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It may seem a trivial thing when so many have died, but animal rescuers say returning a loved pet to a child can ease the pain of a natural disaster.
A team of SPCA workers, a MAF adviser and disaster experts from the World Society for the Protection of Animals will travel to Samoa on Saturday to treat and feed animals left hungry and injured by the tsunami.
The team - led by Costa Rican-based animal relief co-ordinator Juan Carlos Murillo - will spend the first two days assessing the problem then decide if they need to have food and equipment flown in.
"One of our first priorities is livestock. If you can leave the livestock alive and healthy, they are often a food source," said WSPA's Bridget Vercoe.
Other priorities are checking on Samoa's large dog population, and rounding up chickens and pigs.
"What happens in situations like this is they [animals] are often quite traumatised and have untreated injuries," said Ms Vercoe.
"To have sick and injured animals roaming around can be quite dangerous. They can spread diseases."
Ms Vercoe said experience with natural disasters in Myanmar, Cuba and Nicaragua showed pets could provide comfort to survivors, even though they might have lost everything else.
"In Myanmar we found a little boy's puppy.
"If people have lost their homes and everything else, to keep a pet can be [a comfort]."
The team will make contact with other aid agencies when they get to Samoa to help find the spots where there are animals in need. Telephone contact has been difficult to establish from New Zealand.
WSPA, which has five full-time staff in Auckland, is paying airfares and accommodation for the team. It works internationally to protect bears, whales, elephants and other animals from neglect and cruelty.
The Samoan relief team will return to New Zealand next Saturday.
How you can help
Pacific Cooperation Foundation
Deposits can be made at at any Westpac branch. All the money raised will go to the Samoan Government
Red Cross
- Make a secure online donation at redcross.org.nz
- Send cheques to the Samoan Red Cross Fund, PO Box 12140, Thorndon, Wellington 6144
- Call 0900 31 100 to make an automatic $20 donation
- Make a donation at any NZ Red Cross office
ANZ bank
Make a donation at any ANZ bank branch, or donate directly to the ANZ appeal account: 01 1839 0143546 00
Oxfam
- Make a secure online donation at
Oxfam.org.nz
- Phone 0800 400 666 or make an automatic $20 donation by calling 0900 600 20
