Haiti Earthquake Response

Update on Haiti Relief

After treating close to 68,000 animals over the past year in response to the earthquake in Haiti, American Humane Association and the rest of the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) stepped aside in May 2011 as the Haitian government continued addressing animal needs in the country through the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR).

The operation in Haiti was one of the largest animal disaster relief efforts to date, and every goal set for ARCH was met. ARCH’s Mobile Veterinary Clinic served the greater metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince — as well as other impacted areas such as Carrefour and Leogane — treating dogs, cats, horses, cattle, pigs, goats and sheep.

ARCH also left a lasting impact in Haiti by:

• Repairing veterinary infrastructure and supplies by helping rebuild the National Veterinary Laboratory and training veterinarians to deal with disaster situations in the future.
• Promoting pet care and animal welfare education by launching a public awareness campaign about disaster preparedness and including animal welfare in Haiti’s education curriculum for children ages 8-12.
• Protecting the health of humans by vaccinating Haiti’s animal population against diseases like rabies.
• Conducting an animal population and attitudinal survey in Port-au-Prince to provide critical information on animal numbers, health-related data and human-animal interaction.

About American Humane Association and ARCH

American Humane Association is part of the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), a coalition of professional animal welfare organizations formed to provide emergency response services for animals affected by the tragic earthquake. American Humane Association has provided significant funding to ARCH, which is led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Our efforts are always authorized and coordinated with local government and international relief agencies, which recognize that addressing animal issues is an essential part of any disaster response.

Donate now to support our efforts to help animals in future disasters.

January 2011 Update

One-Year Anniversary of the Earthquake

In the year that has passed since the earthquake, the ARCH team has now assisted approximately 50,000 animals.

July 2 Update

Mobile Veterinary Clinic Expands Help for Animals

By the end of May, the ARCH team had assisted 20,214 animals in Haiti, thanks to its Mobile Veterinary Clinic. The clinic team is on the road almost daily (subject to weather, vehicle availability and street demonstrations) providing care and treatment to goats, sheep, pigs and dogs, including rabies and anthrax vaccinations, worming, multivitamins and veterinary treatment for ill animals.

With the advent of hurricane season, heavy rain is causing deteriorating road conditions that affect the ability of the clinic to make already-long journeys. The good news is that supermarkets are generally fully stocked, and most necessary items can be purchased. Street vendors and markets are flourishing and meat, fruit and vegetables are on sale in abundance. One beneficiary is the street dog population -- most dogs seen are in very good condition.

Feb. 12 Update

Hundreds of Animals Treated

Approximately 20 ARCH team members have been in Haiti conducting assessment and rescue/relief work. As of early February, the coalition had treated more than 1,300 animals, including nearly 400 dogs and cats, with cases ranging from malnutrition, mange, fleas, ticks and worms, to tumor removals, wound sutures and other treatments. In the first stage of response, a top priority also was to visit the tent cities, where thousands of people and animals had been surviving with very few resources. The team has now also gone to more-rural areas and treated hundreds of farm animals, including goats, sheep, pigs and cows. Livestock received anthrax vaccine, all dogs and cats were given rabies vaccines. Animals received primary health care plus de-worming and vitamins. The coalition plans to remain in Haiti for an extended duration and work with the government to ensure that all ARCH funds are used appropriately. Read the complete update.