SAVE A SHELTER DOG: From the Wreckage

Parts of Taiwan were devastated by Typhoon Morokot earlier in August. This was the same typhoon that hit the night before Miko was to fly from Taiwan to her new foster home in the Bay Area, causing the train that was to take her to the airport to stop service and her flight to be delayed.

From the ARTT website:

Kaohsiung, Aug. 10 (CNA) The Animal Rescue Team Taiwan (ARTT), a non-profit civilian animal rescue group, appealed to the public Monday for relief supplies to save dogs kept in shelters that survived the flooding triggered by Typhoon Morakot. The group has created a new Chinese-language Web page at www.savedogs.org to provide updated information on typhoon-affected privately-run shelters in Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties, volunteers from ARTT told the Central News Agency.

At present, the group has received reports that at least 10 shelters were damaged, leaving over 1,000 dogs trapped by floods and more than 100 dogs drowned or missing.

"The survivors are mostly suffering from low temperatures after being rescued from the floods," ARTT said.

ARTT said other volunteers have visited the flooded shelters and taken pictures to document how they have been affected by Morakot's strong winds and heavy rains that pummeled southern Taiwan over the weekend.

They hope that through the Web page, animal lovers will know how badly the dogs and their caregivers need help, and what they need to survive.

The shelters' primary needs at present are medical supplies, old sheets, drinking water, dog food and financial support, as well as volunteers who can help shelter keepers rebuild the dogs' homes.

ARTT volunteers said humans have not been the only victims of the disaster. Stray dog shelters have been devastated and suffered great losses but the media and rescue personnel have ignored the dogs' plight.

Animal Rescue Team TAIWAN warned that more dogs will die if the shelters do not quickly receive relief supplies and help to restore and disinfect the shelters.

For more information, visit Animal Rescue Team TAIWAN's website - www.saveDOGS.org.

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This is Joseph, the leader and founder of ARTT. He is an amazing man.

Picture is somewhat disturbing. Click to enlarge.

Yet among the wreckage, 2 little miracles emerged. "ART explored into the most devastated area to establish some feeding and watering stations. We luckily found two puppies survived from the buried village where more than 500 villagers were believed to have been buried in the landslides and floods."