Disaster Response

Of all the areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy, Rockaway Beach, Queens, underwent some of the most heartbreaking destruction. For one family in that area, this meant their first-floor apartment flooded to such a great extent that they could no longer open their front door. Luckily, the family is safe, and they managed to rescue their 11-month-old dog Hazel from the floodwaters just in time.

Unfortunately, Hazel’s pet parent, Eddy, has been staying in temporary housing that does not accommodate animals, and he was nearly forced to surrender her to a shelter. That’s when Geoff, a longtime ASPCA photographer and owner of Tischman Pets Photography, stepped in to help. After meeting Hazel and Eddy while on assignment at an evacuation center in Jamaica, Queens, and hearing their story, Geoff volunteered to look after Hazel for as long as necessary.

Despite going through a terrifying time, Hazel is thriving. She has made friends with Geoff’s dog, Baxter, and the two are enjoying playing and taking walks together. When Hazel sleeps in her crate, Baxter sleeps next to her on the rug. We’re so glad that Hazel is safe and sound in her temporary home.

There are countless other animals that need our help in Hurricane Sandy’s wake. Please help us continue to provide food, shelter and veterinary aid to animals affected by this storm.

Yesterday we told you about our field team’s work to reunite families with their pets in the Rockaways, one of many areas that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Check out this touching video of Leanne Rivera’s reunion with her beloved pup Precious.

Sandy hit the Rockaways hard, and the ASPCA is responding in that area in three ways: We’re distributing pet supplies at several key points, providing veterinary care to residents, and rescuing animals who were left behind as the storm bore down on this seaside community.

One call our rescue team received informed us that the Rivera family in the Rockaways had been forced to leave their dog and three cats behind when they evacuated to a shelter on Tuesday.

Leann and Precious, reunited.

Leann and Manny Rivera had been at home with their seven children when Sandy hit, and it was only a matter of minutes before their home was flooded with 15 or 16 feet of water.

Their landlord told them to break down the door on the empty third-floor apartment in their two-family house, so all nine people and four pets huddled in one room there until the water was low enough that they could swim out.

The Riveras didn’t know they could bring pets to the shelter, and they also had no way to get them through the water. They left their pets in the house with four days’ worth of food and water and trudged through their flooded street to a police station, where they were sent to a shelter. Staff there told them the ASPCA could help them get their animals back, and we did.

We found the cats hiding in various places around the house and the little dog, terrified, barking on the couch. We placed the cats in carriers and wrapped the dog in a blanket and took them to safety.

When we pulled in to the evacuation center where the Riveras were staying, Leann ran next to our truck as it pulled in. She couldn’t wait to see her “other children.” As we opened the van door, Leann’s little dog nearly exploded with glee to see his mom again, and Leann returned the enthusiasm. The animals are now with the Riveras at the shelter, where Leann reports her children are overjoyed to see their pets again.

Field rescues of animals trapped in homes continues today in the Rockaways and elsewhere.

Please help support our ongoing relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

Ocean County, New Jersey, was particularly devastated by the affects of Hurricane Sandy, and the ASPCA is on the ground there conducting water and land rescues for animal displaced or lost during the storm.

At the request of the Ocean County Health Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department in Toms River, New Jersey, ASPCA responders arrived on the ground late Thursday to work with local officials to assess the situation and establish a system to reunite pet parents with their animals.

On Friday, an eight-person team responded to more than 30 animal rescue requests, retrieving displaced pets and reuniting them with their owners.

“Many people have lost their homes due to the storm, and our goal is to alleviate some of the stress for pet owners by reuniting them with their animals,” says Dr. Dick Green, Director of Disaster Response for the ASPCA Field Investigations and Response team.

These efforts are a true collaborative effort with other responders from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Animal Rescue League of Boston, as well as the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Toms River Animal Control.

For updates on the ASPCA’s response to Hurricane Sandy, keep visiting this blog, and follow the ASPCA on Twitter.

Please help us continue to provide food, supplies and relief for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.