animal planet

6 Ways You Can Help Animals In Japan

03/16/2011

Watching the tragedy unfold in Japan this week has been absolutely devastating and many of us may feel helpless as we sit in the comfort of our homes as tsunami victims are dealing with unimaginable challenges. While the focus in Japan is on helping people affected by the divesting earthquake and Tsunami, many people are also concerned about animals affected by the disaster. Here are six ways you can help, courtesy of The Pet Dish.
1) Donate to Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support. A coalition of three groups - HEART-Tokushima, Animal Garden Niigata and Japan Cat Network, their intention is to keep animal rescue on the agenda, provide shelter space and coordinate some earthquake/tsunami animal rescues.
2) Animal Refuge Kansai is also accepting donations. The organization says they have facilities in place and a team of experienced staff able to deal with traumatized animals.
3) The Search Dog Foundation has deployed teams to Japan to help search for victims.
4) Donate to Humane Society International. They have deployed disaster response staff to the region and reached out to Japanese partner organizations involved with animal care and rescue to identify where and how best to provide emergency support and veterinary attention.
5) World Vets are preparing the deployment of a first-responder team to carry out an "on the ground" assessment and provide initial aid. 
6) Join the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support Facebook page to support animal rescue efforts.