Hundreds of stranded animals fed and rescued!
By Sharon St. Joan, Best Friends Network
This update is based on an account given by Troy Snow, with the Best Friends Rapid Response Team
As Rich Crook, Best Friends Rapid Response Manager, wrote in an earlier update, as soon as the Mexican government installed huge pumps (the largest Rich had ever seen), the water level fell dramatically. The pumps worked 24 hours a day, and this effectively brought a quick end to the crisis.
Although the Tabasco flood covered a significantly larger area than Hurricane Katrina, there were clear differences. For one, people were not prevented from returning to their homes after they had evacuated, and this meant that many were able to return to care for animals that they hadn't been able to bring with them.
Several international groups were on the scene helping. IFAW had sent a team to rescue farm animals, especially the many cattle. HSUS was there. HSI (Humane Society International) and Best Friends were working together caring for dogs, cats, pigs, horses, cows, turkeys and chickens.
From the beginning, Mexican groups were available and ready to help; the first on the scene was APTA. However, they had no food to distribute, so Best Friends (thanks to your generosity and kindness!) was able to supply food every day to distribute to the stranded animals. Boats traveled throughout the city of Villahermosa delivering food to animals on rooftops and on tops of walls. In some cases people had stayed with their animals, and they were grateful to receive food for the animals.
Rich Crook and his team did an outstanding job pulling all the various groups and volunteers together and coordinating the animal rescue operations with the military and other Mexican authorities. The very dedicated Mexican animal groups, local veterinarians who generously worked long hours caring for the sick and injured animals who were brought to them, all the caring volunteers, and the Mexican officials who paved the way so that help could be delivered to the animals--all were part of a huge team that assured that help efficiently reached the animals in need.
In between the essential organizational meetings, Rich Crook found time to go out himself, with the rest of the Best Friends Team, in boats and trucks to coax frightened dogs to eat the food offered and to leave out food for the cats and shy dogs who would come out of their hiding places later when the people had left.
When they came across injured animals, they brought them in to the station that had been set up at the university for vet care. They could be picked up later by their people. Healthy animals were given food, and then were left at their homes to be there when their people returned.
When Troy Snow arrived, they headed immediately out to a still-flooded area on the outskirts of the city to deliver food to the animals there.
In one painful situation, the team had to leave a weak, starving cow in the water because they had no way to get the animal out of the water. In Troy Snow's words, "The day before this photo was taken, this cow was found lying on her side, with her eyes rolling back. The team couldn't get her to eat, drink, or respond in any way. Then, Ron, a volunteer from Georgia, came up with an idea.... Granola bars! The next day, we were returning to check on the cow, expecting to see the worst. As we rounded the corner, everyone cheered as we saw her standing on her own, doing much better. Here, Ron gives her another treat to distract her while the vet checked her out. With more food, and the water receding, she was going to be all right! Another life saved and another victory!
With the floodwaters mostly gone and so many groups and volunteers hard at work on the scene, the Best Friends Team has been able to return earlier than expected, leaving the rescue work in other, very capable, hands.
Thanks to everyone who participated in this response to help the animals of Mexico and their people! Although, sadly, many animals did lose their lives in the flood, those who survived have been, and still are, being cared for, and given food and medical attention, as needed. All this is thanks, especially, to all of you who have given so generously, with so much kindness and caring, to the animals of Mexico!
Donations for the Mexico Flood Relief Campaign will continue to be used to provide food and medical care for animals surviving the flood.
Photos: Troy Snow has taken over eighty amazing photos of animals being cared for in the flood. To see a slide show of these, please go to Flickr. You will need to sign in. Then enter "Troy Snow" in the "Search" box, and scroll down until you find his photos from Mexico. Click on the Mexico heading, then click on "Slide Show."http://www.flickr.com/photos/troysnow/sets/72157603198764904/