State Government Slow and How 100+ Volunteers Are Finding Lost Pet Owners
1. Read some of the oldest Posts first to get the entire story.
2. This blog has the best pics so far of Katrina Animals. It is all pics
3. School shooting story WITHOUT ANY GORY PICS -- and ton of other great pics
4. And this is one of our groups blogs --
5. Most amazing photography: I mean must seeHere!
6. Amazing!!
7. My favorite Post
and My favorite Picture is my buddy "Josh" who I had with me for over 15 days through thick and thin getting home to his Dad, Earl who is 76 and retired. Thanks for hanging out Josh. You can read all about him in a post below. That is his foster mom Shelley who took him when I left NO. Today Josh was fixed and mircochipped. Earl previously spolied him with biweekly grooming and Josh looks forward to getting back on that schedule. He was one cool dog. We know this guy saw some rough times and deep water but you never would have know it. He was 8 miles from home.
This State Government Blows and How 100+ Volunteers Are Finding Lost Pet Owners
"Groups of animal activists have come into the city since Hurricane Katrina, and are breaking and entering homes to remove pets." LASPCA this after these exact same volunteers were credentialed by LASPCA and rescued at least 12,000 animals from this city. Now we are animal activists.
"most animals are delirious" Mayor Nigin in Press Conference to question asked by Eric Rice
"we are winding down to normal rescue operations" -- State Vet in the Advocate Newspaper
“how did you get my number? in my opinion the animals at Lamar Dixon have been adequately tracked” -- Assistant State Vet Marsha Littlefield
“those animals posed a health risk” – M. Minton. days after he used someones pets as target practice (just a few days after the storm)
“I’ve put worse things into my body than this toxic stuff” – Billy, as he refused a suit and mask and jumped in the back of a truck with Bourbon our dog rescued from the toxic water.
Asst. State Vets Marsha Littlefield Phone and Fax—(post her response in comments) PH: 225-933-8121 Fax: 225-237-5555
I am po’d this am. I just got Jane Garrison’s update and I watched the Animal Planet special about the rescue operation. Two things strike me -- more animals could have been saved and more can be saved if common sense was/is used. How can we be ok with rescuers told to not rescue on Animal Planet? If it was simply space then go get more space. The state had NO interest in saving anything more than an "acceptable" number of animals. A number that would allow them to say they responded. Some people like Nigin seemed to have no information on animals throughout the entire crisis.
First I’d like to make sure you get to watch this video of my team pulling a dog out of a bathroom alive after 29 days on his own. This has been rescuers experience time and time again that some of these animals are surviving and they are not “delirious” as the Mayor puts it. (By the way has anyone checked the Mayor’s backyard for an abused dog yet? I AM NOT KIDDING) Contrary, the ones that are stuck in and on houses know they are in trouble. Before we started taping we had an unstable chair propped up and you don’t see it but this poor guy was literally trying to climb up the walls to get out. We saw this from animals over and over again...They know they are in trouble and they are helpless WITHOUT US. They want to be saved…bad. (more video every coming every day, check back)
So check this VIDEO out and be happy that rescuers are rescuing: www.donrudolph.net/movie.wmv (WARNING 1 PIECE OF BAD LANGUAGE. sorry)
Excerpts from Jane’s email: (is she the only one in this saga with any common sense?) I have to tell you that the more I dig the more the state and LASPCA look like they tied the hands of the HSUS in many ways.
****************
OCTOBER 8, 2005: WE ARE STILL RESCUING AND STILL NEED HELP!
We pulled a dog out of a warehouse yesterday who was completely skin and bones. This dog was able to survive because there was access to water but no food. He is one of many we have seen like this. If there is one...there are others and we must come to their rescue!
As of September 30th, the HSUS was forced to stop rescuing animals due to orders by the Louisiana State Vet. It was ridiculous that this vet could pick some arbitrary date of when rescuing should end. She did this without ever consulting with those of us actually rescuing. I refused to stop this rescue operation knowing that there were still animals trapped behind closed doors in attics, bathrooms and carriers. I could not fathom the thought of them wasting away while a state vet believed they could no longer be alive. Because the state vet closed Lamar Dixon for intake of animals we had to find temporary places to bring the animals. Since Oct. 1 we have rescued over 300 animals which certainly proves the state vet wrong. The volunteers are still staying at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in tents and will be able to do so until October 15th...We do a volunteer orientation 9pm each night in front of the Prowler trailer between barn 1 and 2. We send our teams out at 5:30am.
Warm regards,
Jane Garrison
***********************
So why does Jane Garrison and her volunteers (the ones the state was so happy to have just weeks ago) need to hideout from the State Vet and LASPCA when she was the star of the show for LASPCA along with 300-500 HSUS volunteers that helped this state through the worst animal crisis in the history of the world? Nobody stopped rescuing humans while they were still stuck on roofs.
Lets face it for all the criticisn the HSUS has gotten they did put the most rescuers and resources on the ground. No doubt. HSUS in my opinion has answered my questions and admitted areas where they could have done better.
Why would the state stop the momentum that Jane and the HSUS had finally gotten into place? It was working and it was working pretty well – “Feeding Program” itself saved 1000's of dogs and I estimate it might have saved 10,000 cats (who are starving again I imagine as Jane certainly can’t have the team she had when she was “authorized”).
I have it from good sources that HSUS is supporting rescues even though they may not be able to state it out right (more stupid politics and legalize I am sure but at least they are still around) We got reports yesterday of owner after owner thanking rescuers for feeding cats. The owners are finding the cats sitting on the porch happy and healthy in many cases.
The concept that homeowners would flood back into the city and rescue the animals is false. I have to estimate that only 2-5% have returned home and in hard hit areas maybe less. We are fielding dozens of requests a day to "check my house for my pets."
The LASPCA put out a puff document about how they wanted volunteers who are animal control officers and others...but not a single email or phone number on that document appears to work. Animal control officers only? Yea, that will happen...Very few of the people that came to help in the first place were animal control officers. These people all have huge problems in their own cities. Of course some came. Does the dog in the video need to be rescued by an animal control officer? WE ARE ALL SMART ENOUGH TO STAY AWAY FROM AGRESSIVE DOGS. DUH! The cases of animal attacks and disease are almost nonexistent (I did get nicked by a poodle) and every rescuer that went or goes understands the risks and accepts them. Does the state vet have one verifiable case of anyone catching a communicable disease from a pet? This excuse is always used to keep pets out of evacuations and now being used to call off rescues. 90% of the animals left are well fed and hiding under houses scared to death.
Yesterday the requests started pouring in from homeowners that needed a dead animal removed. Calls to LASPCA were given the information –“we do not know who does that.”
How about a simple statement by the Mayor. "As you come back into the city please check on your neighbors pets and bring some dog and cat food as your neighbors pets may be right underneath the house or in the backyard and starving. We don’t suggest you approach aggressive animals.” For that manner how about one simple statement by the Gov or the Mayor about the animals of Katrina.
The crisis continues. We are fielding calls and emails from people in desperate attempt to have pets rescued from houses and we are working around the clock to reunite pets with owners in this mess of a “system.” Read below about how people are helping pet owners in this system.
“Owner Beware” – The system for finding a lost pet is almost not a system at all. Petfinder.com has become the defacto standard by that state yet many evacuees have no house and no job yet alone internet access. Petfinder.com is particularly confusing even to the Internet savvy. I have had several pet owners ask me what street it is on. The state making the use of Petfinder.com virtually the only way to find your pet is another injustice to pet owners, especially the poor and elderly. The system for finding a pet is a royal mess with absolutely no way to fix it now that animals have been sent all over the country and Canada without being tracked. Some shelters are adopting out pets others are being exceptional about finding owners and extending hold times.
So how many volunteers would have had to be used to check every address in New Orleans that first week or so?
