https://www.haytap.org/tr/turkey-animal-rescue-teams-overwhelmed-after-earthquake
Turkish Animal Rescue Teams Overwhelmed After Earthquake
Dogs, cats, birds and even a sheep are being treated by animal charity Haytap after the horrible earthquake disaster
More than 45,000 people have died and tens of thousands have been injured as a result of the devastating earthquakes that impacted northwestern Syria and Turkey on Feb. 6.
The earthquakes—the deadliest in the world since Japan’s Fukushima in 2011—caused more than 5,600 buildings across southeastern Turkey to collapse, leaving people without shelter, and in great need of food, blankets, and fuel to leave the city and find safety. 10 provinces in Turkey are currently under a state of emergency for the next three months.Buildings across southeastern Turkey to collapse, leaving people without shelter, and in great need of food, blankets, and fuel to leave the city and find safety. 10 provinces in Turkey are currently under a state of emergency for the next three months.
Under the rubble left behind from Turkey's earthquake, barks, miaows and even the cooing of birds have accompanied the cries of people trapped.
As rescue teams scrambled to reach areas devastated by the tremors, those who hear an animal in distress, or are worried about their own beloved pet, know who to turn to.
“There are thousands of calls coming in," says Zeynep Ceren Oktay, spokeswoman for Haytap, an animal rights charity currently working in the disaster zone.
The Haytap team sprang into action to help people and animals after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
Haytap members in nearby Osmaniye rushed to Antakya, a city reduced to ruins by the quake, setting up an aid tent at the Defne Tea Garden, Hatay. Later, volunteers, vets and trained search and rescue staff arrived from Istanbul to help.
Although the workers are stretched incredibly thin operating across the earthquake's affected area, they have also managed to set up an emergency tent in Malatya.
Videos showing Haytap staff and volunteers at work include footage of helping injured babies, pulling dogs from wreckage and even treating sheep at their makeshift tented surgery.
“Every minute our team is saving a life and every day we transport the pets that don’t have owners to Haytap safe houses,” Zeynep tells The National.
“Unfortunately 10 cities are affected by the earthquake and the area it covers is really big. We are trying our best to reach animals in need with limited resources."
But there are moments of light among the misery. Zeynep describes how a terrier was pulled from the rubble of a house and reunited with its owner, who also survived the earthquake.
In a video posted to the group's page, a volunteer holds a black-and-white cat in front of twisted metal and mangled concrete.
“Miracles continue to happen in Malatya,” she said.
“This cat came out of the wreckage in good health … we also found a nice, safe home for him.”
Thanks to a legal change in 2021, all pets in Turkey must now have a microchip or owners could be fined. This has raised owners' hopes of being reunited with their pets and animals.
But some owners will never return to collect them. The earthquake has killed more than 22,000 people in Turkey and Syria, undoubtedly among them thousands of pet owners, and even some survivors may struggle to take care of their pets, Zeynep says.
“It is really sad but some of the owners leave their animals to Haytap because they have lost everything and don’t have anything to maintain their needs,” she said.
The charity, founded in 2008 and run by lawyer Ahmet Kemal Senpolat, is appealing for help in transporting the hundreds of animals in their care from the disaster area, and funds to assist them in their work. But mostly, they want the world to keep survivors in their thoughts.
“The effect of the earthquake is something that no one can describe. People and pets have lost everything.”said Zeynep.
We rescued more than 750 animals in the zone so far , I am very proud of my team. We have been givin hope to all the nation who is already demoralize said the president of Haytap , Ahmet Kemal Senpolat
You can follow Haytap from our english facebook page as well for recent updates : please click here
Updated: February 17, 2023,
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For more updates please feel free to follow us on facebook english page and our instagram page
https://www.facebook.com/HaytapEnglish
https://www.instagram.com/haytap/
For people that are willing to help, there are several accounts below for donations(Euro, Dollar, Swiss Franc).
- € : TR24 0006 2000 3570 0009 0848 82
- TL : TR21 0006 2000 3570 0006 2970 59
- $ : TR94 0006 2000 3570 0009 0848 83
- CHF : TR21 0006 2000 3570 0009 0542 84
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SWIFT CODE : TGBATRIS
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for credit card options : https://fonzip.com/haytap/bagishttps ( the link is in many languages. You have to scroll down to change the language and the currency )
DONATIONS :
The donations you will make to the first federation in Turkey found on animal rights, HAYTAP Animal Rights Federation is delivered as aid to animal in need around the country. You can do your donation using your credit card on this highly secure website.
With monthly donations, you will be extending a helping hand to animal in need. You can donate as a one-time donation or as a monthly commitment, whichever you prefer.
HAYTAP 's all bank accounts go through international audit via a tax and advisory firm KPMG Turkey and by the Istanbul Governance and Associations.
If you check the "I want to have a monthly regular donation" option, the amount you set will be automatically charged from your credit card on the same date each month.
WHERE DO WE USE YOUR DONATIONS?
With the donations you make to HAYTAP, we complete many projects around the country, all with the mission of helping homeless animals.
Your donations become a variety of items such as a surgery room, cat / dog shelter, food, and health support ,rescuing , pr works , lobbying in parliament , etc for animals in locations where nobody sees them or hears them. Please click here to see further details on these projects.
HERE ARE SOME OTHER WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT HAYTAP
www.haytapshop.com : By ordering all the needs of your pets through the www.HaytapShop.com link, you are supporting the HAYTAP projects. With no extra charge and free shipping for 200TL and above, you can complete payment via kredi card, bank transfer or pay at your door upon delivery; and the entire amount is transferred to the projects funds of HAYTAP.
www.sosrooms.com: As you are making travel plans, if you visit www.SOSRooms.com , you will be transferred o booking.com. And from that moment, as you make your bookings on booking.com, you will be donating to HAYTAP without any extra cost. Booking.com sends a certain percentage of the earnings to HAYTAP as a donation.
The donations you will make to the first federation in Turkey found on animal rights, HAYTAP Animal Rights Federation in Turkey is delivered as aid to animal in need around the country. You can do your donation using your credit card on this highly secure website.
With monthly donations, you will be extending a helping hand to animal in need. You can donate as a one-time donation or as a monthly commitment, whichever you prefer.
To get more detailed information please contact us via email;
contact : haytap@haytap.org
Thank you so much for your concerns and supports,
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