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Animal Victims of Nepal's Earthquake Receive Emergency Aid From Humane Society International's Vet Medical Team
Animals injured or abandoned as a result of Nepal's devastating earthquake are receiving emergency veterinary aid and care from Humane Society International's Animal Rescue Team. HSI is working with our partner organisations such as Animal Welfare Network of Nepal in Kathmandu to provide life-saving veterinary medicines, vaccinations, surgical equipment and other supplies, as well as looking into providing shelter and food for sick, injured, lost and abandoned animals.
Alongside the thousands of people killed or displaced after the earthquake, thousands of animals are also struggling to cope with the aftermath. Many have sustained injuries from being trapped in collapsed buildings or hit by falling debris; thousands of animals have been crushed to death or buried alive in the disaster.
Rahul Sehgal , director of HSI Asia, said: "
In Sengden Village, a remote village outside Kathmandu where 85 per cent of the houses were levelled, people and animals are living in makeshift tents. One woman encountered by our team, Mrs Purnima Tamang , is all alone without family except for her flock of eight goats that she refuses to leave as they all shelter together in what remains of her home. " " she told HSI's rescue team.
Her goats are suffering from exposure, having been soaked by rain for five days, and so HSI veterinarians are treating their respiratory problems and will return to help Mrs Tamang with medicine and food.
In every village HSI has visited so far, animals are getting sick from exposure in the heavy rain; many are too sick to eat, and most of the animal feed is buried in the rubble anyway. Complicating matters is that many of these villages are not easily reached as they are remote and reached only by mountainous dirt roads. It is a desperate situation, and HSI veterinarians have been the first responders on the ground to provide aid in many of these villages.
Seghal, said: "
High quality photos available on request - email whiggins@hsi.org
To see some pictures please contact Wendy Higgins : whiggins@hsi.org
In India: Navamita Mukherjee, nmukherjee@hsi.org, +91-9985472760
In UK: Wendy Higgins , whiggins@hsi.org +44-(0)7989-972-423
In US: Raul Arce-Contreras ,rcontreras@hsi.org +1-301-721-6440