The Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) declared Tuesday that they had successfully completed all six objectives detailed in their $1M agreement with the Haitian government.
ARCH was an international alliance of more than twenty leading organizations such as the International Fund Animal Welfare (IFAW), The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).
Founded just days following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, ARCH ran animal welfare operations seven days a week. During that time, ARCH’s Mobile Veterinary Unit treated close to 68,000 disaster-struck dogs, cats, horses, cattle, pigs, goats and sheep in hard-hit areas such as Port-Au-Prince, Carrefour, and Leogane.
Haiti’s Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR) will be taking over for ARCH. A.J. Cady, Senior Program Advisor for IFAW denotes the lasting, positive impact of ARCH’s involvement with Haiti’s government by stating, "I believe we’ve established one of the best non-governmental organization (NGO) collaborations with the Haitian government. It has been incredibly positive working with MARNDR and we are confident that the work will be sustainable."
"The operation in Haiti is one of the most successful animal disaster relief efforts to date," said Gerardo Huertas, WSPA Disaster Management Director, the Americas. "Thanks to our supporters, technical capabilities and hard-working team of veterinarians, we met every goal we set for ourselves, and can now – with certainty -- transition the operation over to MARNDR."
ARCH was the only alliance that devoted action to provide relief for the animal survivors in Haiti.
Image: Courtesy of WSPA