American Humane, the United States’ first national humane organization and the world’s largest certifier of animal welfare practices, announced today that the Rescue Team has mobilized from the previous Hurricane Helene deployment in North Carolina to Florida to support communities affected by Hurricane Milton.
The American Humane Rescue Team consistently monitors for natural disasters and deploys first response units with state-of-the-art rescue vehicles to help animals in danger. Hurricane Milton is an especially devastating storm leaving over 2 million people without power, and thousands of animals without the resources they need.
“The American Humane Rescue Team is first to serve animals wherever they are needed most, delivering vital resources and care,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of American Humane. “As an organization with such strong roots in Florida, we are dedicated to helping animals in our own community and beyond.”
American Humane coordinates with partner organizations and local officials for requests for assistance before deploying resources in the most effective and efficient way possible. Providing urgent care for stranded, injured, and lost animals in the wake of a natural disaster requires around-the-clock attention to the physical and mental well-being of each individual animal.
The American Humane Rescue Team was founded more than 100 years ago during World War I, when the U.S. Secretary of War requested assistance caring for injured horses in war-torn Europe. Since then, American Humane’s animal first responders have been on the ground for several disasters throughout our nation’s history, from Pearl Harbor, to 9/11, to the historic eastern Kentucky flooding of 2022 and beyond.
To support American Humane’s lifesaving work, please visit americanhumane.org/program/animal-rescue.