Ensuring Safety in Animal Rescue Operations During Floods is Paramount
The State Civil Defense estimates that around 20 thousand animals are rescued in Rio Grande do Sul. To date, more than 12 thousand animals have been saved, ranging from dogs to horses and cows. The State government entered into a partnership with the Non-Governmental Organization Response Group for Animals in Disasters (Grad). The cooperation agreement provides for joint work on planning, management, monitoring and execution of activities carried out in animal rescues.
Brazil has a National Mass Disaster Contingency Plan from the Federal Council of Veterinary Medicine involving animals. The document was created to support veterinarians who are in the field working on the rescue. This document contains guidelines on how to conduct the rescue, veterinary assistance, maintenance and disposal of these domestic and wild animals, details Caio Motta, professor at the Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering at USP in Pirassununga. “The plan applies to different types of disasters, including fires, floods and dam collapses. It provides references for action, which must be adapted to each tragic situation with its particularities and peculiarities.” It is necessary to remember that, during the rescue, the animals are scared, many of them are weakened and far from their owners and being helped by unknown people.
“In a situation like this, care is needed to ensure the safety of the animal and the team carrying out the rescue. In the case of large animals, one of the biggest difficulties is in relation to transport, because they are animals, in general, very heavy and cannot remain lying down for a long time. Various equipment can be used, depending on the species, one of the most common is the cambão, a puçá, nets, ropes and life jackets, in the case of animals that have to be transported in floods, in boats, transport boxes. In the case of wild animals, you often need specific equipment, such as snake hooks or specific nets for capturing birds. Very large animals often need to be rescued with helicopters. Some need to be sedated, wild animals, for example, carnivores like a jaguar, a wolf, they often need to be sedated. Then it may be necessary to use an anesthetic rifle.”
Frontline
Veterinarians are on the front line of the action, but there are other professionals who contribute to this service, such as firefighters, rescuers, brigade members, in the case of fires, for example. It is always a multidisciplinary team also made up of people who have experience in disaster situations. In the case of wild animals, the participation of biologists is important.
In the case of injured animals, extra care must be taken. It is important that they are observed, initially from a distance, and that this approach is carried out with care. Once the animal is contained, it will receive initial stabilization by the veterinarian, so that it can be transported and receive appropriate treatment and veterinary assistance, in a place that has more structure to treat the wound or injury it presents.