On Call to Help Pets and Wildlife as Hurricane Sandy Hits
Hurricane Sandy is moving faster than expected and is threatening to cause havoc in a vast swath of the heavily populated Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Corridor. By all indications, it’s a monster of a storm, and while we don’t yet know how many animals will be affected in the end, we are preparing for a massive impact.
Jacquelyn Pyun/The HSUS
The HSUS has been getting the word out about preparedness, with a focus on the communities in the heart of the projected path of Sandy. Our emergency response staff members are tracking the storm and working with emergency management offices, while our state directors and other colleagues are spreading information through multiple channels concerning pet-friendly shelters, assisting local shelters with their plans, and working with public officials to sound the alarm about including pets in their disaster planning and response.
In Massachusetts, our Fund for Animals Cape Wildlife Center is battening down the hatches for the oncoming storm, and also preparing for an influx of sea birds and other storm victims that will be delivered to the center in the wake of the event. This morning, a large tree fell just outside the facility, but everyone is unharmed and staff members are unrelenting in their effort to prepare and make ready.
In New Jersey, our state director helped coordinate the rescue of a deer in danger of drowning in the ocean. A good Samaritan pulled the exhausted buck from the surf, and the Associated Humane Societies and Monmouth Beach police officers worked together to tranquilize the animal and carry him to safety.
In Maryland, our animal sheltering trailer and rescue equipment are on standby at HSUS headquarters, and our Animal Rescue Team is on alert to respond to requests for help as this huge storm continues to churn and move up the coast and then inland. It’s a blend of ferocious wind, big waves and storm surge, massive volumes of rain, and even snow in higher elevations.
Stay safe and make sure to take your pets if you have to evacuate. You can find more news about animals and the storm on our Twitter feed and at humanesociety.org, and please consider supporting our disaster response work with a donation.
