Finding Lost Pets Is Hell For Owners and Will Wayne Sign? I think Yes.
So you think animal rescue efforts are all wrapped up? We expect to recover 10,000-15,000 animals in the Gulf Region with a massive trapping program in the next 6 months. You better read and watch the video of my latest trip the the Gulf Region in the 2nd post below (scroll down).
If you have lost your animal during Katrina or Rita please email: ericrice3@comcast.net and search on petharbor.com and petfinder.com
If you are a shelter or rescuer please review to see if you have these lost pets. These owners are devestated. Click Here
First How Hard is it to find and get back your pet if you are a desperate owner?Answer: It Is HARD!
Listen to Renee in an Interview and the story of her Lost then Dognapped Beagle "Chat" that her family was forced to leave at a bus stop after they successfully got the dog out of the city:
Click Here For Audio Interview
Read Renee's Saga To Get Chat Back: Click Here
Chat Reunion Pictures: For Pictures Click Here
See the Chat Reunion Video: Click Here For Video Reunion
Kickoff Conference Call to Bring Needed Funds and Resources Back to the Gulf Region
Listen to last nights kickoff conference call with "Best Friends" Organized by Joe Trippi, Howard Dean's Campaign Advisor. He specializes in Internet "Get the Word Out Campaigns". This is an interesting piece. Please send people here to hear it. Anyone that questions the incredible intentions of Best Friends or wants to know the needs of recuers still on the ground should listen (it is an mp3 and has 6 minutes of music that you should forward through before the call starts: For Audio Click Here
Can groups work together to save animals? I hope so. So I requested that Wayne Pacelle the CEO sign Best Friends Petition. I think HSUS can help set the pace and revitalize people to look at the Gulf area again. Any attention they bring will help with everything from adoption to a continued flow of volunteers.
It should be noted that I have kept in touch via email with both Wayne and Bernie Unti at HSUS. Both have responded quickly to any requests I made on a few issues. They are supporting several groups. My wish is that they would become more vocal about the continued animal welfare recovery effort and plight of the Gulf Region.
Here is what they post on the website about continued efforts in the Gulf:
Click here
I will give more on the situation of Tara High in a few days. Things are bad in Mississippi and they get little press coverage.
I hope Wayne doesn't take my email the wrong way. I think it 100% the right thing to do for him to sign the petition.
My email to Wayne:
----- Original Message -----
From: Eric Rice
To: WPacelle
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 10:57 PM
Subject: Will You Sign?
Wayne,
In the last 2 weeks it has become apparent to many of us that The GULF Region is in dire need of continued assistance. Regardless of arguments about the number of animals in New Orleans the entire region is devastated and it is showing.
In my email to you about Tara High at Humane Society of Southern Mississippi and her desperate plea for support, you quickly stepped up and got her a phone call
from your people who can help her. So I know you have the willingness to help where HSUS can
Tara's been living without the support needed to clean up after Katrina. She has 26 miles of coastline that needs trapped and export needs for the population explosion at her shelter. Her shelter took 5 feet of water during Katrina. It is operable but not the best situation. She was in the middle of building a new shelter but the reality is that her donor base is largely unable to support her as they need to rebuild the houses they own that got destroyed. Miss. has huge needs that went largely ignored due to the press focus on New Orleans.
St. Bernard Parish has virtually no animal control and no shelter. Plaquemines Parish has far out sections that look similar to the coast of Mississippi and have animals that need taken off the streets.
Of course things are not back to normal in an area of such total devastation.
I see at this site you are still doing much to help the Katrina situation and more people should know about your continued efforts.
Click here to see the HSUS Katrina Updates
Best Friends has a petition that has been signed by 31,500 people as of tonight simply asking for a renewed focus on the area. Will you sign it?
http://network.bestfriends.org/Petitions/Detail.aspx?pn=2
You might think it funny to sign a Best Friends Petition but in all honestly there are so few of us who protect animals in the world that we all need to stick
together, work together and organize to get jobs done. What you support today they will support of you tomorrow I have no doubt.
Signing this will put your critics back in place. It will show other large organizations that we all need to take a look at how we can continue to respond when so many are asking for help.
It will help bring legitimacy back to supporting this region on more short term and long term animal welfare efforts. Please help. I sign all of the petitions you email me -- Black Bear Hunts, Horse Slaughter, Puppy Mills. Elephant Rides to name a few. Petitions must be good as many as I get.
You more than anyone have the ability to say we see a need and we will help. What you do others will follow.
So will you sign?
Regards,
Eric Rice
PS. Riding around in a truck with Dave Pauli for the day during the LASPCA Assessment was quite interesting (in a good way).
