When natural disasters strike, not only humans are affected, animals, too, suffer from the effects of such occurrences. The on-going on-slaught of the Taal Volcano eruption is no exception. Leaving in a hurry for their lives, some residents fled without their companions, their poultry and livestock, cows, horses, and many others.

The Philippines military won't allow people to evacuate with their animal companions, so we all need to help each other out! If you have a car and can help evacuate human and non-human animals, please post on this group: https://t.co/9zFzEf9VOX #TaalVolcano #TaalEruption2020

— PETA Asia (@PETAAsia) January 14, 2020

According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia (PETA), despite the animal casualties who died of hunger and thirst or from the debilitating effects of the thick ashfall, there are survivors, but they are in desperate need of help. “The island smells of rotting corpses but there are still scared dogs, horses, cows, and other animals on the island who need to be rescued.”

A dog and its companion seems to get lost in a maze of fallen trees caused by the thick ash from Taal Volcano while a bird is perched on a branch, unable to fly because of wet ash on its flight feathers. The bird fell from its perch as I was taking its photo. ☹️ pic.twitter.com/anlDvPTCqa

— Raffy Tima (@raffytima) January 13, 2020

Birds, too, are affected as the ashes weigh down their wings making it impossible for them to fly.

Most efforts are concentrated to the nearest affected zones in Taal, where almost 3,000 horses are stationed, used for livelihood in transporting tourists from the foot of the volcano to the crater.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) reported on a Facebook post that “the owners of the horses of Taal Island took action this morning when they heard the news that the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) will no longer evacuate the horses and that animal rescuers were not being allowed to go to the island.”

But despite the many efforts from organizations to aid these animals, there are still many creatures left behind like dogs left astray by owners.

Carina Suarez, a Paranaque-based rescuer behind Mama’s Cradle Animal Sanctuary took it to herself to go all the way to Balete, Batangas to answer to the needs of these dogs. Suarez, who herself helped in easing the condition of affected horses, told Nolisoli.ph that through a volunteer group, she is pooling resources like dog food, feeding bowls, and leashes for the dogs left behind.

“Some dogs have skin diseases, I’m afraid because of the amount of sulfur there are exposed to and because they resort to drinking from canals out of desperate thirst,” she said.

*A dog left astray and suffering from a skin disease in the town of Balete, Batangas. Photo courtesy of Carina Suarez*

*Left without food or water, dogs abandoned by their owners in a hurry to evacuate are exposed to ashfall, left to drink from dirty canals. Photo courtesy of Carina Suarez*

Some owners, according to Suarez, returned and dropped by at dusk to check on their houses and feed their pets and livestock but some have already gone astray. After their aid mission in Balate, Suarez and her team are planning to go to nearby municipalities next.

Prior to tying up with organizations and government agencies, Suarez said she was by herself finding dogs to help in the ghost town that has become of Balete. As of writing, Suarez is headed to Tanauan, Batangas.

Last year, we interviewed Suarez at her home in Parañaque where she lives with a bunch of her rescued dogs. She also manages a pet sanctuary in Laguna, where most of her rescues are now residing.

[READ: What it’s really like rescuing dogs according to a woman who converted her home to a shelter]