The Greater Taichung-based Animal Rescue Team Taiwan on Sunday set up an emergency rescue platform in Greater Kaohsiung to help and treat animals that have been displaced by the gas pipeline explosions in the city on Thursday and Friday last week.
Group spokesman Anthony Ni (倪京台) said that people were not only the casualties in the blasts, with many animals also severely injured and traumatized in the incident.
The organization waited until the 72-hour “golden period” for finding survivors had passed so as not to intervene in the search-and-resuce efforts, Ni said, adding that now the group has an available team on site, including veterinarians and animal psychiatrists.
Photo: Su Chin-feng, Taipei Times
“We seek to provide the best medical assistance for animals in the disaster area,” Ni said.
The group has coordinated with veterinarian clinics and animal-protection groups, assembling a fair amount of resources in the shortest time possible, Ni said.
Some animals may exhibit symptoms such as rapid breathing, shivering and loss of appetite as a result of pscyhological trauma, Ni said, while advising owners to spend more time with their pets if they exhibit such symptoms.
“We hope that all pets affected by the explosion will get better soon,” Ni said.
Ni also asked the public to contact the organization through its Web site if they find any animals injured in the incident, saying the group will provide the animals with free medical treatment and temporary shelter.
The group has also launched an event on Facebook to pray for all those who were affected by the disaster. It had received 4,392 “likes” at press time last night.
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