The ZAHP Fusion Center has become aware of some potential resources of assistance (included below) for facilities beginning the long road to recovery from Hurricane Irma. Please note, it is always a Best Practice to discuss liability and compensatory issues in any conversations with individuals providing assistance. This is true in our industry and others as well.
We continue to try and assist you where we can during these trying times for our industry.
For Volunteers
- Volunteer Florida – Through the Fusion Center’s relationship with the State Emergency Operations Center, we have found a point person with Volunteer Florida, part of the Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disasters (VOAD). Volunteer Florida has thousands of volunteers across the state assisting with hurricane relief on some level. As critical needs for the public are being met, we believe it may be a good time to connect to this organization to see if there is interest in assisting zoological facilities, aquariums, sanctuaries and wildlife rehab centers in basic clean up and recovery tasks. If your facility may benefit from the assistance of volunteers please contact Ashley Zielinski Azielinski@aza.org or Yvonne Nadler yvonne.nadler@gmail.com with the following information:
- Name and address of the location requesting assistance
- List specific needs/tasks that could be accomplished by volunteers. Photos may help.
- The name of the POINT PERSON at the affected facility, and their contact information. The Volunteer Florida folks will need to have a facility point person to discuss possible assistance. ZAHP doesn’t deploy these folks, but we can get needs on their radar screens
- NOTE: these people are not animal experts, if you are in need of animal care relief, please contact us under a separate email.
Recovery Resources
- S. Chamber of Commerce
- Disaster Help Desk for Business 888-MY-BIZ-HELP
- A number of resources and guidance for business recovery.
- Domestic Preparedness
- An interesting article on damage and debris removal.
- Disaster Assistance.gov
- Access to disaster help and resources.
- Resource Management and Cost Tracking
- Basic information provided by Dr. Kevin Dennison, National Emergency Management Staff Veterinarian, USDA-APHIS Animal Care; includes supplemental resources.
Grant Opportunities
- American Veterinary Medical Foundation
- Has a disaster relief program for AVMA members.
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- The ASPCA has grants for emergency and disaster assistance that can be reviewed fairly quickly.
- International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
- They provide disaster response grants.
- Animal Grant Makers
- Gateway to numerous philanthropic organizations committed to supporting animal-related causes.
Additional Tools
- Amazon Wish List
- This is a great tool to use to get what you need without losing the money you spend on unnecessary fees, admin costs or shipping.