The Little Angels Project Help Veterinary Emergency Medical Assistance Team was contacted by the two rescue groups on the ground that medical assistance was needed for the animals impacted by the Ridgecrest earthquake. Red Cross had called local areas veterinary practices to get help for the animals and were faced with them being closed for the 4th of July Holiday, on vacation or just unwilling to assist as they were one-person clinics and could not abandon their own client base. Our outreach called 92 veterinary practices in Kern County and five of the larger operations had already been called by Red Cross and told them “no, they could not respond” Our commitment to assist was backed up by our responding and treating the broken bones, deep wounds, respiratory and digestive issues. This is a population that is poor and could not afford care for their sick and injured animals, our non-profit grant funded free care was their only access to treatment. The cold hard reality is they love their pets, but someone being poor is a reason to dismiss them from emergency response. The love and companionship of their animals is often the glue that keeps folks going when they have lost their homes, are terrified and displaced.
Our HELP TEAM responds whether it is a fire, earthquake or hoarding / abuse situation where care is needed.
