Helping animals in the aftermath of Pakistan’s catastrophic floods.

As the devastating floods in Pakistan receded and the scale of the catastrophe was revealed, our minds immediately turned to the helpers — caring people who looked out for animals caught up in the disaster, and continue to care for them.

The UN secretary described the floods as ‘climate carnage’ — a result of melting glaciers combined with monsoon rains, creating a crisis on a scale not seen before. An estimated half a million homes have been destroyed, not including forests, national parks and wilderness areas for animals. Tens of millions of Pakistanis are now displaced, and just under a million farmed animals are estimated to have drowned. There are no official figures for wildlife killed, nor domestic dogs and cats who live on the streets, most vulnerable to danger.

Animals Australia’s Emergency Grants Program has been activated to enable those on the ground in Pakistan to help animals in need and continue their life-saving work.

Lucky Animal Protection Shelter

There aren’t many animal protection organisations operating in Pakistan, but as always there are kind-hearted souls who are saving lives.

Located next to the Kabul River in Charsadda is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s only animal shelter — Lucky Animal Protection Shelter (LAPS). Here, the flood waters rose almost faster than the people or animals could evacuate. Enclosures were engulfed, the current of the water so strong it smashed through brick buildings and left watermarks on the walls 5 feet high.

The small team was forced to swim animals out, desperately clutching as many dogs as they could at a time.

One of those dogs was Fabio — a survivor and amputee, recognisable only by his face barely above water and his eyes shining in torchlight. Seeing someone he trusted, he swam directly into Javed from LAPS arms and was saved, along with the 250 others, whose only safe refuge was on the shelter’s roof for days.

For years this team has worked to raise awareness and change ‘norms’ in the community, to encourage respect and kindness for the tens of thousands of animals simply trying to survive.

Their resolve has not been shattered by these floods even though their shelter has been, because their motive is pure love for animals.

It’s a long road ahead to recover from the trauma and hardship but hearing that help is arriving on behalf of kind-hearted people in Australia and around the world, their spirits have been lifted and their resolve strengthened.

Help rebuild the shelter

Our Emergency Grants Program enables us to be where animals need us most during times of crisis. In the aftermath of disastrous flooding in Pakistan, Lucky Animal Protection Shelter’s most urgent needs are for food and veterinary care, and for the shelter to be rebuilt.

The scale of suffering in the aftermath of the floods is enormous, but the impact of donations is significant and will provide tangible relief for hundreds of animals now and thousands more in the future.

Support from the other side of the world has a lasting impact beyond finances. It ignites compassion that challenges current views towards animals and promotes kindness as the new ‘normal’. And the benefits that brings animals is priceless.