Blog

Additional Relief for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria includes vests and identification for support animals of displaced residents

COVINGTON, LA - US Support Animals donated to the American Red Cross to aid in Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Harvey, and Hurricane Maria disaster relief efforts. Additionally, the official support animal registration organization donated to a local organization to assist the victims of the Mexican earthquakes. The humanitarian aid administered by these two groups is unparalleled in times of need.

All of these historic global catastrophes continue to devastate the United States and Mexico. As relief workers assess the damage, the rebuilding costs continue to rise. Untold numbers of people in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and Mexico are displaced and in need of assistance. Uprooted animals are beginning to overwhelm various shelters around the country. In the United States, the federal government has declared disasters in each of the affected areas.

"We have many customers, friends, and members of our team who were affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and the earthquakes in Mexico so we wanted to help any way we could,” said US Support Animals President Jim Benson. “One of our members, who lives near Mexico City, traveled there to help with relief efforts.”

Brandon Brown, Director of Business Development for US Support Animals, lives just south of Mexico City and volunteered in the days following this catastrophic event. "I went with a group to a small town called Tetela de Volcan to deliver supplies and help organize the influx of volunteers and goods. Mexico City was devastated by this earthquake, but it had a lot of government support. These small towns had so little. It was never a question that USSA would back me as I joined hundreds of others who put aside their lives to provide aid to those in need. The phrase U.S. Support is more than just a company name - it really is our mission”, Brown added.

The well-being of the organization’s customers and employees is US Support Animals number one concern. An estimated 450,000 people need FEMA disaster assistance in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Irma battered down on 20 million people, and Hurricane Maria has left half of Puerto Ricans without drinking water. The earthquakes in Mexico killed hundreds of people and injured thousands more.

The American Red Cross continues to provide a multitude of services for all of the communities ravaged by each of these three historic hurricanes. Their humanitarian efforts include over 16,000 trained disaster workers who prepared more than 1.2 million overnight stays in temporary shelters. Victims of Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Harvey, and Hurricane Maria received over 9 million food and relief items from the Red Cross.

The Topos, translated as “moles” in Spanish, are a volunteer group based in Mexico City who specialize in crawling into collapsed buildings and searching for survivors. They were formed after the catastrophic earthquake in 1985 and saved countless lives in the latest disaster. As a non-governmental, volunteer organization they are incredibly popular with the local population as they were frequently the first to respond and put their own lives at risk in order to save others.

“It has been a hard time for those involved in these disasters, but it was amazing seeing everyone coming together to help their fellow man/woman. We are an organization deeply rooted in helping people, so we felt it was our duty to help everyone going through these hard times," continued Benson.

US Support Animals understands that many people are looking for ways to help animal rescue shelters in the aftermath of these events. The organization suggests checking with shelters to see what they need before sending items. Animal rescues may end up with too much of one item and too little of another. Individual organization websites may have a list of supplies needed.

They also remind those looking to help that displaced animals are sent to shelters all over the country. There are places as far away as Maryland and Virginia taking in animals from every city and town affected by these record-breaking hurricanes. US Support Animals asks people looking to help to check the needs of their local animal shelters outside the disaster zones as well.

In addition to these donations, US Support Animals can assist displaced hurricane victims looking for new animal-friendly housing with vests and identification for support animals. Additional identification and mental health services are also available for people with emotional support animals. For more information email [email protected] or call 985-242-7207.

About US Support Animals

US Support Animals is the official US Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Registry. The organization is the only leading registry to provide live telephone support, live online chat, and access to in-house attorneys when the violation of animal rights occurs. Since 2010, US Support Animals has provided support animals with the top of the line identification products. They produce Secure ID Cards, and Service Animal Vests finished with Patches at their production facility in Louisiana. These products are durable, comfortable and convey the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protections afforded to everyone with a Support Animal. The goal of US Support Animals is to ameliorate any problems a person with a Support Animal may encounter. Many businesses do not understand the rights of disabled Americans with Support and Service Animals as outlined in the ADA. For more information visit USSupportAnimals.org. To contact US Support Animals email [email protected] or call 985-242-7207.