Killed While Trying To Save Dogs From Tonga Tsunami, This Woman Activist Leaves Her Career For Wildlife

The late Angela Glover with her dogs. (Instagram/@ifthegloverfits)

JAKARTA - A British woman who died in the tsunami in Tonga was an animal lover, always passionate about protecting stray dogs on the country's islands, including caring for sick or injured dogs.

Angela Glover, 50, is the first confirmed victim of the disaster, which was triggered when an underwater volcano erupted near the Pacific island nation on Saturday 15 January.

Two local residents, a 65-year-old woman and a 49-year-old man, also lost their lives, the Tongan government confirmed in a statement, calling the tsunami an "unprecedented catastrophe".

The environmental impact is still being assessed, with NGOs warning that contaminated drinking water and seawater damage crops, and countless homes destroyed.

"She was the most beautiful, extraordinary, caring, compassionate human being," Serena Schellenberg said of her friend Angela, whom she met early in their advertising career in London, citing Euronews Jan 18.

Speaking with Euronews Green, Schellenberg said, "I love the fact that having had such a strong career, he is at the peak of his career (working for leading agencies such as AMV BBDO, Mother and JWT where the couple met in their 20s) but he pushed it's all behind him to find a more fulfilling way of life."

A lifelong love for wildlife took Angela to Tonga in 2015 with her husband James, where she fulfilled her dream of swimming with whales in the south Pacific, Angela's brother, Nick Eleini, told The Guardian.

The late Angela Glover with her dogs. (Instagram/@ifthegloverfits)

Not only that, Angela also founded the Tonga Animal Welfare Society (TAWS) in 2020 to care for animals on the main island of Tongatapu.

And, as if to prove her dedication and love for animals, Angela has reportedly lost her life trying to save her dogs on a beach on the island's west coast. Her husband escaped the waves by clinging to a tree, Eleini said.

Friends back home in the UK are kept updated on Angela's new life through regular Facebook posts, sharing the joys and challenges of caring for lost and injured Tongan animals.

“He would upload prolific. Constantly sharing beautiful nature photos and admiring the world he lived in. He really had a paradise, a magical place, but he just focused on saving the dogs,” Schellenberg recalled.

TAWS was established with five other residents to promote animal welfare, especially important as there are no permanent veterinarians in Tongatapu.

"The uglier the dog, the more he likes it. He just loves all of them, he's really dedicated to it," Eleini said of her sister's boundless love for the species.

The dog, nicknamed "Big Head Little", because of his enlarged head, inspired Angela to found TAWS. She is writing a children's story about the life of a "special" dog, which she hopes can be used to educate local children about the plight of street dogs in Tonga.

"She always tries to connect with children in the community about loving, caring for, respecting animals and the environment," Schellenberg said.

"We want to promote better relationships with animals," Angela told Radio New Zealand Pacific in June 2020.

"There's been a big positive shift in society's approach to animals, but I don't think Tongans know where to go when they have a problem with their animals, so we're here to support people in our community."

"He was one of the beacons of life and I truly know his legacy will live on," Schellenberg wrote in a Facebook post, describing his shock and sadness at the death of his friend.

In its announcement, the Tongan Government said work was underway to restore full communications to the island chain, after a single submarine cable was cut by the eruption.

The evacuation process from some of the worst-hit islands continues, with the challenge of volcanic ash covering large parts of the area and having to be cleared for relief planes to land.

And last but not least, when the aid arrives, the United Nations has pledged to try and maintain Tonga's COVID-19 free status.