My favorite must see blog stuff:
1. My own favorite Post: Click here
2. Best video footage: Click here
3. This blog has the BEST PICTURES so far of Katrina Animals. It is all pics and good ones Click here Warning pics of dead animals.
4. School shooting story WITHOUT ANY GORY PICS -- and ton of other great pics Click here
5. And this is one of our groups blogs --
Click here
6. Most amazing photography: I mean must see: Click here
7. To reunite pets with owners: Click here
8. Watch a Pitbull video Click Here
9. Chat makes it home after being dognapped by Brew Beagle for 8 weeks http://booknote.blogspot.com/ (nov 23 blog entry)
10. Vermillion Parish Needs Help http://vermillionanimalaid.blogspot.com/
posted by EricsDogBlog.com @ Wednesday, November 30, 2005
85 comments
85 Comments:
Ha, ha. This is too much. You crack me up.
You are so right, he should sign but sometimes these groups see each other as competitors when they really should be working together.
Sign Wayne Sign.
Checkmate!
I like HSUS and he better sign. I am so tired of all this bickering among all these professed animal people. Sign it dude.
Yes. Please sign it. It is almost like the "decleration of cooperation" that is needed all around in this industry or whatever you call it...far to much noncooperation at the expense of the animals in my opinion. I hope he doesn't get all mad etc. Its kinda funny.
What about Maloney? She going to sign?
If Wayne doesn't sign, I guess we know where HSUS stands. The money donated to all the big organizations was earmarked for Katrina animal victims ONLY and every cent of it should be spent on these animals, not some other projects. MS/LA animals and rescuers are desperate for able bodies and financial help to save the hurt, homeless, starving stranded animals. If we can all pull together, we can do the job that MS hasn't the resources to do and the LASPCA won't do. Please don't forget Vermillion Parish in this effort as those people and animals in that area are working against tremendous obstacles.
Wonderful Ideas !!!
Dear Eric,
when there is a presidential cabinet post entitled Secretary of the Animals, you've got my nomination.
Kathryn
I want to be clear that I am not trying to insult Wayne. I firmly think everyone should pull together. No one organization could handle the remaining job. Animal Orgs can prove right now that they "do it better" than the federal government when it comes to cleaning up our issues. The Federal Govt has forgotten The Gulf, lets not join them.
Send me emails and I will invite all kinds of people to sign the Petition. Eric
What is your email Eric?
ericrice3@comcast.net
I couldn't get Eric's link to the HSUS page to work: try this one:
http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center/recent_activities_and_information/2005_disaster_response/hurricane_katrina/three_months_later_hsus.html
HELP FIND LEXUS
PF 2545
Lexus PF information is at http://disaster.petfinder.com/emergency/rescue/reportDetail.cgi?id=2545
Cut and pasted below is email sent to Pinellas area shelters and San Antonio shelters for which we could find emails. We also forwarded it to Ms. Maloney asking her to use her clout.
***
to: lmaloney1961@yahoo.com
Re: PETFINDER SYSTEM I.D.: PF2545 Shelter/Rescue-assigned id: 1091905017
Dear Ms. Maloney:
Can you please contact the San Antonio and Pinellas FLA shelters who took in animals from Louisiana fter Katrina---they are not responsive to volunteers, owners, and non-shelter people. WE’ve had people call florida---completely non-responsive.
Cut and pasted below is the email we sent to all possibly pertinent shelters we could find to help find Lexus, a 1.5 year old white female Siberian husky with blue eyes, liver colored membranes (nose, lips, etc).
Thanks,
Kathryn S. Bloomfield
318 861 2695
318 934 4001
on behalf of Sandra Schott
sschott@joneswalker.com
*******************************
to: LandF@SPCATampaBay.org; BethL@SPCATampaBay.org; info@humanesocietyofpinellas.org; siberrescue@yahoo.com; local@sptimes.com; tbteditors@tampbay.com; carol@petpalrescue.com; chealer@humanesocietyspca.org; news@kens5.com;julnjim@sbcglobal.net; samhd@sanantonio.gov
HELP!
Dear All:
I am an attorney in Shreveport, Louisiana, and am assisting Sandra Schott, of New Orleans, locate her lost white Siberian husky, female, about 1.5 years, blue eyes, with liver colored membranes—her name is LEXUS.
Lexus apparently was rescued after Katrina and taken to a St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana temporary shelter, transported to San Antonio, TX, and then to a Pinellas Florida shelter.
Lexus PF information is at http://disaster.petfinder.com/emergency/rescue/reportDetail.cgi?id=2545
(in the p.s. below, I cut and paste entire info from the link)
Despite having this information, we have been unable to find Lexus!
