You read about or hear on the news about the terrible disasters that occur and think to yourself, "What can I do to help"? Most people will think of helping people, but you as a pet owner think about helping their pets.

They are our pets too. We all domesticate them. We bring them into our lives and make them dependent on us for food, shelter, medical care, and love. In return, they enrich our lives in so many ways. Yet somehow, when disaster stiikes they often seem to fall between the cracks.

Amid the chaos of a mass evacuation -- when every second counts -- even the most beloved companion animals can be overlooked and left behind. If flood waters are rising, people typically cannot take the time to coax terrified cats out from under their beds. Even wild animals, despite their survival instincts, cannot always save themselves from a perilous situation.

Imagine leaving enough food and water for your pets for your brief trip away. Now imagine a natural disaster striking and you're not allowed back to your home, Ever! Your pets beome trapped in your house or locked in the backyard.

Day after day your pets await your return to rescue them from starvation, thirst, and the thought of abandonment. For a large dog left in a backyard, it might be easy to escape in search of food, but for a pet trapped inside a home, what chance of survival do they have?

Disasters -- whether manmade or natural -- can occur at any time, in any place. Your donations are crucial in rescuing and reuniting pets with their owners before the pets become too sick to bring back to health from being out on their own or very near starvation.

Pets living in areas affected by natural diststers didn't ask to be left behind. So, please be generous in your donations.