American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, has deployed to Georgia to help animals in need after multiple tornadoes displaced thousands of residents and their pets. American Humane’s Rescue Team, and the organization’s 50-foot rescue truck, traveled to Spalding County on Wednesday as part of a coordinated effort with the National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition.

Working on the ground alongside Spalding County Animal Care and Control, and coordinating with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and Atlanta Humane, American Humane is assisting in the recovery by helping maintain a temporary emergency shelter for rescued animals. The team is also working with local authorities and other highly trained organizations in the area to rescue animals and provide relief to locals impacted by the disaster.

“American Humane always stands ready to help animals and people during trying times, and our Rescue Team is working tirelessly to save at-risk animals impacted by these devastating tornadoes,” said American Humane President and CEO, Dr. Robin Ganzert. “Our animal first responders will help reunite people with their lost pets at a time when they need each other most. It is our duty to protect the animals with whom we share the world, and American Humane will do everything in our power to provide hope and healing to this resilient community.”

American Humane carefully monitors developing disaster situations, and works with local jurisdictions for requests for assistance, before deploying resources, including highly trained staff, volunteers, and supplies, in the most effective and efficient way possible. Providing care for stranded, injured, and lost animals in the wake of a natural disaster requires around-the-clock attention to the physical and mental well-being of each individual animal.

The American Humane Rescue team was founded more than 100 years ago during World War I, when the U.S. Secretary of War requested assistance caring for injured horses in war-torn Europe. Since then, American Humane’s team of animal first responders have been on the ground for virtually every disaster in our nation’s history, from Pearl Harbor, to 9/11, to the historic eastern Kentucky flooding of 2022 and beyond.

To support the American Humane Rescue Team’s lifesaving work, please visit AmericanHumane.org.