Last updated 2/8/10 @ 11:00AM CT.

“WSPA – Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts: This picture was sent on to the WSPA emergency relief team, by a photographer who is in Haiti. Domesticated animals play a significant role in Haiti, both in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and in the lengthy road to recovery.” Photo via the WSPA on Flickr.
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Faced with a natural disaster of this magnitude, there’s not much to say. So let’s not say anything. Instead, let’s do.

Below I’ve compiled a list of 1) action alerts, 2) at-home fundraisers and volunteer opportunities and 3) organizations in need of monetary donations and volunteers abroad in order to assistant in the relief efforts in Haiti. As you will see, this guide is heavy on animal rescue and animal-friendly organizations – because, hello, vegan blogger here! – however, I have included resources for human-related groups as well. In particular, the action alerts section does not discriminate.

I’ll update this post in the days and weeks to come, so please bookmark it and visit often. As of 2/8/10, I have moved it off the main page, since updates have slowed.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Sat, Oct 3, 2009 at 8:52 PM
Subject: Lives Shattered In Tsunami, Earthquakes

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/

10/3/09: Lives Shattered In Tsunami, Earthquakes – Asia-Pacific Area

IN THIS ALERT:

1. Six Countries Hit, Millions Displaced In Asia-Pacific
2. PAWS Races To Save Animals In Philippine Floods
3. Animal Welfare Coalition And IFAW Team Up On Land And Water
4. Best Friends’ Rich Crook With IFAW In Hard-Hit Philippines
5. WSPA Sends 3 Veterinarian-Led Response Teams
6. KC Directory: Rescue Groups To Help In Asia-Pacific

Dr. Nielsen Donato reaches Julia. PHOTO: Best Friends Rapid Response, courtesy of Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), www.paws.org

network.bestfriends.org/groups/rapidresponse/news/post.aspx?ID=13314

This report reflects information Kinship Circle has as of 10/3/09 — and how to support animal response teams in the Philippines, Indonesia and Samoa.

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Below you will find the second of two action alerts from Kinship Circle, detailing disaster relief needs in the Southeastern U.S., which is currently drying out from recent flooding (and preparing for another bout of heavy rains, to boot). This particular alert focuses on Cobb County Animal Control in Marietta, Georgia, which is inundated with animals. Even if you cannot foster or adopt a dog – or make a monetary donation to help with rescue expenses – please spread the word.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 1:16 PM
Subject: Soaked SE – Cobb County Dogs Need Rescue

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/

9/25/09: Soaked Southeast – Cobb County Dogs Need Rescue
Below is more information regarding COBB COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL in flood-hit Marietta, Georgia. Did you get yesterday’s (9/24/09) overview of animal needs in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi?

ASK FOR 9/24/09 FLOOD ALERT: info [at] kinshipcircle.org
9/24/09: Animal Flood Recovery In Soaked Southeast

[Kelly's note: The alert is also available on easyVegan.info, here.]

======================

GEORGIA: Cobb County Animal Control
1060 Al Bishop Drive / Marietta, Georgia 30008
ph: 770-499-4136; fax: 770-590-5620
Cpt. Jeff Patellis, Dept of Public Safety: 770-590-5602

animalcontrol.cobbcountyga.gov/

SUMMARY 9/24/09: From Janice Riccio, Quietzsch [at] aol.com –
Due to the massive flooding in the Atlanta area, and specifically Cobb County, many people displaced by floodwaters left their pets with Cobb County Animal Control. The shelter was slammed before the floods, so they had no room to house newcomers. They were desperate to find rescue for dogs already housed there or face euthanasia…

I’ve taken in 9 dogs and have no place to house them, other then boarding at two vet offices. This is very temporary, and although the vets have generously boarded the dogs at a discount, this will add up quickly — not to mention the other costs for rabies vaccines, altering, etc.

SEND MONETARY DONATIONS TO:
Call vet offices directly to make donations for flood-affected dogs (shown below).
* Averill Animal Hospital / 415 Villa Rica Way / Marietta, GA 30064 / 770-422-2402
* Etowah Veterinary Hospital / 4953 Canton Road / Marietta, GA 30066 / 770-926-8888

IF YOU CAN FOSTER – ADOPT – RESCUE, CONTACT:
Janice Riccio, Quietzsch [at] aol.com

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This is the first of two Kinship Circle alerts outlining animal-related rescue needs in the recently-flooded Southeastern U.S. In addition to the organizations listed below, CNN has a list of resources on its Impact Your World page; naturally, all of these focus on human needs, and many are religious in nature. If you’d like to suggest any animal rescue and/or secular groups, please do so in the comments!