Well I have always said that it would take about the same number of rescuers as the city had on as Garbage Collectors x 2. The garbage collectors hit every house in the city once a week right? Multiply by 2 since checking a house for a live animal takes a few more minutes than picking up the garbage. I think that by the time the response was organized by map sections with dedicated teams per area many animals had perished or already were to weak to bark…and of course you have the cat problem as they are so quit. You just needed so many rescuers on the ground to cover the entire city. Was it impossible?
We will never know how many but the worst feeling is all of those animals we didn’t get to behind closed doors.
From Stealth Volunteers Now 120 People strong is helping to match lost pets to owners. Site telling people how to search for an owner is http://www.KatrinaSanAntonio.com
The group searching for owners is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stealthvolunteers/ They have about 120 people doing this now and are solving dozens of cases every day. Some of them I would have thought were impossible, but they are a very collaborative group and they make a lot of breakthroughs. Join if you want to help a pet locate its owner.
Billy Playing Around with cuffs the girls found on the bridge:
"Dog Gone Airlines"
Flights Chartered by T Boone Pickens To Rescue Animals
posted by EricsDogBlog.com @ Sunday, October 09, 2005
75 comments
75 Comments:
An Open Letter To Shelters With Katrina Pets
10/08/05
Katrina Shelters:
Thanks for caring about animals. Thanks for responding to the Katrina pet crisis.
I run a website www.ericsdogblog.com which became widely read during the rescue crisis that followed the hurricane. I am working with a group of over 100 volunteers who were previously looking for lost “people” but are now working on lost pets and lost pet owners.
We can help you find the owners of pets you may be holding. We have the resources and knowledge and can teach you to locate the owners of the pets you are holding, even if you have very little information.
I am emailing for one reason: to help you with information that will allow you to reunite pets with owners that are desperately seeking those pets. The stories of why and how these people lost animals are heartbreaking. Know one thing—good owners are looking for the pets they cherish. Many had no choice but to leave the animals behind. Many have nothing left in life but the pet. They tell us “just help me find my pet. I don’t care about the house, the car or the job but I need my pet to survive this.”
My best experience so far is Josh. I only had nonworking phone number on tag. With an easy “reverse lookup” at a website I was able to find the address and name of the owner of that number. Once I had the name I used various databases to find the person. The dog’s owner was a 76 year old retired military person. His wife died several years ago. He was depressed and talking about not having any reason to live now. His family was spending every waking minute looking for Josh. It took me many days but from my research I located the owner. What do you think that phone call was like for he and I? You can see Josh at my blog in a previous post. He is home and safe and the owner is no longer depressed even though every possession he has was destroyed. He has Josh but it took some work on my part to find the owner.
You can take an active participation in more reunions like this. It is actually not that difficult to do these searches but you do need some dedicated staff or volunteers. All kinds of tricks and databases exist.
We know that most of you have no experience in locating an owner where you have very little information about that animal. This is a situation that is far beyond anything any of us have experienced. We do have those skills and want to share with you how to do it. You will have to dedicate some resources but is not that difficult to learn the strategies and tricks. We have heard that HSUS will help with the costs.
Many tools are available to find information if you only have one piece of the puzzle. I myself have found 4 owners from the 20 animals my group is fostering. If you have one piece of information you can fill in the blanks by using other databases.
Primary work tool is http://www.KatrinaSanAntonio.com Lots of great tips and databases
Here is most of what you need to know to find the owner of a pet you have any info on: http://www.illyria.com/shelter/foundpetlist.htm
List all the databases to find lost people: http://www.illyria.com/shelter/shelter.htm
Please email me at: ericrice3@comcast.net and I can email you several documents that will allow you to immediately begin searching for owners.
Further, we ask that you extend the voluntary hold times beyond the new “30 days on Petfinder.” HSUS themselves are requesting this as well. If you do not have the latest update (this was decided on by State and others involved in the response and published this week, if you need a copy of the entire 2 page document “National Consensus Recommendations Interim Plan for National Pet-Owner Reunification” please email me.
Here is what it says about hold periods:
…shelters, fosters, and other rescue groups have been asked to hold the animals not less than 30 days from the date the animal's photo is posted on Petfinder.com (on the disaster part not the regular part). After 30 days, shelters, fosters, and rescue groups may elect to hold the animal longer with hopes of reuniting the pet with his or her family, or may move forward with making that animal available for adoption. The HSUS and other national animal protection organizations are also appealing to shelters to extend the hold period until December 15 when possible.
Organizations holding animals should commit staff and voluntary resources to thoroughly examine the Petfinder site on a regular basis for lost reports from owners that may match animals in the organization’s care.
Be aware that many owners are also listing on www.petharbor.com and you might want to list on both as well.
Please elect to hold animals longer than the 30 day minimum after putting on Petfinder.com and show that you are committed to the mental health of owners who have experienced a confusing system and are trying to determine how to find the pets. Many have no idea the pet was even rescued until they return home and see spray painting on the doorway of their house. Many are not yet home. Others are trying to tackle the problem without internet access and /or any phone numbers to call.
The HSUS is offering to help you with the cost of transporting a pet back to the owner. This grant appears to be as much as $400 per transport. Contact JGunn@hsus.org or jacques@aspca.org (this is per the HSUS and ASPCA websites).
Regards,
Eric Rice
PS. Funny. I have been working for almost a month around the clock. When I wrote the date at the top of this letter, that is the first time that I realized it is my Birthday today. All I want for my birthday is more desperate owners to find pets so they do not have to continue more agonizing pain. Sociologists rank the loss of a pet in the top 5 of life’s most stressful events.
PSS. Petfinder.com Tips: Many of you were told that the pets you received were already in Petfinder. We are finding this to be untrue in some cases. Please take time to make sure you pets are in (in the Katrina section) the database and that a good picture and accurate description exists. If not you can get Petfinder to replace the picture and description (if you didn’t put it in the first place) or update yourself if you are putting your own animals in. Please do your best at this as Petfinder is not an easy to use tool for most people.
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21052. Poodle Shot Bernard crossposted
by saddog, 10/9/05 10:34 ET
29666.4. MY POODLE by mamamig1199, 10/9/05 10:21 ET Re: Cross Post....Update from Pasado by chelle1207, 10/9/05 MY WHITE POODLE NAMED GIGI WAS ONE OF THE DOGS FOUND IN ST.BERNARD HIGH SCHOOL..THE ONE WITH RED PAINTED TOE POLISH.SHE WAS GROOMED EVERY 6 WEEKS AND SHE WAS GROOMED ON FRIDAY 8-26-05. SHE WAS TAKEN FROM ME BY THE ST.BERNARD SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT ST.BERNARD HIGH AS WE WERE BEING EVACUTED. WE WERE TOLD NO ANIMALS ALLOWED ON THE BARGE WE WERE BEING TAKEN TO. WE WERE ARRIVED AT THE BARGE THERE WERE PEOPLE AND THEIR ANIMALS ALREADY ON IT. I WAS TOLD THAT IF I DIDN'T HAND HER OVER THAT I WOULD BE HANDCUFFED,AND THE PERSON WHO TOLD ME HAD A SHOTGUN IN HIS HAND WITH A VEST FULL OF BUCKSHOT BULLITS..I KNOW GIGI HAS BEEN TAKEN TO LSU VET. FOR AN AUTOPSY..I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE ANIMAL RESCUERS WHO WENT INTO THE SCHOOL.. IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO ME I CAN BE E-MAILATELIZABETH1199@AOL.COM..TKS JUDY MIGLIORE YES THAT'S RIGHT I AM SIGNING MY NAME
Eric:
Will you please post the contact info for those "powers" that are supervising the LA State Veterinarian, who, in her infinite wisdom, said LASPCA should resume business as usual. Like there's some normalcy going on in LA. Also post her name and contact info.
I'll say my piece. More emphasis needs to be put on HSUS and ASPCA organization powers for several reasons.
1. They have collected millions of dollars in donations. How many millions is unknown. Why aren't they publishing this? Where's the accounting for it. I've written them and asked them to publish it. They have made a half attempt by saying such and such is "allocated" to such and such, but how much has actually been spent and for what? KWIM?
