Dogs, horses, rabbits: more than 10,000 animals rescued from Brazil floods

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — At a makeshift field hospital for pets rescued from Brazil’s flooded south, a steady stream of volunteers arrives clutching shivering dogs, and carriers emitting the plaintive meows of displaced cats.

Many pets and farm animals have spent days in water, without food, in the inundated state of Rio Grande do Sul, where torrential rains swallowed homes and turned streets into rivers, killing more than 140 people.

According to the latest figures from the state government, released on Sunday, 10,555 animals have been rescued in the flood-hit region in recent days.

Most of the animals rescued are dogs, but there are also cats, rabbits, chickens, pigs and horses — which arrive sedated to the shelter in the state capital Porto Alegre.

Each animal is reviewed and photographed; the images are then uploaded to the internet to help owners track down their pets.

The animals are treated for injuries and fed. Some are wrapped in thermal blankets to warm them up.

“We have rapid tests. If they arrive with any symptoms of infectious illness we separate them to be sent off to clinics and hospitals,” said veterinarian Cintia Dias da Costa, 48, dressed in waterproof gear under a steady downpour.

Horses are treated by equine specialists. Many are being taken in by universities offering them temporary shelter, said veterinarian Fernando Gonzalez, 51, as he dealt with a “very temperamental” dark-coated horse.

Along with the human misery, the plight of animals has gripped Brazilians’ hearts. In one widely viewed image caught on news cameras, a horse is seen stranded on a rooftop with muddy waters swirling all around.

Dubbed “Caramelo” by social media users clamoring for its rescue, the horse was eventually sedated and loaded into an inflatable boat.

In another viral video, a man is seen sobbing in a boat as he is reunited with his four dogs, rescued from the floodwaters.

‘I want to contribute’

“I want to contribute in some way and I prefer to work with these creatures, which are innocent and cannot help themselves,” said volunteer Priscilla Correa, 51, sitting with a tiny, trembling pooch between her legs.

In the parking lot of a nearby shopping mall, another temporary pet shelter has popped up, mainly housing around 200 rescued dogs. Some play with their caretakers, while others lie exhausted from their ordeal.

“Our feeling is that we are doing something to give visibility to the animal cause. We have to understand that the lives of animals have value,” said volunteer Fernanda Ellwanger, 42.