Shelters apparently either have not responded to our queries or have no record of Lexus—this is frustrating and we need your assistance.
Do you all have her? Did you have her? Is she in foster home? Was she adopted? Do you know who has her?
Any information you can provide that would assist in finding Lexus would greatly be appreciated.
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Kathryn S. Bloomfield
318 934 4001
318 861 2695
Lemle & Kelleher, LLP
401 Edwards St, 10th Flr
Shreveport, LA 71101
318 227 1131
fax 318 227 1141
email: kbloomfield@lemle.com
on behalf of Sandra Schott, owner and her daughter.
sandy818@cox.net
sschott@joneswalker.com
Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrerre, & Denegre
201 St. Charles Ave
New Orleans LA 70170
ph. 504.582.8561 fax 504.589.8561
Nice article on HSUS about what they are and have been doing on the Gulf Coast since L-D was shut down by the state..also has numbers for monies spent and further commited for future of the state animal humane agencies...mentions training for traping etc too.
...also mentions they are working hand in hand with Best Friends so I think he will sign the petition
I thought all the Katrina animal victims had been removed from that EDNAH hellhole in Arkansas. Is this "shelter" in Kansas one of them they were removed to?
Source: News article in Kansas City Star newspaper
Posted on Thu, Dec. 01, 2005
Hundreds of malnourished dogs, cats seized from Kansas animal shelter
GARANCE BURKE
Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas authorities found at least 200 dying, malnourished cats and dogs, some believed to have been rescued after Hurricane Katrina, when executing a search warrant Wednesday at an animal shelter in rural Kansas.
Sheila Jones, a Paola resident who operated the Miami County Humane Society out of her dilapidated home, held several hundred cats and dogs in extremely unsafe and unhealthy conditions, said Debra Duncan, director of the Animal Facilities Inspection Program with the Kansas Animal Health Department.
"She was running a humane society with a self-bestowed title and without any official sanction at all," said David Leffingwell, an attorney for the Kansas Animal Health Department. "Her facility may have been adequate for 20 dogs, but it wasn't for 200 animals."
Wednesday morning, a team of veterinarians, inspectors and law enforcement officials entered the fenced-off property to find scores of skinny, wounded collies, Labradors and Chihuahuas in feces-filled pens in the front yard.
Authorities said Jones took some of those dogs from a now-defunct rescue operation in Gamaliel, Ark., that offered shelter to hundreds of dogs rescued in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The owners of that operation, Tammy and William Hanson - acquaintances of Jones - were arrested and charged with animal cruelty in October.
Leffingwell said inspectors had concerns about Jones' operation, which she opened in 2001, but could not get past her gate. Armed with a search warrant, the team walked onto the property Wednesday morning, where they met an angry, defiant Jones.
"She was not happy to see us," Duncan said. "There was one room where there were a couple of dead cats. She said more cats would come back when she gave them water. So we watched about 15 or 20 cats surround the water dish and several of them drank for at least 10 minutes."
Authorities said the house was crawling with about 75 skinny, sick cats, many of which were purebred, and a room with a child's wading pool stuffed with feces. Outside were at least 120 undernourished dogs, many bruised and bloodied from fighting, Duncan said. Others were penned in crates so small they could not stand up, she said.
The conditions did not surprise neighbors, who said they had complained to local authorities for years, but received little attention.
"I couldn't sit on my deck without hearing dogs, and I couldn't walk in my yard without them barking at me," said Larry Carter, who lives across the street from the property. "The front door would be wide open and the animals would just go in and out at their leisure. I think her heart was bigger than her brain."
Authorities said Jones allowed the state to assume custody of most of the animals under the condition that civil charges would not be filed. While Jones had a permit to operate a shelter, she may still be subject to criminal animal cruelty charges from the county, Duncan said.
A call to the Miami County Humane Society, which appears on the Worldwide Shelter Directory, were not immediately returned.
Duncan said most of the animals were being taken to rescue groups and shelters in Wichita, Lawrence and the Kansas City area.
OMG(osh) just read the Kansas City Star article and YES SHEILA JONES of Miami Co. Kansas WAS one of two women who were allowed to take a total of 40 dogs and 2 cats from EDNAHs. Per an article in the Baxter Bulletin 11/26 Sheila Jones along with A BARBARA DeGRAEVE of CLEVELAND, MO both claimed prior ownership of some of Tammy's dogs and were allowed to take them. (I had emailed the article to Eric because there was concern by the HSUS that these women were NOT equipped to care for them?!) The ones still in crates were undoubtedly these poor babies. (Why did it take at least 3-4 days before the authorities acted?! The wheels of justice turn too slowly for the "forgotten and ignored" animals... Am beginning to see why some of the more radical animal right's activist groups do the things that they do!! It's all just so frustrating.)
