Red Star Rescue is a program run by the

American Humane Association American Humane (AH) is an organization founded in 1877 committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of animals. It was previously called the International Humane Association before changing its name in 1878. In 1940, it became t ...

. The purpose of the program is to send volunteer responders to rescue animals in the event of a disaster, or from animal cruelty. The Red Star Rescue team is trained to handle a variety of catastrophes, and they carry resources to set up and operate temporary shelters. The team has nearly 200 volunteers nationwide. In the past five years, Red Star Rescue has saved and sheltered 64,000 pets.

History

The Red Star Rescue project was initiated in 1916 after the War Department recruited the American Humane Association to help save hundreds of thousands of horses that were injured during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in Europe. Red Star Rescue carried out animal rescue missions during the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...

, the

2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

, and

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

. During Hurricane Sandy, the American Humane Association's Red Star Rescue team delivered over 100,000 pounds of food, supplies, and medicine to the areas impacted by the storm. In 2013, Red Star Rescue was invited by the State of Oklahoma to provide assistance in the aftermath of a tornado. The Red Star Rescue team covered more than 2,000 miles in a little over a day to reach the disaster scene. An article in Pawcurious states that Red Star Rescue enlists, "exceptionally well trained animal rescue providers" that "provide invaluable support during disasters."

Lois Pope Rescue Vehicle

In 2013, the

introduced their new "Lois Pope Red Star Rescue Vehicle" to participate in Red Star Rescue efforts. The vehicle is a 50-foot long

Ford F-350 The Ford Super Duty (short for F-Series Super Duty) is a series of heavy-duty pickup trucks produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 1999 model year. Slotted above the consumer-oriented Ford F-150, the Super Duty trucks are an expansion of t ...

with an emergency response trailer attached that is outfitted to provide a wide variety of emergency services. Red Star Rescue also has an 82-foot truck in its fleet. the rig was used to rescue animals that were affected by Hurricane Sandy in Pennsylvania. Red Star Rescue has vehicles equipped to shelter up to 100 animals that are regularly deployed in their rescue efforts.

Work Against Animal Cruelty

Red Star Rescue performs large-scale operations to rescue animals from fighting rings and dangerous shelters. In 2014, the

New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (colloquially, "NJSPCA Humane Police") is a law enforcement agency in the state of New Jersey that focuses on humane law enforcement. The agency enforces animal-related laws and in ...

(NJSPCA) requested the services of Red Star Rescue to save animals following the receivership of a shelter in the borough of

Helmetta Helmetta is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The borough is nestled within the heart of the Raritan Valley region, with Manalapan Brook (a Raritan River tributary) flowing through the center of the community. As of the ...

. Red Star Rescue removed 100 cats and dogs from dangerous conditions. The animal shelter was quarantined by the department of health. Red Star Rescue also took in 225 dogs following the breakup of a multi-state dogfighting operation with locations in Baltimore and West Virginia. 22 individuals were indicted for their role in the dog-fighting ring.

References

{{Reflist Animal rescue groups Organizations established in 1916