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Subject: Animal Flood Recovery In Soaked Southeast

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/

9/24/09: Animal Flood Recovery In Soaked Southeast

1. TENNESSEE: East Ridge Animal Services – DOGS NEED HELP NOW
2. GEORGIA: Georgia SPCA, GEMA, Barrow, Cobb County AC
3. ALABAMA: Various shelters in affected areas
4. MISSISSIPPI: Various shelters in affected areas

As of Monday, 9/21/09, Kinship Circle has monitored floods across the Southeast U.S., in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky and Mississippi. Our small volunteer staff has contacted various agencies on the ground to offer support from our network of independently trained responders. There has been no direct call (as of 9/24/09) for out-of-state volunteers, but rescuers are needed to pull from flood-overcrowded shelters.

Rivers crested above flood levels in stricken areas, but most waters are receding. Below is a brief report. We’ll update you if circumstances change.

Fran Alexay of West Creek Stables in Austell moves a Welsh Pony to a trailer. She helped move 15 horses to Conyers Horse Park. Photo: John Spink.

projects.ajc.com.coxnewsweb.com/gallery/view/metro/ajc-photo-stories092209/

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I’m a little late in forwarding this alert from Kinship Circle, and in the interim, there’s been a development in the case. Not surprisingly, it hasn’t resulted in justice for the animals killed by veterinarian Marcy Miranov (and Dr. John Edwards, as well).

Reports The Times-Picayune:

Raw emotions and poor record-keeping triggered whirling accusations of animal cruelty at Jefferson Parish’s animal shelters, according to the results of an independent study released today.

But no laws were broken when 51 cats and dogs were euthanized on Aug. 13 at the parish’s Elmwood facility, the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals discovered. [...]

“Our report is not a glowing report about what’s going on in interoperation,” said Ana Zorrilla, chief executive officer of the state SPCA. “We certainly hope that it’s well received and we certainly hope that the public reads parts and pieces of it, that it’s really seen as an opportunity to improve those operations, not just as criticism or critique of what’s been going on there.”

The SPCA’s representatives worked in an atmosphere already emotionally charged by the abrupt resignation of the shelters’ director, Lee Ann Matherne. She quit the day before the animals were put down.

The most glaring problem appeared to be shoddy record-keeping and lackluster policy management, Zorrilla said. The shelters have four different written policies governing euthanasia. Each one says a different set of people need to approve each procedure.

As far as the SPCA could tell, none of them were being followed. But since none were being implemented, no policies were broken, Zorrilla said.

The SPCA report, however, dispelled several rumors that arose from that incident. Dr. Marci Miranov, the parish’s senior veterinarian in Marrero, had clearance to work at the Elmwood shelter, Zorrilla said. Her colleague, Dr. John Edwards, did not stop her from euthanizing the animals on Aug. 13, as some animal activists suspected. Rather, he assisted her in her work.

The cats put down that day had been sedated, Zorrilla said, contrary to reports that Miranov was lethally injecting the animals without killing the pain first.

The report also found the number of animals put down that day were average. Euthanasia sessions don’t occur daily, which accounts for larger numbers when one is conducted, officials said.

Zorrilla did say that the SPCA found that some of the animals killed that day were adoptable.

“Some were sick, some were feral, but some were strictly space conditions,” she said.

Parish President Aaron Broussard said he would be asking the Parish Council to enact several ordinances Wednesday that would go a long way to cleaning up the poor conditions at the shelters. Broussard has asked that the parish hire the American SPCA to take over the shelters for 90 days, that his administration begin searching for an outside group that could permanently run the facilities and that he enter negotiations to transfer the Marrero shelter to a new site – a former West Jefferson Medical Center clinic near the Oakwood Mall.

(Background here.)

If you choose to act on this alert, please take the SPCA’s findings and recommendations into account. In addition to turning control of the parish shelters over to an outside organization, please urge Jefferson Parish to work in concert with local animal rescue organizations in order to make NOLA a no-kill city. By “no-kill,” I mean truly no-kill – this goes for “feral” and “less adoptable” cats and dogs, too. While shelters may not have the time or resources to rehab animals with medical or behavioral problems, some rescue groups do; some even specialize in these cases.

