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Courtesy Best Friends Animal Society
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As massive flood waters overtook portions of southern Mexico last week, a team from Best Friends Animal Society traveled to the hard-hit Mexican state of Tabasco to assess the impact of the natural disaster on the region’s animals.
Rapid response manager for Best Friends, Rich Cook met with Mexico’s Minister of Health to discuss recovery efforts. He’s also scheduled to meet with military officials and tour the disaster area via helicopter to evaluate the damage and determine what supplies are needed.
With thousands of residents forced to flee their homes, it’s unclear how many were able to bring their companion animals or livestock with them. One report estimates as many as 100,000 animals could be stranded due to the flooding.
Approximately 80 percent of Tabasco was underwater at one point – Mexican President Felipe Calderón called the flooding “one of the worst natural disasters in Mexican history,” the Associated Press reported.
Best Friends officials stated their organization helped save 6,000 dogs and cats in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina flooded the Gulf Coast region.