Our disaster relief team does not shy away from challenging conditions when it comes to helping animals and their families. In 2020, they responded to animals’ needs following the devastation wrought by Australia's wildfires, and last year they went to save animals after the earthquakes in Türkiye. The team’s experience, training and preparation make such a difference. Now our disaster relief team has deployed to Chile to help save hundreds of animals in the wake of devastating and fatal fires. Thousands of people and potentially hundreds of companion animals have been affected, suffering with burns, smoke inhalation and other injuries, with many dogs and cats displaced with or without their families. In this guest blog, Felipe Marquez, our program manager for Latin America region disaster response, shares a glimpse of the team’s work in the field.
As in any disaster response, our teams on the ground see and hear unbelievable stories of survival and resilience, and the response to Chile's wildfires and urban fires is no different.
Since our first day here, our responders have been working with the affected communities and their animals. Hundreds of dogs, cats, cows, horses and other animals were burnt, displaced or affected in some way by one of the most destructive and powerful fires that Chile has ever had.