U of M veterinarians help animals caught in floods

St. Paul, Minn. — Members of the University of Minnesota's new Veterinary Response Team are in Iowa, helping care for pets and other animals that have been displaced the flooding. The team is part of the U's Medical Reserve Corps.

Larissa Minicucci led one of two teams of vets that went to Cedar Rapids in response to a call for volunteers from an Iowa veterinary network.

She said they examined the overall health of the animals and treated them, if necessary.

"They appreciated us being able to be there for those four days straight because we provided a continuity of care to the animals. A lot of the local veterinarians were coming in but they could only do, say, an afternoon or a morning, so they felt much better knowing they had a staff there continuously," Minicucci said.

More than 600 pets and stray animals are being housed in a make-shift shelter.

Minicucci's team returned from Cedar Rapids earlier this week. A second team is due back today. A third team could go back to Iowa next week.