Is there anyone from the Wichita, Lawrence and Kansas City areas that can go to these rescue groups and shelters and see what the situation is firsthand?! Many of these dogs probably are on the verge of losing it altogether and are becoming aggressive. I don't want what is happening to Buster and what happened to Max to befall these suffering babies, too. They never deserved this cruel twist of fate.
The Kansas City lady was allowed to take those animals just acouple fo days ago by the court...the HSUS did NOT want these animals to go but the legal system allowed it...thankfully the EDNAH animals were not in her custody fro more than a few days before they found a legal way to reclaim them
A Buster-nut speaks out
Print This Page | Send As EmailLetter to the Editor -
Thu 12/01/2005 11:00PM MST
Editor:
My name is Catherine Bergrud, and I am a Buster-nut, Internet blogger, pet rescuer, Lamar Dixon volunteer and Louisiana native. You know, one of those people who has used the Internet to call attention to the actions of CARE in regards to the handling of Buster and other Katrina dogs.
We, and we are a diverse group of individuals from Colorado, Louisiana, and across the nation, do care. We were all affected and moved by the tragedy in different ways. We each chose our own way of helping. My neighbors on the Gulf Coast have lost everything, their homes, their jobs, their possessions, their family photos, and wedding dresses, Bibles passed down for generations. Some have forever lost their family pets. But every time one of us Buster-nuts is able to reunite that family with their pet we are able to give them a small piece of their old lives back.
See, I can't build a house, I can't replace heirlooms, I can't return jobs, dignity or material goods. But I can save a pet. I can find a pet. And I can write about a pet.
Lamar Dixon was one of the worst experiences of my life, too full of heartbreak for people and pets. Too many animals came in injured, terrified, malnourished and dehydrated. Too many people wandered the stalls hopelessly looking for missing pets, just trying to get something of their old lives back. And too many volunteers worked themselves to the bone with the overwhelming task of caring for outrageous numbers of rescues.
Sue was one of those volunteers who witnessed this suffering and knew she could do something to alleviate it. At the time she was a board member of CARE and held a great deal of faith and respect for the organization. She made arrangements to take 11 dogs home to Colorado on her own dime where she believed they would be sheltered and cared for until their families could be found. In a recent editorial someone groused "why couldn't Sue bring back a nice poodle" or such? Sue wasn't shopping for a designer handbag! She was saving lives. She brought back animals she believed CARE would save.
However when she committed the unpardonable sin of questioning the actions of the CARE board and staff, fur started flying. Since the bite Sue has tried to move heaven, earth, and a few colossal egos to keep this dog safe.
These are the facts: Leslie Rockey approached Buster improperly. CARE threatened euthanasia for Buster and other dogs. Buster was severely traumatized and needed CARE yet received condemnation. He was not the typical stray, he had a family. The CARE board asserted they would be willing transfer him to another facility yet even the most well respected organization in the U.S. was summarily rebuffed. CARE stated they were doing everything to find owners, yet of the five owners we have been in contact with all have asserted they either contacted the shelter themselves or used the services of volunteers like myself to find their animals. One such owner, a newly homeless man from New Orleans had to search through thousands of poor quality pictures on petfinder.com to find his dog. It took him six weeks. For those six weeks Ms. Rockey had his name and address on paperwork in her office and never bothered her self to inform him CARE had possession of his pet. She was too busy fighting for the right to euthanize Buster. We found Buster's family yet two weeks later he still hasn't been released from the 10-day quarantine that began in late October. Exactly how long is 10 days in CARE time?) These are the reasons so many animal rescuers and dog lovers across the country are speaking out against CARE.
Yes we do get a little nutty when an organization that purports to be an animal welfare organization works so hard and so diligently AGAINST the welfare of these animals and the people devastated by Katrina. Some have asserted our vocal criticisms of CARES policies and actions have damaged the organization's ability to continue the good work they do. I greatly admire CARE for their work in Garfield County. It is an extremely difficult and thankless job to maintain a no-kill shelter and CARE should be commended for this service. However, they also must be held accountable for misdeeds. Simply doing good most of the time does not absolve anyone when they wrong. The handling of the Buster situation by CARE has been ethically and morally wrong. The board of CARE has demonstrated time and again they care more about control than animal well being. Changes need to be made in how this organization operates.
My hope, and the hope of most Buster-nuts is that CARE cleans up it's act and learns to put the welfare of their animals first. When that happens we will be just as vocal in our appreciation as we have been in our criticism.
Catherine Bergrud
Gonzales, La.
Best Friends had MILLIONS of dollars donated for hurricane efforts. Where has that money gone? They have done the LEAST of all the organizations through all of this crisis.
