I wonder how all the Katrina pets are doing

[Disney-Kim]

I haven't seen as many updates. Are they still doing search/rescue for pets? I wonder how all that is going. If our money is helping the organizations that are taking care of all the displaced pets. ;) :dog: :dog: :dog:

[WDWBetsy]

The last I saw/read this past weekend, they're running out of shelter space and there are still pets to be rescued. The dogs are holding up better than the cats. They showed people having to go around putting dog food and water under garage doors to keep them going until they could come back and get them. :sad1: Made me cry something awful - and donate more money to help.

[The Mystery Machine]

I had a thread I posted that didn't get much attention but I will repost here. It really is worth looking at & reading the email. This is an email from a Rescue Group that I got my puppies from 2 months ago. It also includes PIC's of puppies in the video link. Check out the link....it is short but powerful.
_________________
Please have your kleenex ready when you watch this:

http://www.forpitssake.org/katrina.html


And here is an update from Jennifer, one of the women who made the trip to
New Orleans:


The first shelter we worked at was chaos. There were several dogs I fell
in love with and wanted to bring home. Some people were actually
'stealing' the dogs to get them out of that shelter as the people
running it weren't releasing them to rescue groups.

We did finally get into New Orleans on Sunday and were in the city for a
while.
That day we rescued 8 pit puppies and their mama. One had died inside
in the apartment and another puppy had accidentally hung himself. That
day we rescued about 12-13 dogs and 1 little kitten.

I had wanted to stay behind and work 2 more days with the girls from
Homeward Bound, but I had gotten 5 nosebleeds within about 6hrs and it
was worrying me (that's never happened before). We were all dehydrated,
it just wasn't possible to keep drinking as much as we needed to, we
were so busy. I think our longest day was about 21-22 hrs, we worked so
hard. I wish I could have stayed but ended up coming back with the rest
of our group. We got back yesterday about 5am.

So no we didn't bring any dogs back, we had talked about going back
again in the next week or so but with Rita on the way I don't know what
we will do. Many dogs if we couldn't get them we just left them in
their homes (so it would be less traumatic from them) and we just left
them big bags of food and lots of water as we were told people would be
allowed back into the city on Monday. Well not now with Rita coming :(
I am almost more heartbroken now than when I left. The city is
destroyed and there are SO many animals left behind. It is really
amazing how many people are there to rescue the animals, it was not
uncommon to see rescue groups from as far as Canada. We did a lot of
good, but there is still so much left to do.

I am going to get pictures developed and will have that to share next
week and that can be posted on the website.

Thanks for raising the money so we could go, it was an amazing trip.
Definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life.

[LMC]

I saw a rescue group from NJ that was travelling thru Alabama yesterday. The ladies (yes, two ladies by themselves!) said they had gone into NO and went to the convention ctr and found all the dogs they had. I don't know if that has become a drop off point but they made it sound like the dogs were just there and so they loaded them up and took them out.

It was so sad. The dogs, of course smelled horrible and God only knows what they have eaten and drank for the last 3 weeks. I asked how they will know if these animals are "toxic" now. They will go back and be treated by a vet immediately and I assume monitored for illnesses before they can be adopted out.

I was under the impression that the animal rescues were going well and the animals were being sent to shelters but I guess it is just so overwhelming that they have not made a dent in it yet.

[Disney-Kim]

Well it sure is comforting to hear that people are still there. With all the news about rescuers/helpers being turned away and the unorganiztion of NO, I have been concerned that the animals are just getting left behind.
I was so glad to see that Galveston was evacuating pets too... :dog: but I read today that they are short on buses already and some people/pets may be left on their own.
I think I better go donate more. ;) :dog: :pug: :dog2: :paw: :) :goodvibes

[UncleScrooge338]

I just watched a nice video of a CNN crew helping a dog abandoned in a collapsed storage building. :cheer2: :goodvibes

Dog rescue (http://www.cnn.com/video/us/2005/09/24/miles.saves.lumberton.dog.cnn/content.exclude.html)

He looks like such a sweetie! I'd never leave him behind! :love:

[Tantor]

I just watched a nice video of a CNN crew helping a dog abandoned in a collapsed storage building. :cheer2: :goodvibes

Dog rescue (http://www.cnn.com/video/us/2005/09/24/miles.saves.lumberton.dog.cnn/content.exclude.html)

He looks like such a sweetie! I'd never leave him behind! :love:
And he looked so scared. I'm glad they forund him.......

