Katira Alejandra couldn’t contain her excitement when she was reunited with her family. The sounds of wagging its tail, jumping madly, and lovingly licking its face signaled the moment when the small dog finally saw a familiar face it may or may not see again.
But days earlier, after being rescued in La Guaira, Catila was crouched down, head bowed and shivering as gloved hands examined him. Her name was briefly changed by her rescuers, but there was no trace of the life she once knew. She was one of hundreds of pets that flooded shelters and killed thousands of people after twin earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela in June.
Since then, many residents have lost loved ones, homes and furry companions who shared their lives.
Since June 24, at least 648 pets (including dogs and cats) have been rescued in the Caracas areas of La Guaira and San Bernardino, one of the states hardest hit by the earthquake, said Magildas Vargas, president of Misión Nevado, a Venezuelan government project that provides shelter for homeless animals.
Vargas’ team was able to reunite at least 18 rescued pets in La Guaira with their owners.
Vargas, the veterinary assistant, said most of the animals found were injured, with broken bones, multiple injuries, amputations, scrapes or cuts. These pets are receiving veterinary care and care until they can be rehomed.
Vargas urged people looking for lost pets to create profiles and spread the word on social media.
Social networks are full of photos and videos of dogs of all sizes, white cats, black cats, striped and multicolored cats. Each post, containing the desperate pleas of bereaved owners and basic information about their beloved animals, has been shared repeatedly.
The Granja Los Corrales shelter in La Guaira is home to hundreds of rescued animals.
“We are here as a meeting point to see if people looking for pets come to our facility,” Rene Cardoso, the region’s shelter coordinator, told state broadcaster Venezolana de Television (VTV).
Alongside government efforts, many independent shelters have been working to reunite dogs and cats victims of the Venezuelan earthquake with their loved ones.
Maria Cordova first did animal rescue work in 2013 at the age of 15. Since then, she has made it her mission and works in Barquisimeto, Lara state. Working from home as a pastry chef has allowed her to adjust her schedule around rescue work.
In the days after the earthquake, she made two trips to La Guaira, where she rescued 22 animals with the shelter Amor Animal.
“We’re looking for owners. We know that many people are still in the hospital and don’t have the opportunity to look for their pets,” she told CNN.
“My mission in all of this is for them to find their owners. I’m in no hurry to put them up for adoption, because that’s my mission and my satisfaction is that they are reunited with their owners,” Cordova said.
That mission was partially accomplished a few days ago when I saw Gus, the black cat I rescued in Catia La Mar, La Guaira. Gus was reunited with his owner for the first time in 19 days.
“Thanks to you, by the grace of God, we found this child,” owner Roffred Berries said through tears in a video shared by the shelter.
Cordova says these reunions give meaning to all her work. “He was really crying,” she said.
