. 6 earthquake and its powerful aftershocks. The group is helping locals find their pets amongst the collapsed buildings in the city, a mission that didn’t stop even when the area washit with a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 20.
Donithan added that pet owners forced to flee the area because of the destruction are worried about their pets. The director knows the animals could still be alive as rescuers continue to hear barks and meows coming from destroyed buildings.
“People who evacuated are worried for their pets left behind, so wherever possible, we locate their apartments and find them,” she said.
HSI’s rescue team also assists animals they find on the street needing help, including an especially needy group of puppies.
Emrah Gurel/AP Images for HSI
“We found a mother dog who had very recently given birth, her puppies were still blind, but somehow, she’d managed to keep them safe. When we settled her in a comfy bed at the hospital, she was so exhausted she slept all day while her pups suckled,” Donithan said.
Kelly Donithan/HSI
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HSI is receiving support from other rescue teams, including groups from Europe, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, and India.
To learn more about how HSI is responding to the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and other disasters worldwide,visit the organization’s website.
To help earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, consider donating to these organizations:The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders,GlobalGiving, Save the Children, andThe Syrian American Medical Society.
source: people.com
