American Humane Association Headed to Georgia to Rescue Animals Caught in Tornados

American Humane Association
Monday, 14 February 2000

The American Humane Association (AHA) has deployed Animal Planet Rescue, an 82-foot disaster relief vehicle, to help rescue animals affected by this morning's deadly tornadoes in Georgia. Animal Planet Rescue will arrive in Atlanta tonight, where it will be met by a team of trained animal rescue professionals. The team will then head to Thomasville, Georgia, on Tuesday, to conduct a damage assessment of the region and stage its initial animal rescue operations.

For the third year, AHA has joined forces with the cable channel Animal Planet to send the relief vehicle and a team of rescuers into areas hit by natural disasters. The vehicle is equipped with a mobile vet clinic, specialized animal rescue equipment, rescue rafts and boats, as well as water tanks, animal feed, kennels and corrals to house rescued animals. In addition, this high tech command center can house up to eight rescue personnel.

According to Dr. Dick Green, AHA's Manager of Emergency Animal Relief, it is expected that much of AHA's work will involve assisting livestock and other farm animals caught in the storm. "The tornadoes cut through an area that is heavily agricultural," Dr. Green said. "Once we arrive in southern Georgia, we'll conduct a damage assessment on Tuesday to determine where Animal Planet Rescue can be of the most assistance. From the reports I have received already, I anticipate we'll be doing a great deal of work helping bring livestock to safety, along with helping families reunite with pets lost or injured during the storms."

For assistance in media coverage of Animal Planet Rescue operations, please contact Jack Sparks at AHA Headquarters, (303) 925-9453. Updates on the location of Animal Planet Rescue and the rescue operations will also appear at www.americanhumane.org.

The American Humane Association has been helping animals in disasters since World War I when asked by the US government to form a rescue and ambulance service for injured cavalry horses. The past five years have been among the busiest ever for AHA's emergency animal relief. AHA has rescued animals after every major recent disaster including earthquakes, hurricanes and floods. Most recently, AHA, along with Animal Planet Rescue, spent two-and-a-half weeks in North Carolina helping animals caught in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd.

Launched in October 1996, and now available in 54.4 million homes, Animal Planet offers a wide range of television entertainment including dramatic reality-based series, talk shows, original fictional programming, high-quality children's shows, documentaries, and more. Discovery Networks, U.S., a unit of Discovery Communications, Inc., operates and manages Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery People, Discovery Kids Channel, Discovery Science Channel, Discovery Home & Leisure Channel, Discovery Civilization Channel, Discovery Wings Channel, and Discovery en Español. The unit also markets and distributes BBC America. Animal Planet's Web site address is www.animalplanet.com.

For more information, or to contact American Humane Association, see their website at: www.americanhumane.org