Their director of operations, Berry, is FROM New Orleans. How come Best Friends wasn't working on the overpopulation, euthanasia, dog fighting etc in La way before now? Animals have been dying in huge numbers and suffering in Louisiana before any hurricane hit. What was Best Friends doing there? Nothing.
Best Friends is just trying to promote themselves by slamming other groups. This is why animal welfare people get treated like wackos- they ACT like wackos. Bickering, fighting, blaming, finger pointing. Same old garbage.
But Best Friends needs to stop promoting itself by slamming other people and groups. Their failures have been enormous.
I don't know what Best Friend's did in New Orleans before the hurricane disaster (they were being kinda involved and quite active with their large, no-kill sanctuary in Utah) but I feel the need to defend Best Friends organization from the previous commenter. I worked at their site in Tylertown, and have watched their actions and assistance for months - and from what I can see, they've done MORE than their share!! And they're STILL active, taking in most of the animals still being rescued from the streets!!! (Sheltering about 600 animals daily - STILL!!) They're providing the food that ARNO distributes daily to keep those animals alive. They drive 2.5 hours daily to New Orleans to pick up the animals brought in by ARNO. They're the ones finding the shelters to send these animals out to so they can continue to take in more -- They're STILL THERE and being very active!!! I think they deserve our thanks and our respect rather than condemnation for not doing more.
I've not seen them "promoting themselves by slamming other groups". Where/when has that happenned?? And as far as failures, I guess we've all experienced some -- certainly faced with the enormity of this disaster, who can expect everything/everyone to be able to handle everything just right??
I've been incredibly impressed by their financial generosity, their commitment to all these animals, and their commitment to hang in there -- THEY'RE STILL THERE!! How much does that say?????
I doubt very much that Wayne/HSUS will sign the petition.
Their motto is not logic, nor common sense; their motto "is NOT the way we do thing".
Maloney won't sign the petition either. They don't live in a "real world" like the rest of us. They lost touch with reality. They are not HIRED because they love and care for the animals. They get hired because of "knowing somebody in the system".
If it's logic, common sense, and moral: don't count on those two.
In response to the above post about Best Friends, they ARE doing something about the Katrina animal victims. In reality, they are the ONLY large animal protection group that has remained here in the New Orleans area and is still rescuing on a daily basis. The other large national groups folded their tents and left quite sometime ago, leaving only small groups of rescuers here to do the work. Best Friends is maintaining a large rescue facility in Tylertown, MS to house the animal victims.
As for Paul Berry of Best Friends being from New Orleans, this is true. He moved from N.O. several years ago to work for Best Friends in Utah. I personally worked with Paul when he created the first Louisiana free/low-cost spay/neuter mobile clinic in the state (SNIP - Spay/Neuter Intervention Program). He is still working for the Katrina victims in New Orleans.
As for Best Friends not working on various projects such as dog fighting, pet population, etc., in New Orleans, I don't believe that is in their Mission Statement. Furthermore, these projects should be conducted by Louisiana organizations. It is our responsibility to take care of our animals, to provide shelters, to enact laws, to provide spay/neuter. We constantly work on these issues but it takes a long time to see daylight. The hurricane disaster was the largest animal rescue effort in history and was totally overwhelming, especially since most of the local population had evacuated. We here in Louisiana know what Best Friends has accomplished on behalf of our destitute animals. We are very grateful for their help along with all other organizations and individual rescuers from out of state who so valiantly have donated their time, money and efforts in an insurmountable task. We can never repay them for their dedication and kindnesses.
But Best Friends is sitting on their hindquarters issuing silly petitions and telling OTHER people what they should be doing.
Overall, Best Friends did far less after this crisis than many other groups (including small, independent ones.)
They also received MILLIONS of dollars in donations. They sure haven't spent it all.
Other groups are spending money rebuilding shelters and animal control in Louisiana, while Best Friends preaches
Why aren't they spending some of those millions? Why aren't rescued animals going to their enormous, multimillion dollar facility?
Instead, they tell OTHERS what to do.
Their behavior is hypocritical at best, and seems to be a ploy to attract attention and more donations
Ultimately the animals suffer while Best Friends bickers points the finger and bickers.
Other groups have been struggling to deal with the issues in Louisiana for some time. Best Friends has been a NO SHOW until they can get some attention and dollars.
And Paul Berry left a state with desperate need (Louisiania) to take on a cushy, highly-paid job in a comfotable sanctuary in Utah (Best Friends)
And now he's telling other groups they should solve the problems of Louisiana?
Why hasn't he been doing that? Why did he flee and leave for greener pastures?
