In the face of calamity, people can often inspire us by their simple, diligent commitment to coming together and doing good work.
In southeastern Brazil, a dam overseen by Samarco, an iron ore mining interest, burst unexpectedly. The dam’s failure led to a deadly mudslide, displacing hundreds of people from their homes in an accident described as “one of the worst environmental disasters in Brazilian history.” At least 17 people are dead, and a dozen more are missing, presumed dead. In addition to the disastrous losses of human life and property, animals have also been caught in the suffering when their owners were forced to hurriedly evacuate.
But now the community is banding together to save these animals. Led by the efforts of the Animal Rights Defense Institute–Idda Ouro Preto (IDDA), volunteers and firefighters are out to rescue as many animals as they can. On Facebook, Adriane Pereira shared some stunning photos from the front lines of the rescue effort. She captures an especially moving sequence here: a firefighter pulls a mother dog out of the muck and, with the dog too weak to walk, he carries her to safety.
Posted by Adriane Pereira on Monday, 9 November 2015
Posted by Adriane Pereira on Monday, 9 November 2015
Posted by Adriane Pereira on Monday, 9 November 2015
You can see more of IDDA‘s rescue photos on their Facebook page. As they wrote on their page, “Every little life saved is hope renewed.”
We’re grateful for their efforts and hope every lost pup gets the helping paw they need.