Brazilians rescue more than 50 cats after earthquakes in Venezuela
The group of Brazilians from Grad (Animal Response Group in Disasters), an organization specialized in rescuing animals, is in Venezuela to volunteer after the two earthquakes that hit the country last Wednesday (24). To date, the team has rescued more than 50 cats in the Hugo Chávez Housing Complex, one of the areas affected by the tragedy.
According to Grad, the volunteers arrived in the country on Friday morning (26), following a request for help made by local organizations.
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According to the mission leader, veterinarian Carla Sássi, there are hundreds of cats in the region. The buildings, which housed around 26,000 residents, began to be demolished, while the animals remain hidden under the rubble. The team is still looking for a suitable place to send the rescued cats. Watch the rescue video:
https://admin.cnnbrasil.com.br/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2026/07/WhatsApp-Video-2026-07-06-at-18.33.07.mp4
https://admin.cnnbrasil.com.br/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2026/07/WhatsApp-Video-2026-07-06-at-18.33.07-2.mp4
"They were community cats, so everyone took care of them and they are hiding under the rubble because of the change in the environment," explained the veterinarian.
In addition to the felines, a pinscher dog was found under the wreckage. With the help of a drone, the team was able to locate the animal and, through an opening in the rubble, provide food until the rescue could be completed. See:
https://admin.cnnbrasil.com.br/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2026/07/WhatsApp-Video-2026-07-06-at-18.37.47.mp4
The mission also rescued monkeys that were already suffering from abuse before the tragedy. The residence of the person responsible for the animals was severely hit by the earthquake and part of the structure was destroyed. According to Carla Sássi, after a complex operation, the team managed to safely remove the monkeys. See:
https://admin.cnnbrasil.com.br/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2026/07/WhatsApp-Video-2026-07-06-at-18.40.47.mp4
Rescue operations
The group is responsible for more than 100 operations, assisting at least 50,000 animals. The project prioritizes life, so, whatever the type of animal, assistance will be provided, in total, 20 thousand species were served.
According to the organizers, one of the team's missions is to welcome animals that are victims of climate events, extremes and humanitarian crises. The Group is led by veterinarian Carla Sássi.
After rescue, the sheltered animals need to return to their habitat or adapt, the NGO works to reinsert the rescued animals into the communities where they live or send them for adoption.
The more than 100 volunteers are made up of technicians trained to act in different situations.
Earthquakes
The north coast of Venezuela was hit, on Wednesday night (24), by two of the biggest earthquakes recorded in the country in more than a century. According to Jorge Rodríguez, president of the country's National Assembly, the tremors resulted in at least 920 deaths and 3,360 injuries.
The 7.2-magnitude quake hit an area about 100 miles west of Caracas, followed less than a minute later by a 7.5-magnitude tremor, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
According to the congressman, more than 4,000 people are homeless and 383 homes were totally or significantly damaged, the majority in the state of La Guaira.
A website created to record reports of people not yet located listed 50,000 names this Friday morning (26). The update comes as rescue teams work to find more people trapped under rubble during the "golden window" of up to 72 hours after the earthquake.
The number of fatalities is expected to increase significantly as search teams progress with search work. Delcy Rodríguez also announced this Friday (26) that the government decided to militarize the state of La Guaira after the earthquakes.
Source: CNN