Noah's Wish is a not-for-profit, animal welfare organization, with a straightforward mission. We exist to keep animals alive during disasters. That's it.
We are not involved in any other animal welfare issues. It's not that we are not concerned about all the ways animals are abused and exploited. Noah's Wish would like nothing more than to see all suffering stop. Fortunately, there are a multitude of national and local animal welfare organizations who are tackling the issues that adversely affect animals. No other organization has made the commitment though to just focus on disaster relief work for animals. That's the void we are filling.
Noah's Wish came into existence in March 2002, not to duplicate existing efforts to help animals during earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes, but rather to expand on what's already in place. Too often, efforts to help animals during these life threatening situations have been gravely inadequate. It would be unacceptable if relief efforts for people were as fragmented.
Noah's Wish recognizes that animals need and deserve an organized, consistent, and professionally managed national disaster relief program. Otherwise, they will continue to pay for human indifference with their lives. What will raise the standards for how animals are managed during disasters is to implement well thought out, field tested, policies and procedures that are practiced in all disasters. Relief efforts for people are managed this way and we feel they should be for animals too.
Noah's Wish wants animals to survive disasters by getting the services they need, therefore, we have taken on the challenge to raise the standards. What we have set out to do, no other organization has successfully done. There have been countless attempts made, but the efforts have not gone far enough. Noah's Wish has a great deal of work ahead of us, but we're confident in our ability and determination to get the job done. What other choice do we have?
Click here to see an impressive list of the services they provide.
No doubt everyone reading this will want to make donations to the relief effort regarding Katrina. I would like to suggest that there will be millions of people giving to the Red Cross and other organizations set up to help human beings. However, very few people will think about the enormous suffering that animals go through in disaster situations. Please consider making a contribution to Noah's Wish (if you scroll down, there is a Pay Pal button as well as a snail mail address). The work they do throughout the world is amazing. And you will know that you have engaged in an act of powerful compassion when you do so.
For anyone interested in learning more about the founding of Noah's Wish and their amazing rescue work, Terri Crisp (the founder) has written two books. They are Emergency Animal Rescue Stories and Out of Harm's Way.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn L.