Whether any human law was violated or not, this slaughter needn’t have happened. Judging from ARNO’s comments, little-to-no effort was made to place these animals in rescue groups prior to killing them – and this is simply unacceptable.

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The Gentle Barn, a farmed animal sanctuary located in Santa Clarita, California, has provided refuge to nonhuman animals displaced by the recent California wildfires. Included below are two recent emails, detailing their volunteer and supply needs. If you’re in the area, please stop by and help out if you can!

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: The Gentle Barn – info [at] gentlebarn.org
Date: Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 3:51 PM
Subject: The Gentle Barn Rescues Animals from the Station Fire

The Gentle Barn Rescues Animals from the Station Fire

The Gentle Barn continues to help ranches and sanctuaries evacuate from the Station Fire and take in stranded animals. To date, The Gentle Barn has taken in horses, donkeys, pigs, goats, ducks, and chickens.

At The Gentle Barn the animals will not only be provided refuge from the Station Fire and medical care until they return home, but will also receive all of the benefits The Gentle Barn offers its regular residents, including equine massage therapy, proper nutrition and supplements, quality feed, and plenty of tender loving care.

This Sunday, September 6, 2009, The Gentle Barn invites the public to visit, and help nurture and care for these rescued/evacuated animals. Visitors can feed them carrots, lettuce, and treats, help give baths to the horses, give the pigs tummy rubs, and grab a rake and muck out a stall.

The Gentle Barn will continue to be on call to help and support victims evacuate their animals, as more homes and ranches are threatened by the wildfires.

We have seen too many organizations and people with a lot of animals suffer without a plan. Later in the year, we will be holding a community meeting and inviting city officials to speak about fire safety and evacuation plans.

As the number of animals at The Gentle Barn increases we are asking for donations to help feed and care for them.

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This past weekend marked the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Four years ago last Saturday, Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, causing untold property damage, environmental destruction and loss of life from Florida through Texas. At least 1,836 humans died, victims of nature, government ineptitude and indifference, and racism and classism. The number of nonhuman animal victims will never be known.

Though I didn’t observe the occasion here in writing, the anniversary didn’t pass me by unnoticed. The weekend’s birthday celebrations were bittersweet; while spoiling my dog-kids with homemade treats, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the many dogs who perished in the storm and its aftermath – some of them murdered in cold blood, by people who should have been their protectors.

A year after Katrina, I marked the day with a sort a photo retrospective, which I titled “The Greatness of a Nation,” after the much-loved Mahatma Gandhi quotation. Three years later, I don’t have much to add, so I invite you to go check it out if you haven’t already.
 

 
The past four years have seen a number of books and films made about Hurricane Katrina; see, for example, Douglas Brinkley’s The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast (2006); Jed Horne’s Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City (2008); and Josh Neufeld’s A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge (2009). Many of these projects have focused on animal rescue efforts: Mike Shiley’s Dark Water Rising: Survival Stories of Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescues (2006); Best Friends’ Not Left Behind: Rescuing the Pets of New Orleans (2006); Cathy Scott’s Pawprints of Katrina: Pets Saved and Lessons Learned (2008); and even children’s books, such as Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival (2008).

Released in 2007, Tom McPhee’s An American Opera: The Greatest Pet Rescue Ever! is a documentary recounting the spontaneous and titanic efforts undertaken by local and national animal activists to rescue the nonhuman animals caught in Hurricane Katrina’s wake:

Tom McPhee’s An American Opera: The Greatest Pet Rescue Ever! is a multi-award winning documentary film chronicling what happened during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana when pet owners were forced to evacuate without their pets. An American Opera follows the pets, vets, owners, officials, rescuers, and adopters of animals as they try to remedy the situation, revealing that not everyone had the same goal of saving animals. Tom McPhee directed, narrated, and produced the film with the production companies Man Smiling Moving Pictures and Cave Studio.

Interviewing leaders of animal organizations and volunteers who went to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, it is revealed that at the beginning, everyone had different ideas about how things should be done, but no one was willing to take charge because the problem was bigger than anyone could have imagined. The film champions the volunteers whose only concern was saving animals, unlike the animal organizations who were more concerned with the chain of command.

