As the floodwaters start to subside in the Midwest, veterinarians are assessing their losses while continuing to aid animals.

In Iowa, thousands of residents evacuated their homes as rivers rose. Dr. Tom Johnson, executive director of the Iowa VMA, said the Iowa Veterinary Rapid Response Team mobilized early on to help establish temporary animal shelters.

In Cedar Rapids, a temporary shelter at Kirkwood Community College accepted hundreds of pets—mostly dogs and cats—from both evacuees and disaster responders. Iowa City Animal Care was accepting dogs and cats at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, also the site of a Red Cross shelter, as floodwaters reached its adoption center.

Dr. Johnson said veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary students, and veterinary technician students were volunteering at the shelters. Companies donated food, drugs, and other supplies while humane organizations rescued animals that evacuees left behind. Dr. Johnson believes most people were able to evacuate with their pets. People also evacuated numerous horses and some cattle and hogs.

"I think everybody's stepped up," Dr. Johnson said. "Given the magnitude of the disaster, I think animals fared as well as you could expect."

Some veterinarians did sustain property damage. As of June 23, Dr. Johnson had learned that flooding reached a clinic in Des Moines and that a clinic in Mason City and another in Cedar Falls sustained damage. The Iowa VMA sent out application forms for grants from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation to restore veterinary infrastructure.

In Indiana, another state with severe flooding, several veterinarians reported damage to their clinics or homes. Lisa Perius, executive director of the Indiana VMA, said the VMA forwarded information about AVMF grants and was working with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health to arrange a supply of flea medication for temporary shelters.

Denise Derrer, public information director for the board of animal health, said the state agency has coordinated with local agencies and private practitioners on animal issues. Veterinarians with Indiana's Animal Surveillance Emergency Response Team have helped coordinate temporary shelters for companion animals.

In Wisconsin and Illinois, the Wisconsin Animal Response Corps and Illinois Veterinary Emergency Response Team stood ready to assist animals but didn't receive any requests for help from local agencies. Down the Mississippi River, in Missouri, the floodwaters were not rising as high as residents had feared.

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