American Humane Rescue Team helps animals caught in historic West Virginia flooding

American Humane Association's renowned animal rescue team, first responders for animals in crisis for 100 years, has arrived in Charleston, W.V. with two of the organization's giant 50-foot rescue vehicles to help animal victims of the historic flooding affecting the area.

The deployment of the emergency vehicles, a team of 10 trained emergency responders and a veterinarian comes at the request of the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, which is being hard-pressed to find a solution for a growing problem: The shelter has a capacity for 240 animals and is completely full – with more coming in each day.

Among the critical tasks being prepared and performed as needed by the American Humane Association team are:

• Conducting a critical assessment of the need
• Setting up a mobile vet clinic to provide first aid, conduct wellness checks and administer vaccines
• Distributing 1,200 pounds of food donated by American Humane Association
• Providing critically needed supplies, vaccines and medicines donated by leading animal health company Zoetis
• Preparing to relieve overworked staff at the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association shelter 

Every attempt will be made to reunify lost animals with their owners.

American Humane Association is the country's first national humane organization, founded in 1877. Its animal rescue program was created in 1916 at the request of the U.S. Secretary of War to rescue war horses on the battlefields of World War I Europe.

Since then, it has been rescuing animals of every kind and have been involved in virtually every major disaster relief effort from Pearl Harbor to 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the Joplin, Missouri and Moore, Oklahoma tornadoes, the Japanese and Haitian earthquakes, and Superstorm Sandy.

Over just the past ten years American Humane Association's rescue teams have saved, helped and sheltered more than 80,000 animals. For more information or to support rescuing animals in need, please visit www.AmericanHumane.org.

Image credit: Kara Lofton/West Virginia Public Broadcasting