2. They are a "bureacracy", although private, and are supported by their members and donors, so why aren't they in there fighting for the rights of the pets to continue to be rescued and cared for.
They need to be part of solution with LASPCA and other groups. They should not back down the govt bureacracy. "Waves" need to be made. They "should" have the power to negotiate and come up with some workable solution to continue to provide rescue operations.
I agree with Juli. I just emailed HSUS and asked them why they aren't taking on the LA vet and LA SPCA for animal neglect and cruelty? I also asked them why they are still soliciting donations when they are no longer in the area? I asked that they provide some funding to Pasados for the St. Bernard pet killings. The HSUS should be in the forefront on all of these issues. If you check their website, the disaster page is quickly fading with no real news or information provided.
Happy Birthday, Eric!!!!
Happy Birthday, Eric!
I've never met you but have great admiration for all you've done.
Someday there should be party in your honor so that everyone who cared about the Katrina pets can meet you (and each other). Instead of gifts, we can all contribute something more to the animals in some way.
Hey, we are all going to the first Mardi Gras after Katrina next year. That could be our party.
Ok, as I understand it HSUS is loosely backing Jane. They should blast anyone that has gotten in the way of them having successful rescue operations. I know they were handcuffed on many things.
Happy Birthday Eric :) !
My birthday was the 7th. Keep up the great work !
What's worse is that from my experience, the process of searching for lost
animals has been a nightmare and series of frustrating dead ends even for
the volunteers, unaffected by the hurricane, who have skills/resources and
are helping. PetFinder and PetHarbor are not user-friendly; the servers are
often slow or too busy to access; there are duplicate/missing entries;
poor/missing photos; wrong info associated with an animal, etc.
IMO, it was criminal to force people to leave their animals behind. Now,
the powers-who-be have added insult to injury by giving such short-term
deadlines for reclaiming lost pets, especially when the "system" is such as
it is.
Eric -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope this message finds you today and I certainly hope you've taken a few minutes for yourself to get some rest. And, I hope you will realize birthday blessings are forthcoming.
I have read this entire blog from start to current. The link to all the pictures as presented by danakay@flikr is very interesting. Also, the most touching is the rescue video by donrudolph of the dog brought out alive after 29 days locked in a bathroom.
All of you are to be commended for this effort....
Here I am stuck in the Midwest, strangled by the work-a-day world in a job I have to keep to maintain survival. All the while, my thoughts (and heart) are in the storm-damaged areas - wishing I could help.
The best that I could do from here is to support to multiple organizations going to the Gulf area to rescue animals. I've sent support to Noah's Wish, In Defense of Animals along with Stray Rescue of St. Louis, the ASPCA, and HSUS. I know it will take more than a few dollars to each organization to complete the effort that seems to have no end.
Keep up your efforts. I know that reunions with pets and guardians may be few at first, but more and more reunions will happen soon. I will be glad to read about those reunions on this blog.
Keep the faith! God's creatures need people like you.
I am also sending support to Pasado because of the shooting incidents at the St Bernard Parish schools. My sympathy to Judy M for the loss of her poodle, Gigi.
Also, I agree with you that it is extremely inhumane for any person to be asked that they leave their animals behind during these evacuations. The laws will be changed because of Katrina and Rita.
Thanks again,
DJ Heywood
St Louis
Hi Eric,
Thanks for a most fantastic blog!
I just recently returned from doing 2 weeks of a combo of search/rescue and veterinary work & work with extics at Lamar/Dixon. I've jsut found your blog today.
I must say that Jane (Garrison) is one heck of a dedicated woman...she has certainly earned my respect. So have soooo many others I worked with...Scott, Charles, Penny, etc...what a bunch of stellar folks all doing whatever they could to help the wheels keep turning.
How much rescue work still needs to be done? If I go back...where is best to go? There is so much to read...much of it confusing.
Anyone who thinks all of these animals are beyond rescue is sadly mistaken...I KNOW there are still animals alive, I stood up to my $#@ in that toxic mess...the resiliance of these poor creatures is truly amazing.
A health warning...I did inhale mold...even with a respirator mask on when entering houses...if you are working in these areas make sure you are using a GOOD respirator mask. There is A LOT of mold in the air...not just in the houses.
Take care of yourselves...so that you are healthy to do this important work!
Please forward my e-mail address to whomever is still actively doing rescue...and I'll see what I can do from this end to get my butt back out there (from California)
For the kritters, as always,
Annie Lancaster
Director, TortoiseAid Int'l Inc.
tortoiseaid@tortoise-aid.org
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Hi Eric...take a trip to the doc for your own safety...
I agree most were NOT well equipped for rescue...thank GOD I brought my own HAZMAT stuff...catch poles, etc...but I've done a lot of field work in Africa...so my past experience led me to prepare myself for just about anything. Still, NO is the worst I have EVER seen...
Some people are allergic to mold (like me)...after 3 or 4 days of rescue...the coughing started..and it got BAD...it's just in the air there...and will be for a long, long time. Get a chest x-ray to be on the safe side...I think ANYONE who has done search and rescue needs a full check up to be sure...no one wants chronic lung problems from mold inhalation.
I also think anyone doing S/R should have done an "exit" interview with a health care worker in all honesty...but in all that chaos....??? Still...it should have been done.
I did go to DMAT and have them listen to my lungs...doc said they sounded clear. But the coughing...the longer I was there, the more people I heard coughing like I was. My last few days there I couldn't go back into New Orleans..I felt SO guilty....but I'd have been an idiot to do so. I did all the reptile care the entire time I was in LA...S/R and also export...helped out VMAT when needed...etc. I wore lots of hats...saw stuff I still can't believe (just like you I'm sure).
...the first time you break into a house...good God...
Lots of my work was in the 9th ward...total devastation. :-(
Feeling much better now...but still sleeping a lot...I think the only thing that saved my butt when I got sick was the FEMA tent...dry cool air helped a lot.
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Anonymous Mud-Slinging Wins a Round
IN the freewheeling, often obscene babble of Internet discourse, the insults flung by an anonymous poster to a Delaware Web log last year - comments that would eventually land at the center of a state court ...
Alot of interesting comments on this blog, I was searching for some doctor related info and some how came across this site. I found it pretty cool, so I bookmarked. I'll really liked the second post on the front page, that got my attention.
Eric,
I just returned from SBP temporary shelter and was horrified to learn that they are no longer letting rescue groups such as Pasados and Best Friends in. They think they can do S/R with animal control people? Let me tell you, animal control just doesn't have the passion for this work. They're not animal people. They're law enforcement people. They don't go the extra mile to get that last dog or cat.
My last day there they went from over 35 intakes to 11 because of this insane policy. How can we get it to change? The thought of all those pets suffering because some moron deems it so is more than I can stand.
That really blows. You mean they are not letting them into SB Parish at all?
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From the PAWS website:
"To our knowledge, all of the pets PAWS Chicago saved from the first rescue mission to Arkansas were willingly given up by their owners. However, many of the animals from the second and subsequent rescue missions will include animals whose owners may be looking for them. In order to ensure that families who wish to do so can reconnect with their pet, all of the Katrina pets from these missions will be posted on petfinder.com and all animals will be placed in six month “foster-to-adopt” homes with the understanding that reunification with the original owner is a primary goal."
http://www.pawschicago.org/
Eric,
Do you know about http://www.alleyanimals.org?
It's a small group that feeds and waters stray animals in your backyard (Baltimore) and rescues the most critical cases of abuse, disease, and starvation. They do mini-Katrina rescues all the time.
