Over 2,000 Pets Homeless after Italian Earthquake

Assistance has started to arrive for 2,000+ cats and dogs left homeless by the recent earthquake in and around L'Aquila, Italy. Relief included medical supplies, materials to build kennels and microchip readers.

Many pets and farm animals are believed to have died in houses and barns that collapsed during the quake. Those that survived are showing signs of trauma, rescue officials said. Many sheep and other farm animals were abandoned and will probably starve if they cannot be reached. Late Wednesday evening in L'Aquila, a Yorkshire Terrier walked in circles, ignoring a policeman's offer of a sandwich. "I see a lot of these poor dogs," said the policeman. "You can tell they are domestic pets because they are healthy and well-fed, but they look lost and frightened."

Source: ap