American Humane Association Joins On-the-Ground Animal Response Team in Haiti

Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) Members Assessing Livestock and Domestic Animals

DENVER, Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Humane Association's program manager for Animal Emergency Services has deployed to Haiti to assist in an international effort to help animals affected by the earthquake. Tracy Reis, an expert responder who has participated in the rescue and sheltering of more than 12,000 animals, will arrive in Port-au-Prince Thursday as part of the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti, which is jointly led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

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Reis will join ARCH team members in the Dominican Republic and Haiti to begin implementing a feeding program for the community dogs and to assist with immediate veterinary aid to animals in Haiti. That effort will be conducted in cooperation with the Haitian government and, in particular, with the Ministry of Environment.

"We had not considered including animals in the plans we're working up now, but after meeting the ARCH team, we can see that it would be good to do so," said Jean Marie Claude Germain, the Haitian Minister of Environment. "In addition to preventing deforestation and protecting our water reserves, we are also discussing the need for a vaccination program in order to prevent the spread of diseases amongst the animal populations."

ARCH received an official request from the government of Haiti (made to WSPA on Jan. 21) asking for immediate assistance and that human resources be deployed to help with the emergency relief operation "as soon as possible."

Efforts by American Humane include:

• Deploying Tracy Reis, program manager for American Humane's Animal Emergency Services, to join relief efforts in Haiti, at the urgent request of ARCH's lead agencies. Reis will arrive in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, Jan. 28.
• As the coalition's U.S.-based resource unit leader, American Humane has responsibility for identifying volunteers from each organization in the coalition and gathering skill and resource information on each of them, in order to send the most highly effective teams to Haiti for animal response.
• American Humane was the first professional animal welfare organization to join the coalition, has donated an initial $25,000 to help fund the coalition's efforts, and expects to provide additional funding to this response.
• American Humane's Red Star Animal Emergency Services™ volunteers are preparing for deployment to Haiti by updating their vaccinations and receiving other medical assessments to ensure that they are fully prepared to respond.
• American Humane has notified more than 200 trained and FEMA-certified animal rescue responders on its response roster. A smaller subset of highly qualified responders will be hand-picked and may join teams on the ground in Haiti, once long-term mission objectives are determined.

ARCH's activities to date include:

• ARCH team members arrived in Port-au-Prince on Jan. 23 and spent the day meeting with governmental authorities and local animal welfare agencies.
• ARCH members on the ground have begun assessing the state of health, well-being and needs of the animals.
• ARCH members expect to begin missions focused on vaccinating street dogs and assisting with the care of livestock.
• More than $150,000 has been raised to support the work of the coalition, including the funding donated by American Humane and other animal welfare groups that have joined the coalition.
• A vehicle has been purchased and outfitted as a mobile veterinary unit to support the response effort.

Many challenges face the team in Haiti:

• According to a veterinarian who lives and works in Port-au-Prince, the walls around many of the yards have fallen, and dogs that usually return to their owners' homes are now displaced.
• A rough estimate, according to the veterinarian, is that about 150,000 dogs live in the Port-au-Prince area, many of which are now wandering the streets.
• He also confirmed there was a substantial population of livestock in the areas affected; most of them housed in "backyard" farms.
• A lack of security has hindered some efforts to aid animals.
• Securing a suitable site for food, water, medical supplies, etc., for animals may take time while the needs of human consumables are addressed first.

Statistics and Information:

• About 150,000 dogs live in the Port-au-Prince area.
• An estimated 600,000 head of cattle, believed to be mainly in rural areas.
• Livestock includes goats, chickens, swine, donkeys, horses and mules.

(FAOSTAT, © FAO Statistics Division 2010, 21 January 2010)

"Many partners in the coalition, and those of us who were aiding animals after Katrina, are well aware that the issues the Haitian people and animals face will be long term," said Debrah Schnackenberg, vice president of American Humane's Animal Protection Division and director of its Animal Emergency Services program. "It is our hope that the experience we all gained after Katrina, and the partnerships we have been building since then, will be demonstrated in the number of animals' lives we save and the Haitian families we help in the coming weeks and months."

American Humane, in addition to more than a dozen of the world's leading animal protection agencies, brings extensive experience in handling and rescuing animals after disasters. Animal rescue teams on the ground in Haiti are prepared to provide everything from direct rescue and veterinary care for injured animals to longer-term vaccinations to prevent outbreaks of disease, such as rabies and leptospirosis. For information on what leptospirosis is and how it affects animals, go to http://ahavod.com/watch_video.php?v=ce973dde9dcae75.

People who want to support these vital efforts and help other animals in disasters can donate at www.americanhumane.org/aes-donate. For more information, and to read our frequently updated blog on our efforts to help in Haiti, please visit www.americanhumane.org/haiti.

Animal welfare organizations formed the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) to work together to bring aid to as many animals, and in as short a time, as possible. At present, ARCH partners include: International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), American Humane Association, Best Friends Animal Society, RSPCA (UK), In Defense of Animals, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Foundation, Antigua & Barbuda Humane Society, ASPCA, United Animal Nations, Kinship Circle, One Voice, Swiss Animal Protection, Palo Alto Humane Society (PAHS), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Finnish Federation for Animal Welfare Associations, and Animal Medical Care Foundation (AMCF).

American Humane will be actively updating its website and social networks to inform people on the status of the coalition and how to be of help. Find us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/americanhumane and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americanhumane. The information contained in this release can be reused and posted with proper credit given to the American Humane Association.

About American Humane

Founded in 1877, the American Humane Association is the only national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Through a network of child and animal protection agencies and individuals, American Humane develops policies, legislation, curricula and training programs to protect children and animals from abuse, neglect and exploitation. The nonprofit organization, headquartered in Denver, raises awareness about The Link^® between violence to people and violence to animals, as well as the benefits derived from the human-animal bond. American Humane's office in Los Angeles is the authority behind the "No Animals Were Harmed"^® end-credit disclaimer on film and TV productions, and American Humane's office in Washington, D.C., is an advocate for child and animal protection at the federal and state levels. The American Humane^® Certified farm animal program is the nation's original independent certification and labeling program for humanely raised food. American Humane meets the strong, comprehensive standards of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, has been awarded the Independent Charities of America's "Best in America" Seal of Approval, has met the stringent standards for financial efficiency and accountability required by the American Institute of Philanthropy to qualify as a Top-Rated Charity, and has received a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator. Visit www.americanhumane.org to learn more.

SOURCE American Humane Association