Emergency food helps alleviate the suffering of animals in tsunami stricken Samoa

The World Society for the Protection of Animals’ (WSPA) disaster response team has been able to relieve the suffering of hundreds of dogs and cats caught up in last week’s devastating tsunami through the provision of much needed food.

WSPA works to align animal welfare and humanitarian agendas to reduce poverty, hunger and disease in humans. The people of Samoa are heavily reliant on their cattle, pigs and chickens. The islands also have a significant dog population.

WSPA New Zealand’s regional manager and chair of the country’s National Animal Welfare Emergency Management Group, Melissa Brown said: “The survival and wellbeing of animals is critical for the recovery of the communities which rely on them. The WSPA team has been providing emergency food to the surviving dogs since it arrived.”

The team has distributed hundreds of cans of cat and dog food to the six worst hit villages, provided by WSPA member society, the Animal Protection Society of Samoa (APS). WSPA’s Disaster Management Veterinary Co-ordinator Juan Carlos Murillo and APS Veterinarian Skye Turner accompanied the team to provide emergency treatment to animals, along with advice for owners to ensure their future wellbeing.

The dogs are especially hungry. Many of the people who once fed them did not survive the tsunami; those who managed to escape are now surviving on food provided by the aid agencies. As a result, there are few food scraps left and the villages desperately need these supplies for their animals. Mayor of Saleaamua village, Tiumalu Amakisa said: “Thank you so much for your donation. Thank you for what you do for us and our country.”

In addition to the food that has already been distributed, Hill’s Pet Nutrition (NZ) Ltd has donated 2 tonnes of its Hill’s Science Diet dog food that will be handed out to villagers for their animals. NZAid helped to secure freight space on a flight from Auckland to Samoa that leaves today (7th Oct NZ time).

Ms Brown added that the WSPA team had met an extremely lucky family in Ulutogia who managed to escape unharmed from the tsunami, thanks to their dog. “He sensed the water coming and started barking. Thankfully, the family looked to see what had frightened him and saw the wave coming. Their houses were destroyed but the people were able to escape with their two young children, their dogs and their neighbours too.”