He was perfectly happy to turn his back on the horrible world for animals in the state of Louisiana.
But now he can preach to others and tell them what THEY should be doing. That is just hypocrisy.
To the person attacking Best Friends and Paul Berry:
You state they are posting "silly petitions". That petition is to encourage other groups to turn loose of the donations that were specifically earmarked for Katrina animal victims. I do not consider the petition to be "silly" since many of the national groups who received millions for this sole purpose have returned to their home bases with their greatly increased bank accounts.
HSUS received $20 million in donations for Katrina victims. Yes, they have expended monies but what they have expended is but a drop in the bucket of that 20 million. HSUS ads were on practically every website in the world asking for donations for the animal victims. The link they provided led directly to the HSUS donation page. If anyone used this tragedy for bringing in money, it was HSUS and the entire dedicated 20 million should go toward Katrina animals. Contributors gave this money in good faith that it would be properly disbursed.
I know the ASPCA in NYC has been generous with the donations they received for this specific cause and have donated huge amounts toward rebuilding shelters. They donated a quarter of a million dollars to the LASPCA. They also donated a couple hundred thousand dollars to the St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter.
You stated that other groups are spending money rebuilding shelters and animal control in Louisiana. Please provide the names of these groups as it would be enlightening.
You also stated that other groups have been struggling to deal with the issues in LA for some time. I have been in animal advocacy in Louisiana for 35 years and know of no national group that has made a significant impact on any animal problems in this state. Again, please name these groups and list what they have accomplished.
I'm sure Best Friends would be glad to provide you with a list of expenditures for Katrina animals if you would contact them. They have nothing to hide.
TELL THE TRUTH
by jmleong, 12/2/05 21:23 ET
I have to leave and I don't have Internet access on weekends, but I just had a final thought for the week, perhaps spurred on by the NBC coverage and katiemom's information about the LSPCA.
It is: TELL THE TRUTH. Tell everyone you know what is going on with the total and utter breakdown of the reunion efforts -- the lost paperwork, the animals disappearing from Lamar Dixon, the shelters and new owners who won't return pets. Tell all of it, to your neighbors, your family, your co-workers, your friends. Talk about it at work, at the coffee shop, at the dinner table, to other parents at the park. Even to people who don't care, or haven't been involved. This whole nation should be mortified at how "the system" has further victimized all these families who already lost so much due to Katrina.
Correction to my previous post:
I double checked my references regarding the donations the ASPCA in NYC made toward rebuilding shelters in the New Orleans area. It was not a quarter of a million dollars they donated to the LASPCA as I stated, it was two million dollars donated to the LASPCA. The quarter of a million dollars was donated by the ASPCA to St. Bernard Parish Animal Control. The donations came from donations the ASPCA received for Katrina animal victims. I apologize for the error.
The person busting on Best Friends really has NO CLUE what is going on. Sounds like someone from HSUS. Why is it that just about everyone in the game has real concerns about HSUS actions throughout this? I am not saying HSUS does nothing. They do. But if they collected 25 million they should spend 30 million. Not only should a group like HSUS be spending 100% of the money they collected BUT they should be spending money they have on top of it. It would be like me saying I am only going to spend what money people give me instead of what I did which was spend the money people gave me and 2x that of my own money.
Best friends:
You mean sending out a petition that makes a lot of sense, has reenergized support for the entire Gulf Coast, paying for anything we ask them to, sending us resources and truckloads of supplies to each Parish and the gulf cof Miss, and you knock them for trying to bring attention to the fact that groups collected millions and that we think those groups should be on site for 6 months after the biggest animal crisis x100 the country (wolrd probably) has ever seen? We can't even get them to implore shelters to come back and take more animals. That is killing animals. PERIOD!
Also, Wayne said he would not sign. He had his reasons and I told him that was fine.
The animal community is worse than ANY single set of people I have ever
witnessed. You want peace in the Middle East ? forget it, we can't even get a couple of groups to join together and save some scared, starving animals. It makes you want to puke. As soon as Best Friends tries to do something about it...they get attacked by morons who should be jumping on board the campaign to save the estimated 15,000 more animals they want to take out of the region...because they can't do it alone. Get a grip.
Eric Rice
and use your names for gods sake.
COLLAR CAMPAIGN
Dear animal lovers,
I am an animal rescue volunteer, and have worked in Louisiana twice. I plan to return very soon.
Most of the work I have done has been in areas literally destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Some residents have returned to these areas, and have either been reunited with their pets, or were able to evacuate with them.
Local pet owners are doing the best they can to contain their animals, but fences are often crushed/broken, or are simply gone. They’re using downed power lines, telephone lines, and other hurricane debris to try to keep their pets safe.
