The Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) team is meeting with officials from the Haitian government, as well as international agencies such as the United Nations, to define the country's most pressing animal-related problems. They are also identifying options for a wide-ranging, long-term plan, including creating and improving the infrastructure for veterinary care, a large-scale vaccination program, and animal population control services.

"The condition of these animals before the earthquake was not good, so we can't just simply put things back as they were," said Ian Robinson, director of Emergency Relief for the International Fund for Animal Welfare. "We need to deliver immediate relief to animals and to develop long-term plans for a lasting good."

The Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti is jointly led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, in partnership with over a dozen of the world's leading animal protection organizations.

"We had not considered including animals in the plans we're working up now, but after meeting the ARCH team, we can see that it would be good to do so," said Jean Marie Claude Germain, the Haitian Minister of Environment. "In addition to preventing deforestation and protecting our water reserves, we are also discussing the need for a vaccination program in order to prevent the spread of diseases amongst the animal populations