Assisting Animals in Aftermath of Disastrous Hurricane Season
Aid Prevents Suffering of Tens of Thousands of Animals and Helps Prevent Economic Collapse

November 11, 2008

London, England: The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is the first animal welfare organization in history to conduct an animal welfare disaster relief operation in Cuba. The organization's extensive relief program, organized in response to Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Fay which all hit Cuba within weeks of each other in August and September, began as yet another powerful hurricane (Paloma) hit the storm-weary island last weekend. Cuban economists estimate the effect of the hurricanes has put the country's development back eighteen years.

Due to decades of hardship, Cuba has sought to remove its dependence on fossil fuels and thus huge parts of the country are powered by working animals. This heavy dependence on draft animals for plowing and transportation mean that they are crucial for the recovery of the country. Thousands of animals are suffering as a result of the hurricanes and the harder they are worked, the weaker and more prone to disease and parasites they become.
 
WSPA's veterinary supplies and drugs will improve the health of the animals and help them get through the tough times to be ready for the workload as Cuba rebuilds. Vaccinations against disease and treatment against parasites will prevent animals weakening further. Working animals will also be treated for injuries sustained by flying debris and for foot rot caused by standing in floodwater for long periods of time. People's pets will receive similar treatment.

The Cuban government has welcomed this mission and offered the entire nation's veterinarians to work with WSPA in launching this unprecedented large-scale operation. The team will be led by animal welfare experts from WSPA's office in Costa Rica.

WSPA's work is currently focusing on the areas of Pinar Del Rio, Isla De La Juventud and Holguin, helping more than an estimated 42,000 animals. WSPA will be aiming to help 9,100 Oxen, 7,000 Horses, 1,350 Donkeys and Mules and over 24,000 cats and dogs.

Without help and support for these animals, Cuba will suffer serious food shortages and food security issues. There is a real risk that the large majority of agricultural production will be lost in the affected regions if the working animals cannot be relied upon. International economists are very concerned that such a threat to food production will lead to collapse of the economy with catastrophic results.

The Cuban Civil Defense Service is an acknowledged world leader in disaster preparedness measures, and was able to evacuate and shelter millions of people and tens of thousands of animals before the hurricanes made landfall; however the destruction has taken a terrible toll on the nation. James Sawyer, WSPA Disaster Relief Operations Manager, said, “Rarely do we see levels of devastation of the scale that we have uncovered in Cuba.”

For more than 25 years, WSPA, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, has traveled to the farthest flung corners of the planet to end animal suffering and cruelty.  In 2007, WSPA's Disaster Response Team was able to carry out relief operations in 19 disasters on four continents and provide assistance to over 100,000 animals. WSPA maintains offices to coordinate animal welfare-related project work and campaigning in 15 countries, including the United States and Canada.

#

To find out more about WSPA and its disaster relief work log on to http://www.wspa.ca.

Phone interviews can be arranged; photographs will be available.                      
Contacts: Charlotte Tomic – 917-882-5243 (charlotte@tomiccommunications.com); Tina Mosetis – 516-487-5866 (calltina@verizon.net)