[Boo Boo]

Let's see if they let me post this...

http://www.vin.com/library/general/AnimalRescue.htm

Oh good. It worked. I'm a vet from LA living in FL and so have been watching this closely. This is a link to the best collection of info that I have found. I found the link off of a veterinarian-only website where a lot of the people running rescue operations are communicating via message boards. The largest operations seem to be run out of LSU in Baton Rouge and Gonzalez, but also a group called Noah's Wish is working out of Slidell (LA, between NOLA and MS). That's where I sent my donation (would love to be there myself if it weren't for my just getting out of the hospital). There are links on that link above where you can donate. I am trying to discourage people from donating to Petsmart.

Here is a photo gallery at LSU (http://www.vin.com/WebLink.plx?URL=http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/)

There's a lot of good info on the LSU vet school page (follow my first link), including how to donate, adopt, foster, etc.

There is probably a lot of other good info on those links, but I haven't checked them all.

One post that made me smile yesterday was that, at a shelter in Hattiesburg, MS, they ring a bell every time a family is reunited with their pets, and everyone erupts into applause. Just makes me tear up hearing that.

And yes, they definitely still need help and are using it! Those pets aren't anywhere near out of danger once they're rescued. You can imagine most are near death.

[LMC]

He looks like such a sweetie! I'd never leave him behind! :love:

Are you talking about Miles or the golden? :rolleyes1

Just thought I'd lighten things up a bit! Did they find any other pets at that location? I saw the original report but have been out of the house all day so I don't know if they found any more.

[UncleScrooge338]

Are you talking about Miles or the golden?

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Okay, I deserve that. You can have Miles, I'll take the doggie. :goodvibes

[Maria395712]

I donated to the www.aspca.org and the humane society and best friend's and noah's wish and I get updates from the humane society and the aspca and they are using the money and are still making rescues go to their sites and they will give you updates and please keep donating if you can any little bit helps
maria

[Boo Boo]

From the LSU site:

The LSU Emergency Animal Shelter is closing to new admissions as of 8:00 pm, Friday, September 30, and all owners are asked to claim their pets by that time. The shelter is scheduled to close entirely on October 15.

Any pets unclaimed after 8:00 pm Friday will be sent to shelters in other states, but their owners will still be able to locate them. All pets have been photographed, microchipped and will be trackable by a computer database. The information will be available on-line at www.petfinder.com.
The receiving shelters can adopt out the animals out on a provisional basis; that is, anyone adopting a pet that originally came from the LSU animal shelter must sign an affidavit agreeing that the adoption will not be final until after December 31, 2005. The original owners have until that time to claim their pet (i.e., if a pet is adopted but the original owner contacts the adopting person before the end of the year, the pet must be returned to its owner). If the pet is still unclaimed after December 31, the pet can be permanently adopted.

Please watch for updates with more information to help owners find their pets.

Please note: The LSU Emergency Animal Shelter is NOT open to the public, nor are we doing public adoptions from this facility. Animals that leave our care are released only to their owners or to other shelters who will handle the adoptions. We would like to encourage anyone wanting to adopt a pet to visit their local Humane Society or animal shelter and give a local homeless pet a good home. Petfinder.com is another resource that can be used to locate adoptable animals.



I worry about all those families who know they have to pick up their pets but still have no place to bring them. :( If anyone knows people in the area who can foster, please encourage them.