To help hurricane animals still at large, humane trapping programs are being put into place.
With humane trapping, there will undoubtedly be “owned” animals who become trapped. With feeding stations in place in many areas to sustain still lost animals, it may be difficult to determine if an animal is indeed lost, or is owned.
To help solve this problem, I have started a collar campaign.
Local residents without collars and/or identification for their pets will be given a collar and/or an ID tube. The ID tube is a small capsule attached to the collar that stores owner contact information. With no mail service, and travel to other areas being difficult (most residents vehicles were also destroyed), ordering engraved pet tags is impossible.
I am also giving owners with damaged or missing fencing cable tie-outs and harnesses, so that they may safely contain their pets.
This is a simple, yet effective way to help get identification placed on these (very loved) pets, and greatly reduces the chance of an owned pet being transferred into unnecessary foster care.
If you would like to help with this campaign, these are the needed items:
~Nylon dog collars, New. All sizes.
Good prices at http://www.dog.com
Check under NYLON ADJUSTIBLE COLLARS
Item 100901 and Item 100917
~Nylon Cat Collars: New. No rhinestones, etc. please.
~Cable tie outs: New, at least 10 feet in length, different
strengths/lengths needed. Good prices at: http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/dept.asp?dept_id=385
~ID Capsules/Instant ID tags: Can be purchased at:
http://www.furlongspetsupply.com/dog_id_capsules.htm (for dogs)
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=1526 (for cats)
~Harnesses: Nylon, New. All sizes, for pets requiring cable
leads. http://www.dog.com Item # 101301
Donated items may be sent to:
TortoiseAid International
ATTN: ANNIE’S COLLAR CAMPAIGN
P. O. BOX 260
Apple Valley, CA 92307-0005
I will take items received before I leave with me on the plane, and can have additional items forwarded to me at a secure address in Louisiana.
Thank you for caring about hurricane pets and their families!
Annie Lancaster
Director
TortoiseAid International Inc.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
TROLL ALERT!!
How terribly pathetic that someone doesn't have anything better to do than sit around all day reading NOLA to get their jollies LOL. Can either assume they're outa work, no friends, losers, or they're spending NONproductive work time furtively monitoring the boards... No wonder the country is outsourcing, thanks to morons like these!!
Obviously the nasty little TROLL has a personal grudge against Paul Berry and is jealous of the majority of positive comments for Best Friends vs HSUS, ASPCA, Pasados, and Noah's Wish; especially Noah's Wish lately for failing to post on Petfinder/Petharbor (Read bewteen the lines?! Maybe even someone from CARE?!)
The best way to deal with ugly trolls trying to stir up trouble is to simply ignore them. They feed on rational responses to their tripe. They've already been shut down on NOLA. And now the LOSERS are trying to get a foot in the door here!!
PLEASE DON'T FEED THE TROLLS...
DEJA VUE LOL
Thought I was reading the NOLA posts VERBATIM> Shell033. Not too bright huh?! Trolls usually aren't!! I kinda feel sorry for this one though cuz I think she started out wanting to be helpful, then just went over-the-top. She says she works for an animal shelter, so maybe things have just gotten to much for her?! But it takes all kinds to make the world go round! She just needs to lighten up on the personal attacks and get out more...
Negativity is a trap that sometimes we all may fall into. But seizing the opportunity to step back out leads to a far happier life (not to mention coexistence with other animal lovers everywhere). :)
Chekc for missing animals here--
Eric, I don't know where else to post the fact that 188 animals were removed from various shelters to Jackson Wyoming. They say the animals were "surrendered" or were about to be euthanized, perhaps this is so, but if
I had a missing pet, I would want to check these out.
They are being a bit disingenuous by saying that the animals were rescued from Idaho, since they were animals that were brought back from Louisiana, and some of them were housed in the Teton Valley Humane Society. Here are two sites that could be checked out. I did write to the Humane Society and asked if they would be listing on petfinders.com, but was not given any satisfaction.
http://www.animaladoptioncenter.org/available_animals/,
http://www.tetonvalleyhumanesociety.org/ or
midelange@tetonvalleyhumanesociety.com
Several of the animals look familiar. Maybe I'm crazy.
They are already adopting the animals out, also.
Their names are Michelle Delange, and Rebecca "Cupcake"
Tines.
