Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center. This disaster has had serious repercussions for animals, too. Animals became trapped in buildings after people learned they were unable to return. At an apartment management company’s request, three PETA vehicles were sent up to New York City early on the morning of Friday, September 14, to assist in rescuing stranded animals. In the wake of this terrible tragedy, the comfort of beloved nonhuman companions and the knowledge that they are safe truly means so much to human victims and their friends and families.

Ground zero is obviously very dangerous, and security is extremely tight. Access to evacuated apartments is denied to all but authorized personnel and those who can produce identification proving that they lived in the affected buildings. After the Office of Emergency Management denied the PETA team’s clearance to enter the “hot zone,” our rescuers got to work facilitating rescues by serving as a liaison among animal guardians, building managers, and law enforcement officers. 
 
Our rescue team posted and distributed more than 1,000 fliers begging people to contact PETA if they know of animals whose guardians are missing. Volunteers offered to distribute fliers as well. There has been a huge response.
 
PETA’s rescue team was also able to inform others about how to get help for animals affected by the tragedy by getting media coverage in newspapers and on TV stations, including two Spanish-language programs. We were able to reach millions of people and help hundreds of animals.

After donating dog and cat food, potable water, and other supplies to the animal rescue effort, the PETA rescuers returned home to Norfolk on Monday, September 17.
 
PETA has also issued a news release encouraging people across the country to make plans for their animals now in the event disaster strikes. For more information on disaster preparedness and your companion animals, click here.

If you know of an animal who may still need help, please call the ASPCA's hotline at 212-876-7700, ext. 4pet, or by e-mail at wtcdisaster@aspca.org. Please DO NOT use this number UNLESS you are calling about a possibly stranded animal. It is imperative that this hotline not be filled with unrelated messages that could lead to a delay in rescuing animals in dire need of assistance.

Thank you to PetSmart's managers, Eddie Cousin, Summer Lamere, Danielle Carlin, Paxton Karns, Debbie Prior for donating eye wash, bandages, and booties for the dogs searching the Pentagon wreckage. Thanks, too, to PETA member Vaile Walders who collected all of these items and personally took them down to the barricades.

Include Animals in Emergency Planning

Please make sure your community is prepared to care for animals during disasters. Ask your mayor to implement the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) preparation plan. City emergency workers can prepare themselves by taking FEMA's online courses for community preparation at http://www.fema.gov/fema/aprep.htm ("Animals in Disasters," Modules A and B). Ask your mayor to require this course for employees of any businesses that involve live animals, such as "pet" shops, farm owners, or kennels. These businesses should be able to prove to the city that they have an emergency safety plan for the animals in their care.

Please also contact your community Web sites and ask them to provide a link to FEMA's preparation plan at http://www.fema.gov/fema/aprep.htm.

If you are an animal caretaker, PETA urges you to take FEMA's courses (http://www.fema.gov/fema/aprep.htm). Please also write a letter to your local newspaper and encourage others to take this course or read about how to prepare for disaster at the FEMA Web site. (To find the section about animals, go to the “Preparations” link and select “Pets and Disasters.”) For more information about preparing for disasters, go to www.HelpingAnimals.com.