Turkish-Syria Quake| How animals are both rescued and rescuers

Humans are still being rescued beneath the rubble following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit southern Turkey and Syria on February 6, but they are not the only victims. “Countless” animals have also been killed or are still waiting to be rescued, while some animals have even been helping humans in the aftermath of the disaster.

Dogs, cats, birds, hens, etc. have been rescued in both countries by local animal rescue and search teams and other international rescue staff from more than 100 countries.

Animal Rights Federation in Turkey (HAYTAP) has saved dozens of animals since the earthquake occurred, taking them to its field hospitals in the quake-stricken areas. On February 13, the organization published videos of rescued cats and dogs at the quake scene and the field hospital in Hatay, one of the ten cities that were affected by the quake. One day earlier, a family of four puppies and their mother were rescued by the HAYTAP team in cooperation with the Istanbul Fire Crew.

Although many relief members are working around the clock to rescue more animals, “terrible shrieks of animals trapped under rubble” are still being heard, HAYTAP stated, according to the Network for Animals organization on February 13.

In Syria, Ernesto’s Sanctuary for Cats, the only animal rescue organization in Northwest Syria, has been working to save dozens of dogs, hens, cows and other animals affected by the earthquake.

They also rushed to save more animals that are not directly affected by the quake but are at risk of drowning after the earthquake broke the embankment of the Orontes River. When residents left Idlib after water inundated the land and agricultural areas, many animals were left behind.

‘Life-savers’

At the same time, many animals in this catastrophe have participated in rescuing people in Turkey and Syria. For instance, after a rescue team carrying aid to quake victims lost their way to the village of Ayanburnu in the Göksun district of Kahramanmaraş due to bad roads full of rocks and stones, a dog guided them to the village, reported En Son Haber.

Also, other rescue dogs from different countries helped find more victims. A team from K9 Search and Rescue (NI), a UK organization that provides search and rescue assistance, arrived in Adana, one of the ten disaster-stricken areas in Turkey, to help find victims under the rubble.

Other well-trained dogs were sent from the US, Mexico, Greece, Libya, Taiwan, Germany, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and other countries to the disaster areas.

However, some of those rescue dogs also became victims of the quake. Preto, a rescue dog from Mexico, died under the rubble during rescue work, HAYTAP said on February 12.

The US-based International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), one of the largest international animal welfare charities, allocated $50,000 as an initial emergency grant for rescue efforts in Syria and Turkey.

“Thousands of animals will need emergency support, whether veterinary care or food or shelter, and we are working with partners in the hardest-hit communities. The need for emergency help grows each day and we are stepping up to do our part and help animals and people in crisis,” said IFAW Disaster Resilience Manager Jennifer Gardner in a statement on February 10.

As long as rescue missions are still operating on the ground, there is hope of finding more animals alive.