Pasado’s Safe HavenTemporary Staging Area in Raceland, LA. Contact: Kim (425) 283-8307 Pasado’s Alternate Contact (not affiliated with Pasado’s Safe Haven): Pia (323) 899-4160 at Lamar Dixon
URGENTLY NEEDED: NEW FACILITIES AND TRANSPORT FOR REMAINING PETS IN TEMPORARY STAGING AREAS IN GONZALES AND RACELAND, LA
Raceland and Gonzales, LA At least 100 pets, mostly pit bulls, in the Lamar Dixon temporary staging area urgently need immediate transport and new facilities. Quarters at Lamar Dixon in Gonzales are slated to close Tuesday and Pasado’s temporary facilities plan to close as soon as possible. Many of these pets are hard to handle under their present living conditions. Pasado’s Safe Haven is dedicated to a strict no-kill approach, but there are no guarantees that other facilities will have the same standards.
“We’ve worked too hard for too long to deny these dogs the opportunity for a good home at this point,” says Mark Steinway, Pasado’s Safe Haven’s co-founder and humane investigator. “Everybody who can must step up at this point to see that these dogs have a chance to thrive.”
Many of these pets will need extra work, including training with experienced dog trainers and handlers, to rehabilitate them. However, all of the dogs initially identified as “aggressive” pets at Pasado’s have already improved behavior. (See Snarly’s story.)
STRESSFUL CONDITIONS: After the trauma of the hurricane, new stresses awaited these pets upon rescue. Their new quarters were crowded buildings teeming with other anxious pets, where they endured rushed care and handling by untrained volunteers. Some of these pets have become hard to handle, yet at Pasado’s staging area in Raceland, we have seen phenomenal successes when our “aggressive” dogs have had the attention of animal behaviorists who have, in turn, trained the volunteers. “They just went through a lot; every single one of them is placeable although there will be some that will require extra reassurance,” says animal behaviorist Prima Mosi of Protective Animal Welfare Services, who volunteered at Pasado’s staging area in Raceland.
“SNARLY’S” STORY: Take the case of # 1163, a skinny female pit bull. She spent her first two days in the shelter cowering in the back of the cage baring teeth to all who passed by. When she was pulled out to potty with a rabies pole her growls and screeches set the whole building’s dogs barking. On day three a volunteer sat by the cage, and without making eye contact, fed her wet food through the wire openings. On day four after only receiving food via hand feeding, you could look “Snarly” in the eye without a reaction. By day five she came out after careful noosing with a nylon lead and a food treat. On day seven she wagged her tail for the first time and hasn’t stopped since. This is the kind of time and treatment many of our “aggressive” pets need. Yet they may never get the chance if we don’t pull them out of their current facilities now.
Please help buy time for these dogs. Send the word out to all your pet contacts. We need to work together to find new facilities, transport, expert handlers, and foster and permanent homes.
CONTACTS: Kim at Pasado’s: (425) 283-8307Pia at Lamar Dixon: (323) 899-4160
Some of our volunteer animal behaviorists:Prima Mosi with Protection of Animal Welfare Services: (512) 288-9856Carol Christopherson with Florida Service Dogs: (800) 644-9963Rhonda Steele of Pet Pawlor Inc. with Sarah Inc. (256) 759-0273
I like your blog and I am planing to build a blog similar to your content. I will for surly add a reciprocal link back to yours.
On Paws Chicago --
There is a Norwich Terrier on the site. There's not a Norwich Terrier owner anywhere that will be 'given up'. I don't think they are owner turn ins. There were few owner turn in in NO as the people were evacuated. Someone should call Paws.
Reposted From Nola.com
many other shelters too have pets up for adoption and have since the beggining (unfortunately) They just don't have resources & space to keep them there and many had the mindset that these dogs were "abandoned" and therefore the owners don't deserve to have them back. I have spent many hours searching and researching shelters (all on www.findkatrinapets.com in the pets sent out of state section) and have seen this occur many places.
I'm glad you have come to realize the situation the HSUS was/is in....politics sucks.
From: RedFang13@aol.com
Date: Sun, 9 Oct 2005 20:29:43 EDT
Subject: SOS SOS, Need your help now
To: fullcustomic@yahoo.com
Ha,
So you've probably heard and read all the crap regarding how the Pit Bulls were treated at the Gonzalez, LA. site. They were made to live in crates for up to 3 days at a time in their shit and piss. The shelter people HATED them and they began euthanizing them before anyone had the chance to look for their lost pets. So....in steps David Meyer with 1-800-SaveAPet.com He's been down there for weeks trying to keep them from getting killed and trying to find groups to take them. They started off with 1000 Pits and now they're down to the last 40. So today he and Bobby BEGGED AND BEGGED me to take them. They're rounding up some money because there's no way I can afford this.
The bad part is they're coming in tomorrow afternoon at LAX. So I need to make a temporary shelter for them here until we can evaluate them, get them to a vet, etc. What I need are 2-3 construction offices (the kind that pull like a trailer that you see on a construction site). I need approx. 500 feet of chainlink and posts to make turnout areas. I need bowls, water buckets, blankets. I need to find someone that will give, loan or rent an RV so that Louise (my trainer) can live in it while these dogs are here. And more importantly I need $$$$ because this is going to cost me a fortune.
HELPPPPPP
Tia Maria
Villalobos Rescue Center
www.VRCPitBull.com
Racism is the Pits - Stop Breed Specific Legislation
your reports have been more informative than any information I ever get from calling la-spca, emaling la-spca, etc. I am SO MAD I raised funds in the beginning and donated it to them. I, too, went through their non-existent volunteer sheet--I have four girlfriends who flew in last night to N.O. You spoke with Cara about a week or two ago. You were sobbing; she was sobbing when she called me.
I hate to say it but this state is a POS always has been always will but that's another matter.
I am so thankful for the rest of this country---without people like you and many others, no pet would have made it.
p.s.
looks like it's your birthday.
Happy Birthday!
glad you were born . . .
There are now quite a few people living in their homes in the New Orleans area. There were areas that weren't flooded and people have in fact moved back in. So yes, rescuers did interrupt a family at dinner.
It is so important now that rescuers double check the date of request and who is giving the request. Several people have been feeding their pets at home but not living there yet. They have come to feed the animals and have found them "rescued". Now the search to recover them begins.
We do appreciate your rescue efforts but not all of the facts you now have are accurate.
I have been saying for 2 weeks that rescuers need to be wary of people coming back in...BUT IT IS BLOCK BY BLOCK, some areas have people, SOME STILL HAVE NONE AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL. The reporting on the street by rescuers just does not match up to statements they are making. They are now running a campaign to discredit all the great volunteers because of 1-2 incidents that never hurt anyone.
here is what they put out about "animal activists" trying to put good law abiding, considerate, organized citizens who spent thousands of their own money in the class of activists that "burn down homes on ski resorts"...
From the SPCA--
NEW ORLEANS (10/06/05) -- The Louisiana SPCA is warning residents to beware of activists breaking and entering homes, under the auspicious of animal rescue.
Please report any suspicious activity to the New Orleans Police Department, as any animal rescuers without LA/SPCA credentials can be arrested.
--------
Let me explain that in the course of a day most rescuers are finding NO PETS IN HOMES. That is virtually over but not totally. Muttshacks leads of pets in homes are coming from the police and milatry themselves who tell them about pets still trapped in homes. Nobody did or is running around breaking in homes left and right. The resucers spend 99% of their time on the streets feeding, coaxing animals from under houses, etc. The time to rescue trapped animals has passed except for a few rare instances. The city is at 2-3% population according to HomeLand Security.
I found this on petfinder. http://www.petfinder.org/foundation/racetosavepets.html
There was a post on bestfriends site day before yesterday by people who were trying to coordinate and pay for rabies vaccs for pets in Galviston affected by Hurricane Rita so they could be transported out of the state.
Looks like this could have done it for them.
Please post and cross post. The more info that gets out there, the better.
I have tried numerous times to post on bestfriends and signed up with several different ID's and have had no luck, so possibly someone here who's reading this can post there.
As an add on to what I was writing about yesterday (accountability of donations from large groups - HSUS, ASPCA etc.) - - They should be assisting Pasados with funding in regards to the shootings at the school. It's pure nonsense a small organization from NW WA is given no monetary assistance by the BIGEES who say that's part of their mission.
