WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, April 11, 2023 —
American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, is deploying a team to Tipton County, TN to help animals in need after two tornadoes hit the area on March 31st. The storm damaged 540 structures, causing more than $37 million in damage. The American Humane Rescue Team is coordinating with authorities on the ground to help provide temporary emergency shelter for displaced pets.
The Tipton County Animal Shelter is overwhelmed following the powerful storm and has requested help from American Humane to help care for injured and displaced animals.
“American Humane prides itself in the ability to quickly and effectively help animals and people in need following natural disasters like the devastating set of tornadoes that recently hit Tipton County,” said American Humane President and CEO, Dr. Robin Ganzert. “Our deployed rescue teams will work tirelessly to help care for displaced pets, and work to unite them with their loved ones. We will do everything in our power to help heal the community and protect the animals that call it home.”
American Humane carefully monitors developing disaster situations and works with local jurisdictions for requests for assistance before deploying resources, including highly trained staff, volunteers, and supplies, in the most effective and efficient way possible. Providing 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 team of animal first responders have been on the ground for virtually every disaster in our nation’s history—including Pearl Harbor, Sept. 11, and the historic eastern Kentucky flooding of 2022.
