Venezuela earthquakes leave people and animals in urgent need

Two powerful earthquakes measuring magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 have struck northern Venezuela, causing widespread destruction across Caracas, La Guaira state, and surrounding communities. Homes, hospitals, roads, and other critical infrastructure have collapsed or sustained severe damage, leaving at least 164 people dead, nearly 1,000 injured, and thousands still unaccounted for as search and rescue efforts continue. Power outages, damaged communications, and ongoing aftershocks are hampering rescue operations, while international humanitarian teams begin arriving to support the response. 

While the immediate priority is saving human lives, disasters of this scale also have profound consequences for animals. Community animals can become trapped or separated from their families, livestock and working animals may lose access to food, water, and veterinary care, and wildlife habitats can be disrupted. As emergency operations progress and needs assessments become clearer, experience from previous earthquakes suggests there will likely be growing demand for emergency veterinary care, temporary sheltering, pet reunification, and support for local animal responders.