I did read somewhere (I believe on bestfriends site by a poster) that she wrote to the ASPCA about providing Pasados with $$$ assistance for this and was told they wouldn't be doing that.
All should write and/or call and let them know your wishes. www.hsus.org, www.aspca.org.
21309. LA SPCA Complaints
by FLpetowner, 10/10/05 10:57 ET
If SPCA is giving you the runaround when trying to contact them, or get credentialed, call this woman:
ASPCA Southern Regional Shelter Outreach Manager Laura Lanza
434-589-1499
FOUND BUT SCARED FOR OTHER OWNERS IN THIS CRAZY PROCESS.
This dog is old, she survived heartworm treatment and breast cancer twice and she's a very timid dog. Desperately looking for Bjak..........who is an elderly Beagle mix. I have great news on Bjak. I found her today. I can't believe it.
I just kept calling and emailing everywhere I could and finally
someone at a Humane Society in Florida called me. I could not believe it.
So we are now making arrangements to get her back home.
The sad news is that this whole time I have been talking with so many people
from the HSUS and they have told me over and over again that they have
searched through the Hattiesburg staging area and she was not there. They also
have made it very clear to me that they do not have time to help track where
they took Terri's animals. I know they are in overwhelmed but how would it
make any owner feel to hear that the group who took your animals can not
help you find them. It's very frightening. One Humane Society accidentally
passed an email to me in which the Director said in regard to dealing with
my search "tell her nicely to get over it".
Well, today I learned that Bjak WAS in Hattiesburg. She only left Hattiesburg
yesterday! The other also could have been there. Now I have no idea b/c
clearly no one really looked. Than goodness for this lovely man at the Humane
Society in Florida who took the time and made the effort to look
through his kennels for her.
Looking for Candy, black FEMALE, akita dog for Justin, a quadaplegic boy/man. Candy was left at 5001 columbia st in NOLA 70126. Not there now. Candy has tags and a microchip ( home again CHIP). She is black and white chest, white tips of paws.black guard hair, silverish undercoat. She has a white chest, the tip of her tail is white; she has white toes, with the right front paw having less white than the others. She is wearing a black nylon collar with her rabies tags, her license, and a yellow tag containing her "Home Again" microchip number, along with an 800 number to contact Home Again. jUSTIN IS IN HOSPITAL AND i AM HELPING FIND HIS DOG, PLEASE HELP, HE LOST EVERYTHING. i AM NANCY 515-989-4232. HE DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE HER BUT WAS FORCED TO. HE BEGGED TO TAKE HER WITH HIM..PLEASE DON TELL ME TO CALL 1-800 HUMANE1, IVE HAD IT WITH THEM, NO RESULTS FOR ME THERE.I TRY PETFINDER AND HARBOR EVERY DAY. Please help.
I just got off the phone w/ a St. Bernard Parish resident. Her neighbor had told her about the plight of this one St. Bernard Parhis sheriff's deputy who lived in Chalmette. The deputy, named Johnnie, rode out Hurricane Katerina in his house with his wife and 2 dogs. After making sure that his wife was safe, he reported for duty not knowing if his dogs were still alive. He was ordered by the sheriff department to shoot any horses, cows, and even rabbits caught drinking water outside. They were told that the water was toxic and would cause the animals to go insane (delirious?). Johnnie is an animal lover and he could not stand this order. He ended up quitting the force because of this order. It is not known whether he was also ordered to shoot dogs. After quitting, he went back to his house and found that one of his dogs had drowned. The other one was alive. Johnnie took both from the house with him. He wrapped up the dead dog's body in bedding. The neighbor said that there was no way he could leave his pets behind. Johnnie has relocated to Arizona. It wouldn't surprise me if he fears for his life. The St. Berhard resident said that neighbors who stayed during the hurricane are telling her horror stories concerning law enforcement. She said that they were acting all "macho" and bullying the residents who stayed. Someone please pass this to Pasado. I realize that it's a 2rd hand account and only includes a first name but if they can find this Johnny (Johnnie), he could be a potential witness.
Thank you, Eric for being the voice of reason. Your contibution goes beyond a few greatful pet owners. You touched a chord with people throughout the world. The two out of every three households that own pets need to be better served by our governments who are apparantly only capable of giving lipservice to the nonpet owners and nothing at all to the rest of us. You are a heor for the underdog, cat whatever
what is wrong with the Louisiana SPCA? from their website:
Rogue Animal “Rescue” Groups Pose as Humane Officers
NEW ORLEANS (10/06/05) -- The Louisiana SPCA is warning residents to beware of activists breaking and entering homes, under the auspicious of animal rescue.
Groups of animal activists have come into the city since Hurricane Katrina, and are breaking and entering homes to remove pets. These groups DO NOT have permission to do this, and are NOT affiliated with the Louisiana SPCA, the only licensed animal control agent in the city.
“These are activists who are choosing not to play by the rules,” said LA/SPCA Executive Director Laura Maloney. “They are breaking into homes without permission, destroying property and taking people’s pets. Just yesterday, a group broke in to a New Orleans home while the family was sitting down, eating dinner!”
Organized animal rescue efforts since the storm have been spearheaded by the LA/SPCA, and the organization has given official credentials to trained humane officers who lead the search and rescue work.
Please report any suspicious activity to the New Orleans Police Department, as any animal rescuers without LA/SPCA credentials can be arrested.
what the hell? This is so utterly offensive. I sent them an email about it, like they're going to listen, but I am just so mad. As stated before, they just don't have the rescources to do these rescues and now they're trying to control everything.
FOR ALL OF YOU WHO THINK IT IS OK TO TAKE THESE PETS AND MAKE THEM WITHOUT FINDING OWNERS.
I just spoke to Kimberly and she's so stressed out and depressed. She needs our help finding her 4 dogs. She lost everything in this hurricane,even her dogs. She's been checking all the website for our K-9 babies, butis not having any luck. She can't sleep and wants to die. Please look at the photos and see if your recognize her dogs. Her cell number is (225) 276-4692.
Irene PonceLos Angeles, California
Kimberly Herbert Contact InformationMy cell number is: 225-276- 4692Alternative numbers are Donna Guillot: 225-276-5138, and Jay Strange:225-939- 4972.My current address is: 17745 Beckfield Ave., Baton Rouge, La. 70817.
PLEASE HELP ME. I AM NOT SLEEPING WELL AT ALL. I WAKE UP SEVERAL TIMESTHROUGHOUT THE NIGHT CRYING, PRAYING AND BEGGING GOD TO PLEASE HELP ME FINDMY BABIES. I AM A VERY SAD PERSON WITH A HEART FILLED WITH PAIN. I losteverything to Katrina. All I want are my three precious babies back . Ineed them back to find the strength to go on. Most people have humanchildren. I don't. My hairy babies are all I know as children and they arelost someone where out there. It hurts so much.
Thank you and God bless you,
Kimberly Hebert
My name is Kimberly Hebert. * My old address is 4425 Stella Dr. Meraux, La.70075. * My new address is 17745 Beckfield Ave., BatonRouge, La, 70817. *My cell number is: 225-276- 4692.
I was on vacation when the hurricane came thru. I had no way to get back intime to save my babies. My dog Nanny, 3 of her dogs and 3 ofmy dogs were rescued from my attic. They were brought to a two storyapartment building at the intersection of Mumphrey Rd. and East JudgePerez. The apartment building is orangish brick with a balcony andstairway, across the street from Jake's Palace. They were there for3 days when my dog nanny was told to get in a boat and leave my babiesthere. You can't even imagine the deep pain in my heart. Ilost everything. The only thing I have left are 3 precious hairy babiesthat were left to die.
