Emergency animal relief launched in flood-hit areas

As devastating floods caused havoc across Punjab, leaving people displaced and impacting more than 2.50 lakh animals, Humane World for Animals India (formerly Humane Society International India) has mobilised an urgent disaster-response operation to assist stranded and suffering animals.

Humane World for Animals is headquartered in the USA, with its India office based in Hyderabad. In collaboration with the Indian Red Cross Society (Punjab), Compassion for Animals Welfare Association and the Animal Husbandry Department, the organisation is working to deliver emergency aid to the worst-affected districts.

The August 2025 floods have led to widespread loss of livestock, including cattle, buffaloes, chickens and goats.

In Ferozepur, the team reached out to 250 cattle and 60 dogs, distributing 750 kg of cattle feed, 80 kg of dry dog food and 30 tarpaulin sheets to provide shelter. In the severely impacted districts of Amritsar and Jalandhar, their outreach extended to 15,800 cattle head, with 50,000 kg of feed supplied to prevent starvation. The organisation began its operations last week and will continue for another three-four days.

Jaihari AK, senior coordinator of disaster response at Humane World for Animals India, shared grim accounts from the field. “We’ve seen street dogs scavenging through debris and snatching fish from floodwaters. In many villages, animals have gone without food for days. Our team delivered the first batches of fodder and companion animal feed in Jalandhar and Amritsar, and the impact was immediate — animals began eating again, and communities expressed deep relief.”

The team’s priorities include distributing emergency feed to prevent starvation, supplying veterinary medicines for injured and sick animals and providing basic care to companion animals. Despite high-water levels preventing access to some remote areas, feed was distributed to local caregivers to sustain animals temporarily.

In Fazilka, farmer Baldev Singh shared, “We watched the team arrive with feed and medicines when no one else had come. They treated our buffaloes and gave food for our dogs. It was the first help we received, and it gave us hope.”

Ferozepur resident Kamalpreet Kaur added, “I saw volunteers wading through waist-deep water just to reach our village. They rescued our goats and even checked on our chickens.”