Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central region of the Philippines with devastating force in November 2013, received much notoriety for being the strongest storm to ever make landfall. 200 mile per hour winds, torrential rains and coastal surges wiped entire towns off the map, and millions of people and animals continue to be affected.
Network For Animals immediately rushed a disaster relief team to the area to begin the monumental task of helping the surviving animals displaced by the typhoon. We provided ton after ton of food for starving animals, veterinary care for the wounded, and we dispensed water purification tablets, antibiotics and de wormers en masse.
The extent of the damage caused by the typhoon was so extensive that our team returned to the hardest hit areas in mid December and will do so again in late January to hand out more food and provide vet care while the region struggles to stabilise.
Our team has of course encountered many, many stories of heartbreak: People unable to save their pets from drowning, not having enough food for their animals in the aftermath, homes to rebuild for them and their pets… The list goes on.
During our December mission, the team came across a story that highlighted the bond between people and their animals. A four year old girl named Hazel Bracero living in San Remigio was swept away by the storm surge whipped up by the typhoon. As Hazel was swept out to sea one of the families pet dogs immediately swam towards her, allowed her to hang onto his back and then swam back to shore, saving her from drowning.