I have been searching my heart out. I pray throughout the day and nightbegging God to please bring me back my babies. I have no humanchildren. I am 51 years old. I haven't had hardly any sleep since I heardthat the hurricane was coming. I wake up crying and beggingGod for help. I know he knows where they are. Because I haven't gotten mybabies back yet, I am beginning to feel that God must hateme. It hurts so bad. It is hard to go on without them. They are my world,my joy and my family. I keep telling God that I need strengthto go on and I know that my precious babies can give me the strength. Mybabies life was worth a lot to me. I begged God to send an angelto watch over them. None of the had a collar or a chip. There are so manyplaces that they could be that it is over whelming. Please,please reach out to me and hear my cry. Help me find my babies. My firstbaby is a mixed Yorkie with shih Tzu. I got her from acancer patient. I promised her that I would take care of her baby. Shedied in peace because that was her dying wish. Foxie is hername. She has brown hair with tan hair on her paws and face. She is about4yrs old, has big eyes and weighed about 8lbs. She is a smalldog with short legs. She liked treats and was a little chubby. Her nannytold my the Foxie was very stressed during and after the storm.I am very worried for her. My second little girl is a 10 year old toyPoodle. Her hair is a fading redish color. Some people thinks her hair is alittlebrownish. She weighs about 8lbs. She has light colored moles on her backand a few on her face. Her name is Annie.
My third little girl is a 10 lb Maltese. Her name is Princess. Her Nannyaccidently cut her hair along her back very short and left the rest of herhair medium in length. I am sure her hair grew out a little. Maybe someonecut her hair because she went swimming in the dirty water. Princess isabout 3yrs old. Princess also has some brownish staining around her faceand paws from tearing and water. All of my dogs are sweet. I go to churchon Sundays. I always pray to get back my babies.
Please someone look to see if you have my babies or had them and knowswhere they are. I want to go get them back so I can get strength to go on. Contact--
katedanaher@animalearthhuman.org
KATRINA'S PETS
Rescued pets find new homes online
By JAN CLIFFORD
For The Courier
Melissa Wolf, an animal-rescue volunteer from Louisville, Ky., cradles an emaciated, dehydrated puppy at Louis St. Martin’s barn last week in Raceland. Wolf is among dozens of volunteers who have helped save more than 800 pets stranded by Katrina. (JAN CLIFFORD/THE COURIER)
Zoom
RACELAND -- Just one phone call to Houma attorney Louis St. Martin secured a base for one of the most successful and inspirational animal-rescue efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Pasado’s Safe Haven, a Seattle-based animal-advocacy organization has been operating out of St. Martin’s thoroughbred horse barn in Raceland, and according to the volunteers there, that operation has become the gold standard for animal rescue.
To date, the organization’s scores of volunteers have saved more than 800 animals, providing a safe, clean place for bathing, feeding, and attending to medical needs before the animals were transported to other facilities to reunite with families, fostering or adoption.
All have been photographed, identified by breed and microchipped, and their photographs and characteristics posted on petfinder.com. The photographs and detailed charts are attached to each cage, listing address where found, medication, feeding and walking times, and other information.
Pasado’s leaders are systematically moving animals out to foster homes, but not before they are entered in a database that will enable pet owners to easily locate their animals. In each home where an animal was removed, volunteers left contact information.
Mark Steinway, co-founder of Pasado’s Safe Haven, said the database enables easy return of pets to their families at no cost to the owners. Internet access, satellite dish and satellite phones have been donated by MCI.
Just after Katrina devastated Louisiana, Pasado’s rescue operations were confined to the barn. Volunteers slept under an outdoor shelter, in their cars or in sleeping bags in the barn.
But in early October, there was a large new outdoor kennel on the grounds, and the sound of barking dogs also filled the paddock area. The Dallas Humane Society had dropped off nearly 100 dogs one day and planned to bring another 100 shortly.
In kennel after kennel, wondering brown and sometimes blue eyes searched for the faces of missing loved ones and listened for their voices. Some dogs looked anxious and afraid, while others put their muzzles against the wire to lick volunteers’ fingers. Tails thumped loudly. Bodies wiggled with pleasure when volunteers approached.
None of the dogs looked resigned or listless, in spite of the uncertainty they endured. In one tent, a woman slept with a brown-and-white dog nestled under her arm.
Steinway called a meeting to let his volunteers know that the Dallas Humane Society volunteers would have to meet Pasado’s standards, as the delivery had been chaotic. During the meeting, a veterinarian arrived with six vet technicians, prompting applause and cheers from volunteers. One volunteer was wearing a T-shirt that read "All I know I learned from my Scotty."
Several other animal-rescue groups were experiencing burnout and lack of central leadership, Steinway said, particularly government-run organizations mired in policies that hindered rescue efforts.
"Their leaders are running around with no sleep," he said. Bureaucratic red tape had contributed to undue stress on both animals and volunteers, and in some cases to the loss of animals.
For example, Steinway said, in the first days after the storm struck, the Louisiana state veterinarian halted movement of animals to foster homes out of state, overburdening local organizations and facilities. He also forbade out-of-state veterinarians from aiding relief efforts.
Later, those orders were rescinded and Gov. Kathleen Blanco issued an order of suspension as long as practicing veterinarians were in good standing in states where they were licensed.
Anne Culver, U.S. Humane Society director of disaster services, said she was pleased with the leadership at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, the state’s central clearinghouse in Gonzales.
"Although it didn’t look organized to the initial observer, it was working beautifully," she said. "The scale of operation in the field was extraordinary."
Culver said the biggest post-hurricane lesson was one her agency had warned about previously: People do not want to be separated from their pets. Culver recounted seeing a woman exiting an evacuation bus who retrieved a parakeet from her cleavage.
"There needs to be a policy that facilitates ëtuck the cat under your arm and come into my boat,’ " Culver said. She is hopeful that the society’s message is finding a foothold. When Hurricane Rita threatened Galveston, Texas, in September, Culver’s office received a call from that city requesting portable animal carriers, suitable for public transportation.
Animals at Lamar-Dixon are still being held for reunion with their families, and are now available for foster care or adoption. Local volunteers will close the operation by Oct. 31. Animals that still do not have a place to live will be fostered until Dec. 31, then become available for adoption.
According to Karen Eggert, USDA media representative, approximately 8,000 pets were rescued and processed through Lamar-Dixon. The facility is still accepting critically ill animals, which are being cared for by veterinarians. As of the beginning of this month, 452 dogs, 142 cats, and less than 10 exotic animals remain in the facility, with reunions being made daily.
"We get calls all the time from people wanting a ëKatrina petm,’ " she said. "But our main priority is getting pets back to their owners."
The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Web site reports that the LSPCA is readying a 45,000-square-foot warehouse in Algiers that will serve as itsr new home; it was expected to open last week.
Volunteers from the Houma-Terrebonne Humane Society have been working with the Pasado group and the St. Louis-based Noah’s Wish. Jeanne Fritsche, vice president of the local humane society, said her agency was available to assist local residents affected by Rita.
In the early days after the storm, Pasado’s volunteers worked with a fervor that left them sleepless and sunburned. Several had to be hospitalized for dehydration. Then Steinway quickly put in place organizational standards that allowed quality treatment of animals and humans alike.
Prima Mosi, executive director of Protection of Animal Welfare Services of Austin, Texas, praised the organization for its well-ordered approach.
"Pasado’s has done what nobody else could do," Mosi said. "They’re the only people we’ll work with."
Steinway’s hope for the larger lesson learned during Katrina rescue efforts is that the next city or region will have plans in place for building an infrastructure modeled on Pasado’s Safe Haven practices.
I dropped a dog at Pasado over 10 days ago. Two days ago I called to see if he was still at the site. I figured it would be days before I found out. They called me back 10 minutes later and told me where he was, the medicines he was on, he had been checked out by an animal behaviorist and where he was scheduled to be fosted.
Petfinder.com Disaster/Emergency Response
should be
"PetLoser Emergency Response Confusion" A product of the State of LA, HSUS and Your local LASPCA
Someone posted about dogs being forced to sit in their own excrement for 3 days? And indiscriminate euthanasia?
