WAN was alerted to an urgent animal rescue situation in the wake of the massive eruption of the Taal Volcano in the Philippines.
In an e-mail sent to WAN, PETA Asia was the first charity to reach Taal Island in an urgent situation where many scared dogs, horses, cows, and other animals are still in desperate need of help. PETA’s animal rescue team is doing everything that they can to evacuate all animals from the island for urgent veterinary care.
“We’ve already rescued some animals from the island—but we won’t stop working until everyone is safe,” the PETA Asia team said in a statement.
“One of the animals we rescued today is a dog called Palakitik. PETA has known her for years from running clinics on the island to provide hundreds of working horses with basic veterinary care,” continued the team. “Whenever our boats arrive there, we call for her and she always excitedly scampers up to greet us and follows our team around everywhere.”
When PETA Asia’s rescue team arrived on Wednesday, they feared the worst—but as their boat pulled up to the shore, they called out Palakitik’s name, and she came running through the ash to greet them.
PETA Asia’s team has been on the ground rescuing animals, including many other dogs, as well as cats, chickens, and a duck. They also met with Filipino government officials to discuss how best to rescue the remaining animals on the island, including cows and horses, and was given permission to go through the evacuation zone to feed the animals there and give them water.
Rescue efforts will continue, and in the meantime, PETA Asia is inviting members of the public to drop off donations of dog and cat food and water at its office in Makati (located at Unit 706, Fedman Building, 199 Salcedo St., Legaspi Village).
