(Below is a reprint from Pawnation about a wonderful volunteer group that goes into disasters and aids animals. What a great organization that I had not heard about before. Volunteers are needed if this is something you could do! )
During a hurricane, fire or flood, the first priority of rescue personnel is to get people to safety. But what about the pets and other animals left behind? Who takes care of them? Enter Noah’s Wish, an organization founded in 2002 with a single mission: to provide rescue and recovery for animals during disasters.
When the call goes out, volunteers from all over the country arrive within 10 hours to begin caring for affected animals. They commonly go into areas with no power, no water, flooded streets, toxic debris all around and animals in desperate need of help. The animals may suffer from burns, smoke inhalation, wounds, infection, injury, exposure, dehydration, hunger, parasites and toxins. Pets may be lost, scared, and running and swimming through dangerous polluted streets. But Noah’s Wish volunteers have been trained to help.
There are 1,500 unpaid trained volunteers and two paid employees at Noah’s Wish who are ready to help when emergencies arise. Veterinary care, vaccinations and emergency services are provided free.
When something bad happens, California-based Noah’s Wish contacts animal service providers in the affected area to get the invite to help, then rescuers find a location to set up “MASH”-style hospitals and shelters, throw up fences and gather supplies to handle the dogs, cats, horses and other pets that soon are brought into the triage stations. In just 11 weeks after Hurricane Katrina, 1,974 animals were cared for by Noah’s Wish volunteers. Noahswish.org “It is the most rewarding thing I have ever been involved in,” says longtime volunteer Charlie Crosby, who has proudly rescued animals since 1999 from 13 fires, three hurricanes and multiple floods. “The adrenalin rush when you get the deployment notice usually lasts three days, so you are using that energy to function. You just go into overdrive, applying all the things you know to get the shelter up and running.
“Then there is the team camaraderie. We only get to work together at a disaster, so it may have been a year or two since we last saw each other. It is the best feeling in the world to be able to come together as a fantastic team and do the job at hand … rescuing and sheltering animals in disasters.”
Because Noah’s Wish operates on the front lines of dangerous situations, volunteering is serious business. Training courses are three-day-long camping trips in which volunteers pack all of their own gear and train for a variety of emergency situations. They learn pet CPR, animal first aid, triage and intake so they can be ready to act the next time disaster strikes. “We always need people,” says Crosby. If you want to volunteer, just sign up online and attend the next training course.
If you aren’t quite up for that level of commitment or don’t have the flexibility to mobilize at a moment’s notice, Noah’s Wish is always looking for food, supplies and local drivers with vehicles.
For a list of needed items, go to www.noahswish.org. For disaster help during emergencies, call 916-939-9474. For nonemergencies, e-mail info@noahswish.info.
writing my own post about this, I’ve copied part of the article below from APDT. I know personally, from adopting a Border Collie mix, the importance of training, and even more so, the BENEFIT of having a better relationship with my dog. Training not only helps your dog to learn, but also builds a bond between you and your pet. Dogs WANT to be good, and with the right training…it’s nothing but PAWS UP from there on after!