Not in the entire time I worked there! Even animals who were nippy (for whatever reason) were walked regularly by trained volunteers and were worked with extensively by animal behaviorists.
There were people living in LA who wanted to steal these dogs (fighting dogs are worth a lot of $$) so security was hired...to protect these poor dogs from those who want to fight them.
And no, they were not doing mass euthanasia of pit bulls either...
If that were the case, Lamar would have been half empty..there were more pitbulls there than any other breed. I saw 4 animals euthanized while I was there...2 were dogs (one did literally attack a dog behaviorist after the behaviorist had worked with the dog for days and days...the dog attacked TWO people while being exported. One was so aggressive that after days there was just no hope of turning the dog around. (not a pitbull) The other euthansias I KNOW of (positively) were 1 cat..so far gone that there was nothing else humane to do but to end her suffering, and one large cichlid (tropical fish) with advanced hole in the head disease (which is incurable and fatal)
Yes, more than 4 animals total were euthanized, but a total of possibly 80 out of over 9,000 is pretty darned good odds.
No one was there to kill animals, we were all there to help them...even the vicious ones of which there were several.
And please remember, Louisiana has the highest population of unaltered pitbulls in the entire country, most of which are from the Bordreaux line.
Just more bad news on the Lamar Dixon debacle, of searching for animals "lost in the system. Below is a bit of a "vent". Eric has my info when anyone starts investigating this. I choose to remain anonymous for now.
"I was at Lamar Dixon for 9 hours today. I am disgusted for several
reasons.
One. I tried to work with the computers to enter information so that
these poor people trying to find their animals could. The program they
have for entering information is so complicated, I can see why so few
animals have been entered. No one really knows how to use it.
Two. I tried several times to get the person, who was supposed to be
helping people look for their lost animals, help me look for the ones I
had printed off the computer and brought to look for. She was too
concerned about picking out which animals she wanted to take home with
her. Which brings me to the third reason I'm disgusted.
Third. She, like several others, were deciding which animals "they
wanted". Some of the people even said they were not going to enter
certain information in the computer because the owners do not deserve to
get their animals back. I do NOT feel it is any of our places to
determine this. I believe the right thing to do is to enter all
information. So many of these people were forced to leave without their
animals or did not have the financial means to take the animals with
them. These evacuees should not have to suffer the loss of their
pets,too, just because someone else thinks they have the right to take
the animal for themselves or to withhold information. And I don't mean
take as in "fostering". I can understand if someone wants to "foster"
the animal and provide all proper information to the data base so that
the owner has some fair chance of finding their pet.
Fourth. When I first walked up today to volunteer, a lady near the
volunteer table was crying hysterically. I asked someone at the sign in
table what was wrong. She told me that whoever is in the back told this
lady they did not have time to help her look for her animals in the
computer information. I told the lady at the sign in table that I would
go back there with the lady looking for her animals and see what I could
do to help. They upset lady had disappeared by then. So, even when
people go there in person and try to find their animals, they are not
getting proper assistance.
Sorry to report so much bad news. "
The rumors of euthanized dogs has not played out. It seems to have not happened. Eric
Anne Culver, U.S. Humane Society director of disaster services, said she was pleased with the leadership at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, the state’s central clearinghouse in Gonzales.
"Although it didn’t look organized to the initial observer, it was working beautifully," she said. "The scale of operation in the field was extraordinary."
Anyone heard her name before this qoute? They got 1/2 the job done with the 8000 animals...then lost them all. Why was a second site never opened? I saw that Animal Planet special those people not being allowed in with sick animals was nuts.
Gorilla Guerilla & St B Highschool
by Squeakysmom, 10/10/05 22:45 ET
Thanks so much everyone. I've just emailed Judy with Guerilla info and yes, CyberPets, we're looking for the same ones!! Thanks so much Eric and everyone. Alley Cat Allies found 4 of them and have been just wonderful. Snow and a kitten were left at St. Bernards High School in a separate room with food and water. The rest were left behind at the trailer, again with tons of food and water and a way to get out. These people along with many others were forced to leave their animals at the highschool at gunpoint. Well, we know the rest. I have found it extremely disturbing to know that Oregon Humane was in there (on the 12th i believe) and i think if i remember correctly from their diary they couldn't get them out bec Lamar had no room so they fed and watered them and spraypainted for the next rescuers. But a number of us were posting to various orgs including BF, HSUS and others about Snow and I certainly told HSUS supervisor myself on 9/20 that there were lots of other animals in there (from Oregon Humane story). Again from that diary, Oregon Humane found some who had died (in carriers or tied to table legs). As if their people had been told they would be coming back to get them VERY SOON. And of course they didn't and whoever made them leave their beloved animals there never took care of them. But Oregon found lots roaming the hallways and still alive. Why why why did no one get them out of there in the next days of week???? Just breaks my heart. And yet ACA went in on 9/22 and rescued one of these lost cats (Snow) out of there. At least some did make it out and home again. So many many unanswered questions and so much suffering. Thank you all for all the good work you are doing!! It keeps me going.
Plus, HSUS and ASPCA are giving kennels and shelters and organizations money to fly animals back to owners the only thing that's frustrating me is that a few of these shelters are not fulfilling their obligations to the states of LA and MS by putting these pets with photos and complete intake info on Petfinder.com. I'm finding it particularly frustrating that these shelters aren't putting complete info: when I did intake, 99% of animals came in with careful notes from the rescuers of where they got the animal, including the address in most cases, and I don't see this info on most of the petfinder.com listings. And I know that that paperwork went with all the animals I helped "load" for shipping. So there is really no excuse. Emily
in petfinder and petharbor--how r these poor owners suppose to get their pets--I know the shelters r busy but how log would it take to take digital pic and scan in? With pets everywhere how can they ever find their pets can we call and ask hsus to do this within the next few days-they got alot of money in donations certainly they get people doing pics!
I could just cry there are hardly any pics really
Emily,
It seems that is petfinder.com's fault, not the fault of some of the shelters? Shelters that were **not** registered with petfinder before the hurricane have got to go through an application process before being allowed to post on the web site!
An application has to be mailed in to petfinder, complete with veterinarian letter, etc. which I find that to be absolultely lucicrous!
You gotta be kidding me. Why is pefinder.com the defacto standard? why is it even being used? It is a terrible tool for this. My guess is they simply had nothing else prepared. 30 days on petfinder is not enough time before adoption in this MESS of a system. Where is the freaking COMMOM SENSE in this crisis. Please I hope the shelters themselves will see through this charade.
Arlington, TX shelter possibly adopting out Katrina pets
I am so mad! Here's what happened today:My husband went to the Arlington, Texas shelter today to look at two dogs that we might want to adopt (we just wanted one but they both looked promising). When he got there, they were both gone as they hadn't updated their Petfinder shelter photos yet. So he looked around to see what other dogs were there. While he was there, a family came in that were evacuees. They were turning in a pet (I think it was a golden Yorkie based on his description and some pictures I showed him online). They said that they picked this dog up from Baton Rouge thinking it was their dog. But - after they had him groomed they realized it wasn't theirs (I guess he was pretty messed up before). They did find their dog in Michigan and either got him or are going to get him back. So now, they were turning in this Yorkie and my husband said that he heard the woman say they wanted him back into Petfinder's system (which is how she said they found their dog) so that he will go back to their owner. The guy who works as the shelter said all they can do is surrender the Yorkie as the owner and place him for adoption. THEY CAN'T DO THAT - can they???? Some poor person is looking for that dog, I'm sure. Anyway, my husband came home and told me about two puppies he had seen for us (a beautiful female and male Golden Retriever mixes which we did end up adopting today - yeay!). When he went back to get them two hours later, some woman was already adopting the Yorkie! I'm pissed. I'm going to call the shelter tomorrow; I guess there's always a chance that the woman was a Yorkie rescue person but my husband didn't think so and based on what the man said to the family turning the Yorkie in, I doubt it. So.... how many other animals that people are looking for have been quietly turned over to adoption. I'm sorry - but this was not OWNER surrender. I'm going to call the shelter tomorrow and find out what's going on/verify/possibly raise hell but what else can I do?? What they are doing is wrong!
http://www.petfinder.org/shelters/TX144.html
City of Arlington Animal Services Division
5920 W. Pioneer Parkway
Arlington, TX 76013
Phone: 817-451-3436
Fax: 817-451-9573
Email:bassm@ci.arlington.tx.us
Website:www.ci.arlington.tx.us/animals
Thanks,
Sigal
"They shot our dogs!" Miller, a 54-year-old housewife, said of her mixed pit bulls, Angel and Hooch. She had gone inside to collect clothes and personal papers when she heard it.
