21 Aug 2026
Thousands of animals have been identified as needing assistance following the earthquake, which has also damaged dozens of shelters.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Yeimy Velandia works as a laboratory technician at Liphook Equine Hospital.
A Colombian microbiologist working in the UK has appealed to the veterinary community to support those rescuing animals caught up in the earthquake that hit her home country.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia’s Chocó province on 10 August, with a rising death toll exceeding 300 people.
Yeimy Velandia, a senior laboratory technician at Liphook Equine Hospital who moved to the UK from Bogotá in 2013, is hoping to raise awareness and support for the veterinary professionals and animal welfare organisations working on the ground to provide emergency veterinary treatment and care for injured animals.
She said: “As a Colombian working in the veterinary profession here in the UK, it has been heartbreaking to see the suffering caused by the earthquake, both for the people affected and for so many animals caught up in it.
“My mother is from the area that was most severely affected by the earthquake, so I have a deep personal connection to the region and a strong desire to help in any way I can.
“It would mean a great deal to me if we could help raise awareness and support the people working to rescue and care for them.”
Around 1,870 cats and dogs have been identified as needing assistance while around 200 have been reported missing.
Funds raised are being used to help with emergency veterinary care and essential repairs to 32 animal shelters reported as damaged, collapsed or at risk of collapse.
VetPartners, which owns Liphook Equine Hospital, has made a £1,000 donation to the International Rescue Committee global humanitarian aid organisation working in the country.
The group also said it is partially matching any donations from colleagues to registered charities helping in Colombia by at least 20%.
VetPartners chief executive Jo Malone said: “My thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating earthquake in Colombia, particularly those who have lost loved ones and those whose lives have been turned upside down by this disaster.
“While the focus rightly remains on saving and supporting people, animals are also among those caught up in the devastation. Veterinary charities and animal welfare organisations on the ground are working tirelessly to rescue, treat and care for animals in need. As a veterinary community, we have an opportunity to help.”