Helping nearly 1,000 animals in Mexico after Hurricane John
In the aftermath of Hurricane John, our Humane Society International team has once again stepped up to help vulnerable animals and their families in one of Mexico’s hardest-hit regions, Guerrero. These communities are still recovering from Hurricane Otis, a Category 5 storm that struck last year. When Hurricane John hit the region twice in late September, first as a Category 3 storm, then again as a Category 1, leading to worsening floods and landslides, we knew we would need to act.
With wind gusts topping 120 miles per hour and widespread flooding, John devastated entire communities in Guerrero, which is one of the poorest states in Mexico.
One way of helping people hard-hit by disasters is making it as easy as possible to care for the animals they love. We swiftly mobilized a disaster response team, deploying a team of veterinary volunteers spearheaded by Felipe Márquez, our program manager for disaster response in the Latin America region, to the cities of Chilpancingo and Acapulco.
On the ground in Guerrero, our team witnessed firsthand how worried people were about their animals. “It was an overwhelming experience,” Felipe said. “Helping an animal in need, knowing they can’t speak for themselves, fills your heart in a way that’s hard to describe. These animals are family to the people of Guerrero, and seeing them safe, healthy and cared for—it’s the greatest satisfaction you can feel.”
Working closely with the state’s Ministry of Environment and the security authorities, the team began offering veterinary assistance and providing much-needed supplies to care for animals caught in the storm’s aftermath. You can view a video the team streamed live from the aftermath of the storm here.
Our dedicated team reached 995 animals during this emergency response, including dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, a goat and a pig. In total, they delivered 1,700 kilograms of food to support the well-being of these animals. The team deployed in Chilpancingo, providing a true lifeline for many families and their pets; the team moved on to Acapulco later in the week, where they visited various human shelters that allowed people to bring their pets with them.
During this particularly brutal storm season, and as disasters like Hurricane John become more frequent and severe, the need for animal disaster response grows. As I write this, our Animal Rescue Team in the U.S. is in communication with animal shelters and state officials in Florida about needs related to Hurricane Milton. Earlier this week, ahead of that storm, we worked with Wings of Rescue to transport dozens of adoptable animals from Tampa-area shelters to Alaqua Animal Refuge in the Florida panhandle. Pre-storm evacuations like this help to bring shelter animals to safety while increasing the capacity of local animal services to accommodate anticipated influx of displaced animals. This work comes on the heels of Hurricane Helene; we sent teams to multiple states to distribute pet food and supplies and set up emergency veterinary clinics in that storm’s aftermath.
We are committed to being there for these animals and their families, offering both immediate aid and long-term support.
You can be a part of our lifesaving work: Donate to support all of Humane Society International’s rescue and relief efforts and help us protect animals suffering in laboratories, on fur farms, those targeted and abused in the wild and so much more. and help us protect those suffering in laboratories, on fur farms, those targeted and abused in the wild and so much more.
