North Carolina is grappling with the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, which has brought record-breaking flooding to the region. Western North Carolina homes have been damaged or destroyed, displacing thousands of residents and their pets. Local animal shelters are overwhelmed, and veterinary practices have been forced to close or operate under dire conditions, leaving pets in urgent need of care and shelter.
Our veterinary community can make a meaningful difference by supporting the relief efforts. You can help by making a donation to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) Disaster Fund.
- To donate, visit bit.ly/avmfdonation
- Select the first dropdown box titled “I want to support” and choose “Disaster Relief”
Alternatively, donations can be made directly to the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association (NC VMA) Disaster Fund.
- To donate scan the QR code, or visit bit.ly/ncvmadonation
- Select the “Disaster Relief” checkbox in their online donation form
Your contributions will help support the recovery of affected veterinary practices, provide care to displaced pets, and assist local shelters working tirelessly to reunite animals with their families.
Do not send unsolicited in-kind donations. Unless you have been contacted directly by a specific organization asking for specific supplies—and there is a way to have a commercial carrier deliver those supplies—shipping in-kind supplies can actually worsen a crisis. That’s because it diverts both people and space that are in short supply.
Requests for on-the-ground veterinary help
The only state currently requesting out-of-state veterinary assistance is North Carolina. Interested veterinary professionals can find information about helping with the North Carolina recovery effort here. Ideally, individuals who volunteer should have completed veterinary first responder training, such as the AVMA Veterinary First Responder Certificate Program.
If you’re interested in investigating what any state’s laws and regulations are in regards to out-of-state veterinarians working there in a disaster situation, you can contact the state’s licensing board or the state veterinary medical association.
Preparedness saves lives
Disaster preparedness can save lives. Find these and other tools at avma.org/Disaster to help plan and prepare for potential disasters.