The deployment of the giant emergency vehicles, a team of seven trained emergency responders, and a veterinarian comes at the request of the Humane Society of Louisiana, which is assisting the government of hard-hit Livingston Parish, where 75 percent of the homes are reported to be destroyed.
The American Humane team's mission will be to assist and conduct field rescue of animals, provide much-needed care and medical attention, take animals to the established emergency shelter, and relieve overworked staff at the Humane Society of Louisiana.
Conditions are expected to be dire. Reports indicate that while the floodwaters are receding, a number of roads remain closed, and there are limited water and food options. Living conditions will be arduous, working in both water and ground environments, and the rescue team will be living in the trailers on bunks and cots.
The giant, 30,000-pound rescue trucks, which left their bases in Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, will be arriving on Friday and Saturday. Each carries supplies and equipment to shelter up to 100 animals.
"Our hearts go out to the people and animals of Louisiana," said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. "Fortunately, our animal rescue team is well-trained and well-qualified to handle this kind of emergency. Help is on the way!"
American Humane 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.
For more information or to support rescuing animals in need, please visit www.AmericanHumane.org.
Image via www.AmericanHumane.org
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