Over two weeks after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey’s central southern Gaziantep — killing over 40,000 and causing widespread destruction in Turkey and Syria — animal rescuers are still finding pets in the debris to save.
A Humane Society International animal rescue and veterinarian team arrived in Antakya, Turkey, shortly after the Feb. 6 earthquake and its powerful aftershocks. The group is helping locals find their pets amongst the collapsed buildings in the city, a mission that didn’t stop even when the area was hit with a 6.3 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 20.
“Every day here, our team is heading out to search for animals in the worst affected areas. We’re bringing back rescued dogs and cats suffering with cuts, bruising, malnutrition, dehydration, and infections. We’re working with an amazing team of local vets and volunteers in a veterinary field hospital tent, and the calls for help keep coming in,” Kelly Donithan, HSI’s director of animal disaster response, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
Donithan added that pet owners forced to flee the area because of the destruction are worried about their pets. The director knows the animals could still be alive as rescuers continue to hear barks and meows coming from destroyed buildings.
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“People who evacuated are worried for their pets left behind, so wherever possible, we locate their apartments and find them,” she said.
HSI’s rescue team also assists animals they find on the street needing help, including an especially needy group of puppies.
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“We found a mother dog who had very recently given birth, her puppies were still blind, but somehow, she’d managed to keep them safe. When we settled her in a comfy bed at the hospital, she was so exhausted she slept all day while her pups suckled,” Donithan said.
In areas where rescuers suspect animals might be hiding, they leave out water to help pets fight dehydration. Facing the devastation left behind by the earthquakes is worth the effort for Donithan and her colleagues because of the peace they can give people and their pets.
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“It’s hard to estimate how many animals have been impacted by this disaster, but the numbers are certainly high. It’s clear that for the people here who have lost everything, to know that their pet companions are safe means a lot, and it is humbling for our animal rescue work to be so welcomed by the people we’re meeting in Antakya,” Donithan added.
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HSI is receiving support from other rescue teams, including groups from Europe, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, and India.
To learn more about how HSI is responding to the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and other disasters worldwide, visit the organization’s website.
To help earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, consider donating to these organizations: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders, GlobalGiving, Save the Children, and The Syrian American Medical Society.
