In July, Network for Animals rushed emergency aid to animals affected by the deadly flash floods in Texas, while continuing to deliver vital food and veterinary care for forgotten, hungry and neglected animals in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Greece and Italy.
Read on to find out how your support made a life-saving difference for dogs, cats and donkeys worldwide in July.
NORTH AMERICA
United States – Texas 
Rushing emergency aid to animals caught in deadly flash floods
Credit: Wings of Rescue
In July, lethal flash floods tore through central Texas, claiming the lives of at least 135 people and leaving countless animals lost, stranded, injured and terrified. This tragedy has been classified as the second-deadliest flood disaster in Texas history. Our hearts broke, and continue to break, for the people and animals affected. And as always in times of crisis, we raced into action to help the animals who desperately needed us.
Thanks to generous support from our donors, we were able to rush emergency funds to our local partners, Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) and Wings of Rescue. Your donations empowered our teams to take in surrendered animals from overcrowded shelters in flood-affected areas, carry out life-saving search and rescue missions for lost and displaced pets, and fly hundreds of animals to shelters in other parts of the country to free up space at shelters in the disaster zones. Thank you for standing with us and with the animals of Texas in their darkest, most desperate hour of need
Read the original article here.
AFRICA
South Africa – KwaZulu-Natal 
Breaking the cycle of suffering for thousands of sick, starving dogs
Credit: NFA/Luke Barritt
In a rural, impoverished area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 3,000 dogs are suffering from severe hunger, injury, disease and neglect. Our long-time partner, KZN Valley Dogs, has been feeding these vulnerable animals every Sunday for the past decade, thanks to our help. But as the dog population continues to grow, our team is struggling to cope with the skyrocketing costs of food and medical care for so many desperate animals in need.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we rushed funds to help cover the cost of food and emergency medical care for the dogs for the next month. We are also in the process of planning a massive sterilization program to bring the dog population under control, while improving the overall health and well-being of the dogs living in these communities. Thank you for helping us bring hope to dogs who have no-one else to turn to but us.
Read the original article here.
Zimbabwe – Bulawayo 
Rushing crucial food and medical care to donkeys as hay prices skyrocket
Credit: NFA
In rural Zimbabwe, donkeys are beasts of burden – used to carry water, haul firewood, transport heavy goods and sustain families struggling to survive in one of the world’s worst economies. Our partner, Matabeleland Animal Rescue and Equine Sanctuary (MARES), provides sanctuary for more than 150 rescued animals and runs a crucial donkey welfare outreach program, supporting more than 400 working donkeys in Zimbabwe’s poorest communities. But as the dry winter season sets in, grass is vanishing, hay prices have doubled, and MARES is struggling to feed, treat and care for the animals.
With support from our donors, we rushed funds to provide critical food, as well as life-saving vaccinations and wound care, for the donkeys at the sanctuary, ensuring they are healthy and fed throughout the winter months. You have helped us save the lives of hundreds of donkeys in Zimbabwe – thank you.
Read the original article here.
EUROPE
Greece – Aspropyrgos 
Feeding abandoned and hungry ‘ghost dogs’
NFA Executive Director David Barritt feeds ‘ghost dogs’ in Aspropyrgos, Greece. Credit: NFA
The semi-rural area of Aspropyrgos, just outside of Athens, is a dumping ground for heartless dog-owners who no longer want their animals, and do not care whether they live or die. Forced to fend for themselves and plagued by starvation, disease and abuse, these terrified creatures take shelter in abandoned buildings and vanish when people approach them, earning them the name ‘ghost dogs.’ Our partner, Ghost Dogs of Aspropyrgos, ventures into the area every week to feed and care for these abandoned, sick and hungry animals, but with thousands of dogs desperate for help, we needed urgent support to continue our life-saving feeding and rescue missions.
Thanks to the compassion and generosity of our supporters, we have been empowered to continue feeding the ‘ghost dogs’ through harsh winters and scorching summers, while providing emergency care for those with life-threatening injuries and sterilizing as many dogs as possible to prevent more puppies from being born into suffering.
Read the original article here.
Italy – Umbria 
Feeding, sterilizing and caring for 18 forgotten cats
Credits: NFA/Dejan Radic
In the tiny village of Paciano in Italy’s Umbrian countryside, NFA team member Leslie Busby discovered 18 abandoned cats struggling to survive in a deserted farmhouse. Very few people live in the area, and the cats have been left to fend for themselves and breed unchecked. Three of the cats are pregnant, and soon, there could be at least ten more hungry mouths to feed. Without action, more and more helpless kittens would have been born, leading to an explosion of starving cats.
We have made a commitment to these cats, and after reaching out to our supporters, we are pleased to report that we are helping to cover the cost of food and sterilization procedures for the animals while we work to find them permanent, loving forever homes.
Read the original article here.
LATEST UPDATES
Montevideo, Uruguay – How YOU helped save Malek from certain death. Rescued by our partner, APA El Refugio, Malek was abandoned and left to die with a gaping wound in his face. Thanks to our supporters, Malek received the critical surgery he needed to survive. Watch the video.
Malek is still hoping for a final operation to completely close the wound. If you are able to help him take this last step towards a full recovery, click here.
Credit: APA El Refugio
Ukerewe Island, Tanzania – We have officially vaccinated more than 55% of the street dog population against rabies. After vaccinating 2,992 dogs against rabies and sterilizing 318 in March, the same generous NFA donor who previously supported this project rushed funds so that our partner, LAZAWO, could return to the island, this time vaccinating an additional 2,814 dogs and sterilizing 277. Read more.
Credit: LAZAWO
Lamu, Kenya – Another successful street cat sterilization program. Thanks to support from our donors, we recently sterilized 230 cats in just one week during our latest trap-neuter-return (TNR) program in Lamu, Kenya. Over the past four years, we have single-handedly sterilized 3,440 cats on Lamu and Pate Islands, averaging over 850 cats sterilized each year. Read more.
Credit: NFA
In the news
The state-of-the-art shelter built by NFA in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a vital lifeline for desperate dogs. Read more.
Thank you for being a friend and hero to animals worldwide in July. It is only through the continued generosity of our supporters that we can make a life-saving difference for the dogs, cats, donkeys and horses who so desperately need us.
Credit: NFA
Banner credit: NFA/David Barritt