"Boom! Boom!" Miller said. "Hooch came in and had blood all over him."
See complete article at:
http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/content/shared/news/nation/stories/09/08KATRINA_RESCUE.html
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/434180433?ltl=1129023812
Please sign the above petition to encourage that the individuals responsible for the shooting of dogs be brought to justice.
there are also some who have found an animal, found it endearing, and just decided to keep it... again with no petfinder entry or notice to any shelter/rescue group. They have good intentions of caring for the animal but forget there might be a distraught owner looking for it.
Is this the state vets idea of an appropriate listing on Petfinder in the shelter she was monitoring. The entire thing makes me sick
21567. bad bad listings
by ItchyDog, 10/11/05 1:06 ET
This found listing is listed along with a picture of crate. I can't even make out whether there is dog!!
Says female, but then says "Can't make out gender"
This dog may go up for adoption? This is a link from http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/rescued_pets.htm
Pathetic.
Says now located at Houston SPCA, how about getting a picture of her?
http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=5080614
I met a woman the other day who has a beagle. She rescued him from Magazine St. and decided that she likes him so she 'adpoted' him by just keeping him. So what if someone who has Rhett decides that they like him (he's sweet) and they just keep him? Thanks for all your help; I appreciate it regardless of the outcome.
Nice....figures this would be the stance they took:
The SPCA is spray painted on my house and my pet is gone. I cannot find it on the petfinder website. My pet seems to have disappeared. Where can I find him?
There were hundreds of well-meaning animal rescuers in New Orleans saving animals. Unfortunately, not all of them were working with an agency and they entered homes and took resident animals. The rescued animals were driven or flown out-of-state and adopted out to new homes. While some were working with the best of intentions, some worked outside the system as they believed the animals were abandoned by their owners who did not “deserve them back.” Rogue rescuers would enter the city claiming to be working under the auspices of the SPCA.
It’s with great sadness that we believe many people will never be reunited with their pets.
HI Eric, this is Annie from TortoiseAid in California...
Update...2 of the animals I have here...I have found the owners myself. Through petfinder.com and petharbor.com. Both were owners who had listed their animals listed as lost...I took a chance and e-mailed one of them...sure enough it's her snake...another owner had put in the address as well as a good description (also a snake) and these animals will soon be heading back to their people!!!!
Lemme tell ya, the feeling of putting a pet back into the arms of the person worrying and missing it is an awesome feeling...makes wading through the "toxic gumbo" all the more worthwhile!
Don't give up trying everybody...there is a silver lining!
So is LASPCA and the state going to ever take credit for the thousands of animals they lost at Lamar Dixon because they had no tracking system or just blast a few rescue groups with this Propoganda. Its ridiculous.
Eric,
I think that you should e-mail Oprah...if she did a story on all you have seen and reported it would make a HUGE difference...please consider it...I also think that everyone who has a Katrina Pet story to tell should e-mail Oprah...Just hoping that this will make a difference.
http://www2.oprah.com/email/email_landing.jhtml
Happy Birthday...so glad you were born!
I don't want to upset a bunch of people, but some of the dogs in Lamar-Dixon were able to escape from their kennels. Usually we would find one or 2 dogs (in one row) that had escaped from their kennels loose in their stalls in the barns. They were standing on top of another dog's kennel comtemplating whether to jump over the stall door. There were also kennels with paperwork that no longer had any dog. We assumed that they escaped during the night. The barn managers would shrug their shoulders. I tried to emphasize that the dogs needed toys to keep them entertained during the night, but many volunteers just laughed at me and others. They thought we were sentimental fools.
I volunteer at a small dog shelter where this one chow was able to bend the chain-link fence door. I noticed that the door was all
bent up. I raised the possibility that the chow was doing it w/ her teeth which were almost filed down to the gumline. It was dismissed until a week later when the chow was found walking around the shelter and the hole in her kennel was quite large. Panicking dogs will hurt themselves to escape.
To make a long story short, after walking and cleaning a row of dogs, I would have to go back by myself and get toys for the dogs.
Here's my advice if you know for SURE that the dog was at the emergency shelter in Gonzales and you can't find him (You've already searched the shelters at www.findkatrinapets.com, etc.).
If the dog was extremely strong and has destructive capabilities (for example, he's made a hole in drywall in the past, etc.), he might have escaped from his kennel. Most of the dogs that got out are either German shepherds and pitt bulls. We know this because we were able to catch the ones that came back. (These dogs were then labeled 'escape artist'). We did not see any small dogs like a Chihuahua running loose because they would also have to be capable of jumping over a 6 ft stall steel door or banging against it until it opened.
1. First find out if Gonzales has a local animal control center and call them. Gonzales is located in Acension Parish. This is the phone # I've found: Ascension Parish Animal Control Office at (225)675-6557. Their shelter is located on Airline Highway, about three tenths of a mile south of the LA 431 intersection.
Ascension Parish Animal & Litter Control
9894 Airline Hwy
Sorrento, LA 70778
ascensionparish.net/services/animctrl.asp
Phone: (225) 675-6557
Fax: (225) 675-5810
Shelter hours:
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Viewing hours:
Monday -Friday 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
2. Put an ad in the local papers. Most will do this for free. Many people in Gonzales work in Baton Rouge. The Baton Rouge newspaper is called The Advocate. Their website: www.theadvocate.com
3. Post a lost dog ad on the Baton Rouge news channel's web site:
www.wafb.com
Look in the Community Section for the Lost/Found pets listing.
Okay, I can't stand it anymore. NO ANIMAL ORGANIZATION IS PERFECT and NONE OF THEM IN THE KATRINA RESCUE ARE COMPLETE CRAP. The rumors that fly around this blog and others just drive me crazy....but I will start another one, since I feel confident about my sources. I know you all love Pasados to death, but I have heard the same complaints from their volunteers as I have seen written about HSUS. Pasados fundraises/publicizes themself just as hard as the other orgs. According to the people I know who worked at Raceland, many of the rescued animals are gone, gone, gone to the well-intentioned people of the NorthWest, never to be seen by their former families again. The volunteers I talked to never saw any pets get microchipped before being sent off and there is no mention anywhere on the internet as to where all of those animals went to. One person I met was so distraught that she was the only licensed person on site - and she was only a vet tech, no vets to be seen. Oh - and they tried to deny care to a stray kitten brought to their site by a local, because it wasn't rescued by one of the Pasado rescuers. The volunteer I talked to was absolutely furious.
Feel better? Feel worse? None of these organizations is perfect. Pasados people have been working incredibly hard, HSUS people have been working incredibly hard, we have all been working really hard. Don't crucify or deify anybody in this chaos.
Found 60 WinnDixie --bump, bump
by ericrice, 10/18/05 16:51 ET
Found Winn Dixie animals--not yet on petfinder.
Please bump and get towww.findkatrinapets.com
Ok, just found a shelter...in Hot Springs CA that got 60 Winn Dixie animals on approx Sept.27-29. He is mad that all paperwork nonexistent and that Petfinder has not given them a password...This guy is nice.
email-MonizSaveapet@aol.comSaveapetdhs.org
Will be on petfinder and his site within a few days. WE FOUND 1 WE WERE LOOKING FOR IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES......
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