Animal advocates have rushed to rescue frightened, lost and traumatised pets after the deadly earthquake that has killed tens of thousands in Turkey and Syria.
The 7.8 magnitude quake that hit the country this month killed more than 47,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
“It’s sad, chaotic, and totally and utterly devastating,” Mimi Bekhechi from PETA Australia told AAP.
“It’s actually hard to find the words to describe how decimated the towns are.
“People’s homes and their livelihoods are gone.”
Her rescue group travelled to Turkey to search for animals after the disaster and has been sending rescue groups across the border to neighbouring Syria.
“The animals we find are hungry, thirsty and often covered with debris, and many have badly broken legs from fallen rubble.”
As well as their physical injuries, many of the animals are frightened and emotionally traumatised.
“The fear they would have endured as the world around them buckled is almost unimaginable,” she said.
“Many were beloved family companions who now find themselves alone, surely wondering where their former guardians have gone, so they are desperate for reassurance and kindness.”
Tarkan, a labrador-sized pooch with a patchy fawn coat, was found by rescuers in an abandoned and derelict building in Kahramanmaras in southern Turkey.
“He was very sweet and happy to see us but was suffering from a broken leg,” she said.
He was rushed to the nearest operational vet, a three-hour drive away, and is expected to make a full recovery.
The resilient pup will then be ready for adoption.
The group has rescued more than 100 animals, including dogs, cats, fish and birds.
This includes dozens of budgerigars and cockatiels, retrieved from a pet shop in the basement of an apartment building.
“Their bright feathers were such a welcome sight amid the grey debris,” she said.
The birds have since been taken for veterinary care and will be taken to a sanctuary outside Ankara, the capital of Turkey, once they recover.
Source: AAP