After about a month, the state put the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in charge who told the volunteers to stop rescuing. Anyone not with the LA/SPCA was considered ‘rogue’ and operating outside the authority. Meanwhile, the police in St. Bernard Parish were shooting dogs in what they say was a form of mercy.

Months after Katrina, many owners are still not reunited with their pets because they do not know where they are and do not have the means to find them. Some people have found that their animals have been adopted out and cannot get them back.

The film ends with Barkus, a Louisiana pet parade, indicating New Orleans was not washed away with the hurricane.

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Here’s the latest update from California via Kinship Circle (you can view previous alerts here and here). If you’re able to help out in any way, shape or form, please follow the directions contained within the alert. I’m not affiliated with Kinship Circle or any of the CA-based animal rescue groups – I’m simply trying to spread the word! Kinship Circle welcomes readers to crosspost its alerts (as is), so feel free to copy and paste this post if you’d like.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Subject: Animals In California Fires: An Overview

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/

9/2/09: Animals In California Fires – An Overview

1. Animal Acres Update
2. Wildlife Waystation
3. Pasadena Humane Society
4. Shambala Big Cat Sanctuary
5. Horses Ride Out Fire At Pierce College Equestrian Center
6. Fire Evacuation Sites That Accept Animals

=========================

1. Animal Acres Update

Animal Acres / 5200 Escondido Canyon Rd / Acton, CA 93510
661-269-5404 * info [at] animalacres.org * animalacres.org

LT: Pigs get a drink at the evac site.

RT: Animals rest at their evacuation center near Palmdale, Calif.

“Acton, CA. Apr. 29, 2009. Lorri Houston, Exec. Director of Animal Acres, a 26 acres farm animal sanctuary that strives to provide farm animals welfare and affection. They have taken no precautions and still have tours of school kids and visitors doing hands-on petting of pigs and other animals. A 1 month old piglet in the sanctuary on Apr. 29, 2009.”

Farm animals evacuated because of Station fire.

ON THE GROUND: SITUATION CONTAINED. STANDBY VOLS NEEDED FOR RETURN TRANSPORT.

Frank Allen, Animal Acres’ manager, tells Kinship Circle all animals are safely evacuated to one site. Volunteers will be needed when time to transport animals back to Animals Acres — a task that may be more difficult than the evacuation itself, since everyone is spread out.

Frank will not risk moving animals until the fires are 95% contained and out of the area. As in any crisis situation, we ask for your patience and flexibility…as circumstances can change in a heartbeat.

UPDATE FROM ANIMAL ACRES FOUNDER LORRI HOUSTON:

“We are safe and all animals have been relocated… The past two days, volunteers have installed wire lines directly to the animal enclosures, constructed additional pen areas, and moved cleaning, health care, and feed supplies and equipment to the evacuation site — as it now appears that the sanctuary animals will not be able to return until September 15 or later.“

Animal Acres needs $$ for construction of shade shelters and automatic waters, as animals will be at the evac site awhile in high temperatures.

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Update, 9/2/09: Please see the newest update here.

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This is an update to yesterday’s alert.

For minute-by-minute CA animal rescue news, follow these accounts on Twitter: SPCALA, SPCALAPresident, VeganAvenger, and VeganInLA – and check out the hasgtags #station, #LA and #DART.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Subject: UPDATE – Standby Volunteers For Animal Acres Now

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK
8/31/09: UPDATE – Standby Volunteers Needed Now
Animal Acres Preps For 2nd Evacuation As Fire Nears

Sanctuary critters at Animal Acres: www.animalacres.org/gallery.html

TO BE AN ANIMALS ACRES STANDBY VOLUNTEER:

KINSHIP CIRCLE is recruiting/managing standby volunteers for Animal Acres
SEND INFO BELOW TO: info [at] kinshipcircle.org

- FIRST & LAST NAME:
- PHONE NUMBERS:
- EMAIL ADDRESS:
- FULL ADDRESS:
SUBJECT LINE: Animal Acres Volunteer

50/50 CHANCE ANIMAL ACRES NEEDS TO RE-EVACUATE ANIMALS

8/31/09 — AUTHORIZED BY FRANK ALLEN, ANIMAL ACRES
Susie V Kaufman, Animal Acres Evacuation Coordinator, susie [at] jarrettlennon.com

Evacuation Site #2 is now potentially in the path of the Station Fire, which is heading due north towards Palmdale (where all the animals, except sheep and goats, are). The sheep and goats are still at Animal Acres.

