American Humane Provides Emergency Relief for Animals Affected by Tornadoes in Kansas

American Humane Association
Wednesday, 7 May 2003

American Humane is activating its Red Star Emergency Services to provide emergency relief for animals affected by the tornadoes that devastated parts of Kansas.

American Humane is sending a team of National Responders to report to the Southeast Kansas Humane Society in Franklin, Kan. The highly trained team of National Responders will search for and rescue lost animals and will help the staff at the humane society provide emergency triage for injured animals. The National Responders will also help the humane society establish a temporary shelter for animals left homeless by the tornadoes. In addition to these efforts, American Humane is working with PETsMART Charities to coordinate the contribution of large airline crates to assist with moving and holding animals.

"The Southeast Kansas Humane Society is completely overwhelmed with trying to care for animals that are lost, injured, or homeless as a result of the tornadoes. They are beyond their capacity and so American Humane will be providing our rescue expertise to assist them in any way we can," says Jodi Buckman, American Humane's director of shelter services.

According to various media reports, 80 homes were damaged or destroyed in Crawford County, at least 20 of them in the Franklin area. Assessment teams have reported to American Humane that the entire town appears destroyed. Following a proclamation by President Bush to use federal disaster funds to help meet recovery needs, FEMA declared Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Leavenworth, Miami, Neosho, and Wyandette eligible for federal aid to stricken residents and business owners.

You can help! By making a contribution to American Humane's Red Star Emergency Services, you'll help the National Responders save the animal victims of disasters in Kansas and throughout the country.

For information on how you can support the Southeast Kansas Humane Society, visit www.sekhs.org or call (620) 249-7669.

American Humane's Red Star Emergency Services rescues animals in disasters and reunites them with their guardians. American Humane's National Responders work in all kinds to situations wildfires, floods, hurricanes, blizzards, terrorist attacks to rescue animals that are left behind when their guardians are forced to evacuate. Last year, Red Star helped rescue thousands of animals from fires raging in Colorado and Arizona.

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