Animals Asia Rescues Family Dogs from Earthquake Zone
by Angela Leary

Survivors in Sichuan’s earthquake-hit region of Dujiangyiang are lining up to hand over their pet dogs to Animals Asia for safe-keeping until they are back on their feet.  Animals Asia decided to act when it heard the authorities in Dujiangyiang were implementing a cull of all dogs because of fears they would spread disease.  To date, the Animals Asia team has rescued 68 dogs and two cats, bringing them to Chengdu, some to an animal shelter, others to it's rescue centre for urgent medical attention.

"We are asking people who want their dogs back to sign an agreement that we will make sure they are well-looked after for six months; after that, if they are still unable to take their pets back and want to renew, they can. If not, we will try to rehome the animals.  We are also taking starving dogs that have been found wandering around looking for food."

"'We are also taking starving
dogs that have been found wandering
around looking for food.'"

Repeated offers by Animals Asia to go into the devastated area to vaccinate dogs and people against rabies and to rescue strays paid off on Saturday when the Dijiangying Rabies Control Centre gave oral permission for the charity to help.

Animals Asia has secured free dog food and free vaccinations from the corporate sector and is now concentrating on saving as many dogs (and cats) as possible.  It is a race against time, as any dogs or cats found by the police or soldiers will be killed, either shot or beaten with sticks.  The rescuers are taking the animals to the Qi Ming Pet Rescue Centre in Chengdu, which can take around 200 dogs.  Animals Asia, with funding aid from the Humane Society International is providing food and building a temporary quarantine area at the shelter.

Animals Asia's Founder and CEO Jill Robinson said she was heartened by the response of people in the survivors' camp, many of whom came up to thank the Animals Asia team for caring about the dogs.  She said she hoped that in future the authorities would think twice before ordering a cull in a disaster zone.

"We understand the need to act urgently to stop the spread of disease," Ms. Robinson said. “However, in a disaster such as this, dogs and cats in fact stop the spread of disease by keeping down the rodent population.

"With no dogs and cats, rats and mice will quickly breed to plague proportions, leading to the serious threat of an epidemic.  The surest way of spreading leptospirosis is to remove dogs from the streets.  Also, with no dogs and cats to control their population, rats will quickly devour food rations."

"... dogs have been working
alongside human rescue workers doing what
they do best–helping humans."

Ms. Robinson said that from day one of the earthquake, dogs have been working alongside human rescue workers doing what they do best – helping humans.  "For example, sniffer dogs have found many survivors in the rubble, with one dog saving 35 lives.  In another case, an old lady survived for 190 hours buried under rocks because two dogs kept licking her lips and giving her the will to live.”

She said that even family pets and strays, with their keen sense of smell and willingness to help humans, could locate trapped people and human remains – dogs found barking and whining in areas of devastation have often led to the detection of survivors when human rescuers have long since given up.

For more information, please contact Animals Asia Media Manager, Angela Leary:  aleary@animalsasia.org