As of 2:07PM, Monday, 31 August 2009, Frank Allen has asked everyone to be on alert for a second evacuation. He has also asked that NO ONE CALL HIM. Instead, he wants everyone to be on strong standby, and await a phone call and/or email to deploy.

ADDRESS FOR EVACUATION SITE #2 IS:
10955 Hillview Lane
Littlerock, California 93543

DIRECTIONS TO EVACUATION SITE #2 FROM LOS ANGELES AREA:
- 5 or 405 or 210 to…
- Highway 14 toward Palmdale
- Exit 30 (Pearblossom Hwy) – 0.7 miles
- Merge onto Sierra Hwy – 0.8 miles
- Continue on Pearblossom Hwy – 4.5 miles
- Slight right at 138/Pearblossom Hwy – 5.8 miles
- Turn right at 106th St E – 2.1 miles
- Turn left at Butterfield Stage Rd – 0.2 miles
- Slight left at Hillview Lane – 0.2 miles
- Turn left – evacuation site on right – 213 feet

All exits on the 14 have been closed since yesterday. HOWEVER, Animal Acres evacuation helpers now have official permission to cross the blockade. When you reach the exit, approach one of the CHP blockade officers, identify yourself, and explain that you’re there to help with the re-evacuation.

TO BE AN ANIMALS ACRES STANDBY VOLUNTEER:
Email info [at] kinshipcircle.org
- FIRST & LAST NAME:
- PHONE NUMBERS:
- EMAIL ADDRESS:
- FULL ADDRESS:
SUBJECT LINE: Animal Acres Volunteer

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Update, 9/2/09: Please see the newest update here.

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Update, 8/31/09: Please see Kinship Circle’s most recent update here.

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I know it’s late, so I’ll make this quick: several animal rescue organizations, specifically Animal Acres (as described below by Kinship Circle) and possibly Gentle Barn (below KC’s alert) and others, need help evacuating from the California wildfires. If you’re in or near the area and able to help, keep reading. Otherwise, please spread the word to those who can provide assistance. Please and thank you.

Also, you can keep up to date on what’s happening on Twitter; try the hashtags #fire, #wildfires, #la, #evacuation and the like. At the time of this writing, none are trending topics, though hopefully that will change as people start to mobilize.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Sun, Aug 30, 2009 at 6:35 PM
Subject: Animal Acres Evacuates In Path Of Calif. Fires

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

8/30/09: Animal Acres Evacuates In The Path Of Calif. Fires

1. California Wildfires Move NW, Toward Animal Acres
2. Be On Emergency Standby With Animal Acres
3. Supplies/Equipment/Volunteers Needed For Animal Acres

Pets get help as flames approach: Rose Mary Berman of Palos Verdes Estates feeds a carrot to Norman one of 15 horses evacuated to Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates. Donna Littlejohn/Daily Breeze,

www.dailybreeze.com/latestnews/ci_13226056

============================

1. California Wildfires Move NW, Toward Animal Acres

8/29/09 – 8/30/09, PRESENT SITUATION / NOTES:

Fire moves toward Acton as officials hope for lower temperatures:

The strongest part of the Station fire burning in Angeles National Forest and La Canada Flintridge area is moving northwest of the park toward Acton, California, said Jennifer Sanchez of the U.S. Forest Service. [ANIMAL ACRES IS LOCATED IN ACTON]. Evacuations for some Acton residents are in place…

Since it began 8/26/09, the Station fire has burned 35,200 acres and prompted mandatory evacuations of 10,000 homes, according to Forest Service.

www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-08/48663340.jpg

AUTHORIZED BY FRANK ALLEN, ANIMAL ACRES
Susie V Kaufman, Animal Acres Evacuation Coordinator
susie [at] jarrettlennon.com

8/30/09 — There is a mandatory evacuation in order on the northeast side of Acton. Animal Acres has begun the evacuation process. Currently, horses and donkeys are in the initial process of being moved from Animal Acres to Evacuation Site #2. The following is still only POSSIBLE: The next to be moved will be cows, followed by sheep, goats, and pigs, then birds. They will be moved to Evacuation Site #1. I know nothing about the emus.

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