Grantham, Aus – After several days of gruesome finds left by the raging floodwaters of the Lockyer Valley there is good news as many of the area’s pets are being found alive, leaving some rescuers scratching their heads and their owner’s very thankful.
Animal Control Officer Darryl Simpson has been part of a rescue team traveling through the stricken area, returning with over 100 live pets, including muddy dogs and cats as well as parrots, rats, siamese fighting fish, horses and chickens.
“I know animals can survive extreme circumstances but some of these animals that have survived this incident, you just scratch your head and think ‘how?’,” he said.
The animals are being treated at the University of Queensland small animal hospital, where owners have arrived daily to find out if their pet is among the survivors. While these owners have lost everything most have felt very lucky that they still have their pet.
For some owners, who visit the hospital several times a day to check for their lost pet, hope is fading. The members of the rescue teams, however, are optimistic that they will continue finding animals that have survived and bring them in for treatment and family reunions. They are also optimistic that more people will be found as well.
“You think if a chook can survive, there’s still a lot of hope for those people that are missing,” Simpson said.
Currently the human death toll stands at 18.