[the kabuki]

Let's see if they let me post this...

http://www.vin.com/library/general/AnimalRescue.htm

Oh good. It worked. I'm a vet from LA living in FL and so have been watching this closely. This is a link to the best collection of info that I have found. I found the link off of a veterinarian-only website where a lot of the people running rescue operations are communicating via message boards. The largest operations seem to be run out of LSU in Baton Rouge and Gonzalez, but also a group called Noah's Wish is working out of Slidell (LA, between NOLA and MS). That's where I sent my donation (would love to be there myself if it weren't for my just getting out of the hospital). There are links on that link above where you can donate. I am trying to discourage people from donating to Petsmart.
Here is a photo gallery at LSU (http://www.vin.com/WebLink.plx?URL=http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/)

There's a lot of good info on the LSU vet school page (follow my first link), including how to donate, adopt, foster, etc.

There is probably a lot of other good info on those links, but I haven't checked them all.

One post that made me smile yesterday was that, at a shelter in Hattiesburg, MS, they ring a bell every time a family is reunited with their pets, and everyone erupts into applause. Just makes me tear up hearing that.

And yes, they definitely still need help and are using it! Those pets aren't anywhere near out of danger once they're rescued. You can imagine most are near death.

Just wondering, why are you discouraging people from donating to Petsmart??

[Boo Boo]

I can't elaborate on that, but I would encourage you to look further into where that money goes.

Well, second thought... you can read their annual report on this page, upper right corner. (http://www.petsmart.com/charities/downloads/annualReport_04.pdf) Not impressive. Over 79 cents of every dollar goes directly to help animals... quite a bit underwhelming. Noah's Wish was more like 98%, and I know plenty of people who have seen this organization in action first-hand. What direct action have you seen taken by petsmart? This is what I would love to discuss over a drink but not on the internet. And as for hurricane relief, it appears that they are just distributing money to a list of agencies. All that is in the report. Who needs the middle man taking 21% of your donation? Donate directly to the sources who have people in the trenches. I wish I could find the info on the ridiculous studies this money funded; that must have been in the 2003 report.

[kayeandjim00]

This is from the Wisconsin Humane Society.


Special Delivery!
Cat Evacuees Get Hope for a New Home

MILWAUKEE – Eighty cats and six dogs will receive a warm welcome and hope at last for a new home from shelters stricken by Hurricane Katrina. Animals will arrive at the Wisconsin Humane Society's Emergency Animal Shelter at State Fair Park on Thursday, September 22 at 1 p.m. Wisconsin Humane Society staff will greet the cats with open arms as they arrive on the Rescue Waggin' from Mississippi and Louisiana.

The Wisconsin Humane Society is working with the ASPCA to relieve shelters that have been inundated with animals. Some of the cats were in shelters that were washed out and relocated to temporary shelters. Many of the staff working at these shelters became homeless after the hurricane and were not able to get to the shelter to help. Arriving in Milwaukee will be the last leg of their long journey to find a long-term home.

To insure the fastest placement of these animals, the Wisconsin Humane Society is working with neighboring shelters to place these evacuated animals. Each shelter will provide the cats with a great new start.

Financial resources are needed to maintain the cats' care at each respective animal welfare organization. To make a monetary donation to the Wisconsin Humane Society to help defray the cost of transport and care for the animals, visit www.wihumane.org . Monetary donations are also being accepted by mailing or dropping off the contribution at the Wisconsin Humane Society, 4500 W. Wisconsin Avenue , Milwaukee , WI 53208 . Please make sure to indicate the donation is for the cat evacuees of Hurricane Katrina. In-kind donations are also needed, including cat litter, small litter pans and cat toys. These items can also be dropped off at WHS.

Just as an aside about Petsmart - I can't really say what they do or don't do with donations but I know they do some great things for animals. The animals mentioned above came back in a truck donated some time ago by Petsmart to aid our humane society in rescuing animals from neighboring states in an effort to help get more animals placed in homes. Without them that rescue might not have been possible as well as many more including the rescue of my dog who was picked up on one of their trips to another state so I'll continue to support them.