Staffers from its Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters and Washington, D.C., office have endured the impact of Hurricane Sandy's winds and storm surge, but that's not stopping PETA from doing everything in its power to help the animals in the storm's path. Community Animal Project fieldworkers are on call 24/7 and have already been hard at work helping animals left to fend for themselves against the storm and the flooding.

Of course, the best way to protect animals is to prevent them from being put in harm's way in the first place. That's why PETA sent out emergency-preparedness alerts to media across Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey, and other at-risk areas before the storm to remind guardians to be ready to allow animal companions to stay indoors and to take them along if forced to evacuate.

Unfortunately, not everyone has heeded this advice, and frightened, vulnerable animals like the dog you see here in Newport News, Virginia, have been left tied up outside to face the storm's onslaught. So PETA has sent urgent requests to the governors of all states likely to be affected by Sandy asking them to protect all their citizens—including the four-legged ones—by issuing immediate "no chaining" orders for their states.

The orders should require that all dogs be allowed to stay indoors and not be left chained outside, where they may drown, freeze, be strangled, or get hit by flying debris in the midst of the hurricane, as happened to Smokey, who died alone outside during Hurricane Irene on the chain that he had been attached to since puppyhood.

No matter what the governors decide, though, if Sandy is headed your way, please allow your dogs and cats to stay indoors with you, be prepared to take them with you if you have to leave, and urge your neighbors to do the same!

By now, we hope everyone is prepared as Hurricane Sandy batters the eastern United States and Canada with gale-force winds, massive walls of water, and, in some spots, snow. While we wish that everyone who evacuated would have taken their animals with them and that those who are staying will have allowed their animals indoors to ride out the storm in safety, we know that not everyone understands that domesticated animals cannot survive "on instinct" and that they stand little chance if left outside. Especially during natural disasters, animal advocates must be vigilant about helping chained dogs, "outdoor cats," and rabbits left outside in hutches.

If you know of animals kept on chains or in hutches or pens, please look out for them! You may be their only hope. People do not always do what's needed, and animals die miserably during these weather emergencies. If necessary, beg guardians to allow their animals indoors until the storm is over. If the guardian refuses, be persuasive and ask to take the animals to your home and then return them when it's safe. If all else fails, note the animals' condition and location and call animal control, the police, or other local authorities and implore them to use their power to rescue the animals. If people have left and you must take emergency action to save an animal in rising waters or another situation, then you must do what you need to do.

PETA's vans at our Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters and Washington, D.C., offices are stocked with food, medicine, and other supplies, and we will be diligently combing the surrounding areas searching for any animals in need. In times of disaster, we rely on our generous Animal Emergency Fund donors to make these rescues possible. If you are able, please consider supporting our Hurricane Sandy rescue efforts. 

When natural disasters strike around the globe, rescuers from PETA and its international affiliates travel straight into the hardest-hit areas to rescue animals who have been displaced, abandoned, or lost. We recently caught up with three dogs who had happy endings thanks to those brave souls.

Sporty's elderly guardian tried everything he could to stay with his dog during Hurricane Katrina, including swimming for two blocks with Sporty in his arms, but he was eventually forced to evacuate and leave his dog behind. PETA rescued the little poodle, and three months later, Sporty and his guardian were reunited. The guardian, who lost nearly everything in the hurricane, still sends us updates on Sporty, and PETA continues to pay for the dog's vet care, including a recent tooth extraction.

Licorice's mom was at the bedside of a hospitalized relative when Hurricane Katrina hit and rescue workers wouldn't let the panic-stricken guardian retrieve Licorice from her home. PETA fostered Licorice for several months and provided her with vet care until we could locate her guardian. Grateful to have Licorice back, she tells us that the poodle is enjoying the high life, going for rides with her family and getting her "mani-pedis."

Brophie somehow outsmarted Hurricane Irene, and after the worst was over, he had the good sense to walk into a Norfolk fire station and lay down on the floor. He was weak, emaciated, and suffering from a flea allergy so severe that he was severely anemic and had lost much of his fur. The fire department staff treated him like royalty during the hurricane and then called PETA for help. A PETA Foundation staffer fell hard for the sweet southern gentleman, and he now enjoys five walks a day, romps on the beach, and plenty of square meals. His ribs are no longer showing, and his fur is growing back. He even went back to pay a visit to his pals at the fire station recently.

PETA relies on donations to our Animal Emergency Fund to make rescues like these possible. With the holiday season coming up, consider giving someone on your list the gift of saving an animal's life by making a donation in your loved one's name.

Written by Michelle Sherrow