killed over 5,000 people and left more than 23,000 homeless in the worst-hit state of La Guaira, with some 17,000 injured. Animal shelters have sprung up around the coastal city of La Guaira, north of Caracas, where survivors grieving lost loved ones are also searching for their pets. Raquel Ramos (42) described fleeing her Tanaguarena neighborhood with her young son, leaving her cat Mia behind. The area is now reduced to rubble. "I haven't been able to find her since that day”, she said tearfully, adding she would check other shelters. One state-run shelter has taken in 326 pets, with about 50 adopted so far. Teenager Astrid Ugas (17) originally planning to adopt one cat to keep her own company after its partner disappeared, ended up taking in four kittens. "I want to help everyone who needs it”, she said. In a remarkable story, a rescue team pulled a small black cat alive from the ruins of a building nearly a month after the disaster, sparking hope that other pets may have survived. The area featured six collapsed housing complexes, each 12 to 17 stories tall. Veterinary student and volunteer Yanier Veliz (20) said they've treated fifty animals daily, including dogs, cats, turtles, and even a goat. Veterinary student Amanda Gonzalez, 25, described emotional reunions: "These are animals they might have considered gone, and when they see that they're here, they're happy and so are we." (Bssnews)