IFAW Assists Animal Relief Efforts In Flood-Hit North Carolina

Hurricane Floyd has left a destructive trail of disaster and death in the hard-hit areas of eastern North Carolina, flooding thousands of acres and threatening the lives of over a quarter million livestock, companion animals and wildlife. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (https://www.ifaw.org)–the largest animal welfare organization in the world–has joined with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in a cooperative relief effort to assist state and local government agencies with the overwhelming number of necessary animal related rescue and relief operations.

“This is a devastating tragedy for the people of North Carolina,” said IFAW Team Leader Shirley Minshew. “Officials expected over 250,000 dead animals by mid-week. It is our goal to keep that number from climbing higher,” she said.

Since Sunday, IFAW has been carrying out aerial surveys of the areas around Kinston, using its Bell Ranger helicopter piloted by veteran relief pilot Telford Allen, and carrying IFAW sponsored University of California (Davis) veterinarians John Madigan and Jackie Whitamore. Fixed with pontoons, the helicopter is capable of landing on the dangerous flood water. On Monday, the team identified a drowning horse near the town of Grafton, which they successfully airlifted out, with the cooperation of a National Guard cargo capacity helicopter. Land-based relief work continued on Tuesday, and Wednesday two more horses and 15 head of cattle were found neck deep in water in the Tarboro area and plans are being made to airlift them to safety.

IFAW/HSUS team members stationed at the government-run Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Raleigh have also been key in handling emergency requests from individuals in the local communities. One farmer called in to check on the status of 10,000 hogs that he had released as the flood waters rose to dangerous levels. Another farmer sought information on 400 head of cattle, which he could not reach due to the floods. Still yet another farmer called to confirm the death of 26,000 of his chickens and 6,000 of his hogs, while he sought information on his other hog houses that he could not reach. With flood water levels not set to peak until the weekend due to heavy rains today, calls continue to pour in by the minute