Our hearts go out to the people of Japan.    The magnitude 8.9 earthquake that struck near Japan’s east coast spawned a ferocious tsunami that swept away buildings and vehicles, sparked numerous fires, and inundated vast swaths of cropland. The human tragedy is profound: hundreds of people have already perished and that number could quickly rise as rescue efforts continue. Scores of homes were destroyed and much of the impact area will likely be without power for some time. Of course, there may also be hundreds or thousands of domestic and wild animals in need of care and attention. The human rescue and relief efforts are already underway, and I’ve advised our Emergency Relief Teams to be on standby to rescue animals. IFAW’s teams are experts in water rescue and have responded to numerous earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and other disasters. We are closely monitoring the situation in Japan through IFAW’s office in Tokyo, and have already reached out to our friends and contacts there to offer whatever assistance is needed. I will update you as soon as we know more about any help IFAW might be asked to provide. In the meantime, please join me in keeping the people of Japan in your hearts and thoughts. Sincerely, Fred O’Regan IFAW CEO

 

International Fund for Animal Welfare • 40 Norwich Street East • Guelph, Ontario N1H 2G6 • Canada