'Haiti's Animals ~ We Hear Their Cries, Help Is Coming'

[sabrina 1]

Even before the earthquake in Haiti, animals there were badly in need of help. The people themselves were so poor that most could not afford to keep pets so there were many stray dogs like the one in the photo below who received little or no food or care. The link below leads to a site that was set up before the disaster to try to help the dogs of Haiti and is now coordinating with other organizations to help Haiti's animals.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/4277585293/



The above photo is excerpted from the following Kinship Circle alert. Is it a photo of a stray Haitian dog, pre-2010 quake. Image taken from the website The Story of Ti-gba

Task forces and troops are assembling worldwide to aid Haiti's human victims. But Kinship Circle followers also want to know about the animals. The breadth of destruction in this disaster has been compared to Katrina. Still, animal repercussions are different.

As many as 5 million farm animals (primarily goats and a lot of chickens!) and native wild animals need help. A mostly homeless dog population, struggling to survive before the earthquake, needs comforting hands. In fact an unknown number of "community" cats and dogs await relief.

There cannot be a dedicated animal presence on the ground until the human crisis is more stabilized. However, Kinship Circle is contributing funding and volunteer support to the coalition right now.

Crisis in Haiti: How the ASPCA is Helping

http://www.aspca.org/news/help-the-animals-of-haiti.html



Members of the ARCH team are currently working to help Haiti's animal population.
Photo Credit: WSPA-IFAW Tomas Stargardter

ARCH was created to address the needs of animals in Haiti in this time of crisis. The coalition is headed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), and in addition to the ASPCA, consists of a number of animal welfare groups including American Humane, Best Friends, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International.

The ASPCA has joined ARCH with the belief that partnering across organizations is the most effective way to address the serious and enormous problems facing animals in Haiti. There are an estimated 5 million head of livestock in the country (mostly goats), a large stray dog population, and an untold number of companion animals and native wildlife all adversely affected by the earthquake.

This article from over a week ago is the only one I have found on Haiti's Zoo animals and they don't have information on what happened to them so far:

Fate of Haiti's Zoo and Animals Remains Uncertain

http://news.discovery.com/animals/fate-of-haitis-zoo-and-animals-remains-uncertain.html

Fermathe, Haiti, is home to a zoo that one past visitor reported housed monkeys, snakes, alligators and exotic birds, such as peacocks. The nearby hospital in Fermathe is still standing, but doctors, nurses and other staff there are said to be exhausted and struggling to care for the many patients.

Haiti is home to several endangered animals, according to the organization Animal Info. These include the critically endangered Puerto Rican Hutia (Isolobodon portoricensis), the endangered Haitian Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) and the "vulnerable" manatee "sea cow" (Trichechus manatus) and Hispaniolan Hutia (Plagiodontia aedium).

The Humane Society has been on the ground in Haiti from early on. This is their latest report which tells a remarkable story of two dogs who survived Hurricane Katrina and now have survived Haiti's Earthquake:

Hurricane Katrina to Haiti: Dogs Survive Two Disasters

http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2010/01/haiti-earthquake.html

..... In talking further with the family, we discovered that they were the victims of two natural disasters, as were the dogs. The couple had lived in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and, when they returned home in the aftermath of the storm, found two dachshund mixes roaming the streets. They were moved to take the dogs in, and named them Bella and Dieter. These are the same two dogs who had to be left behind in Port-au-Prince.

Here’s the remarkable news: Our team has located the dogs. They are in good health and now in our safe keeping, having survived a Category 4 hurricane in 2005 and now a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in 2010. When we told the family that we had located the dogs, they were understandably overjoyed. With the help of our partnering organization, Veterinary Care and Human Services of the Dominican Republic, we’re transporting them to the Dominican Republic today. We intend to reunite them with their family as soon as possible.

It is remarkable that these dogs are on-the-ground survivors of the two biggest disasters in recent years in the western hemisphere. They are living embodiments of the principle that kindness and concerted action do make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable creatures. That’s one reason why we’ll continue to maintain boots on the ground in Haiti and to do all we can to help the animals and people of this stricken nation.

So many groups are now there taking care of the animals, giving them rabies shots and treating their wounds as well as providing them with food and water. It is a daunting task as many are still in hiding according to some people who are there. But the kindness of so many people from all over the world towards both the people of Haiti and its animals is awe-inspiring.

One last story, although this is from before the earthquake. If you find it difficult to read about animals being badly treated or suffering, then don't read this story. However, it does have a happy ending. I just think it is another example of how love and kindness, rather than neglect and cruelty make this world a better place.

This blog The Dogs of Haiti was set up by the blogger after a visit to Haiti in 2003. It is the story of a wounded, stray puppy who would not have survived, but for the kindness of the blogger.

The Story of Ti-gba

When I picked up the puppy she was like a skeleton. She cried and grunted in pain. I set her on the sidewalk, and she collapsed -- she could not support her weight at all. I knew that leaving her would mean slow starvation.

I wondered about Haiti's animals as there was nothing in the news reports about them and I did not see any animals in any of the footage. I am so grateful that these wonderful organizations are there now. I am sure the animals as well as the people, are still very traumatized.