Here is a copy of something I had listed earlier:
A self put-together group called Katrina Homeless Animal Taxi from Jackson, Wyoming and Driggs, Idaho went to several shelters after Hurricane Katrina. They say that they were 100 to 150 miles away from the major devastation. They went down September 26th They took 189 animals to Wyoming, 88 dogs, 50 cats and a rabbit. There were: a Great Pyrenees, weimaraner, poodles, dachshunds, basset hounds, cocker spaniel, and Jack Russell terriers. They said that some of the animals were pre-Katrina and about to be euthanized, but that many had been 'surrendered' during the evacuation. (This, of course, does not mean that the owners didn't want their animals back.) Their web page has a notice concerning the surrendered dogs, so this may be an unnecessary worry. However, I know that anyone looking for an animal would want to check every source. Here is their link: http://www.animaladoptioncenter.org/events_news/
I know these people have the best of intentions, but there are 188 +/- animals in cold Jackson that are now being adopted out. I asked if they were listed on petfinders, or dogdetectives, and was told "not yet" but the newpaper article said nothing about fostering these animals, only adopting them out. The Teton Valley Humane Society number is 208-354-3499, the Animal Adoption Center in Jackson is 307 739 1881. I will put links to their internet pages at the bottom of this letter. The people involved are Michele DeLange, at the 208 number, Rebecca Tinnes at the 307 number,
I may be doing these folks a diservice, but I would never want my dog hauled off to Wyoming with no clue as to how to find the fur baby. And, besides, it's COLD there!
http://www.tetonvalleyhumanesociety.org/ or
midelange@tetonvalleyhumanesociety.com
208 354 3499
Animal Adoption Center 307 739 1881
My apologies if all of the dogs have been cleared from your list, Petfinders, and Dogdetectives
MORE KATRINA'S HERE!!!!
I saw your weblog about the animals from New Orleans who were displaced
by Katrina, and your involvement with attempts to reunite them with
their owners. I just wanted to slip you a back-channel e-mail and let
you know that a shelter where my husband and I volunteer, in Kettering,
Ohio, has several dogs (I don't think they got any cats) who were
removed from New Orleans. You, or others involved in the effort, may
already have this information, or at least have contact information for
SICSA, but I didn't want to let it slip -- I know what a mess it's been
for both humans and critters, and wanted to make sure someone who was in
the middle of all of it could contact them (in case it somehow slipped
through the cracks).
The dogs are still there, as far as I know, and SICSA will keep them as
long as legally required before neutering and rehoming them, so I guess
time is of the essence, here:
http://www.sicsa.org
The vet on staff there and her husband (and some of the animal care
staff) physically went to Louisiana and Mississippi and helped out in
the weeks after Katrina hit, and I am quite sure they wouldn't obstruct
any efforts to reunite pets with their original owners if it were
possible to do so before the animals are released for adoption. Andie
Lloyd is probably the best person for you to contact to get the ball
rolling, if you have particular animals people are looking for:
andie@sicsa.org
I did no more than 1000 others who care about people and pets.
But thanks.
Eric
Please help find Prince
Posted November 28, 2005 : 11:59 AM ET
******Dec 2 UPDATE: PRINCE FOUND! *******
Within an hour of Prince's story hitting our website, he was located. A worker with Stealth Volunteers (a group of workers who go online searching for people's pets) had kept an e-mail written by Melanie Bailey, Prince's foster parent in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Her foster dog was listed erroneously as a poodle on Petfinder.com. So Melanie sent out a request that it be corrected. The volunteer had saved the e-mail, sent it to Best Friends when she heard that Prince's people were looking for him, and the foster mom was contacted.
Prince has been moving around a bit. He was found at Clarence's apartment in the Lower Ninth Ward on Sept. 18, then transferred first to the Lamar Dixon shelter, then to UAN/ EARS shelter. From there he was flown with a group of dogs to Pennsylvania to Last Chance Ranch Equine Rescue. That group placed him with Melanie Bailey.
"His people were not going to be able to find their dog because he isn't a poodle," Melanie said in a telephone interview after learning the news. "He is a doll, and I wanted to give his people the best chance of finding him." She said she knew the second she fostered him on Oct. 19 that he'd been in someone's home and had been loved. "He'd been groomed and he jumped up on the couch to sleep. It was obvious he was someone's indoor dog."
Barbara cried when she learned that Prince had been found. Prince had been staying with her fiance Clarence Smith before the flood. "But he’s going to stay with me now," said Barbara, who lost her home and possessions and has been living in Baton Rouge. "I'm getting both Princess and Prince fixed right away so they won't have babies."
"It's the best news I’ve had since this whole thing happened," she continued. "So many people here need encouragement. They don’t know whether their friends and family are living or not. I've been talking about Prince so much to the church. If I could just find him, that would help put things back together again. I thank God he had a angel looking over him."
What happens when fostered or adopted katerina aminal clearly came from an abusive situation??? I'm not "harboring" an animal but my impression was that there were animals rescued that are now better off. Some were part of dog-fighting horrror, others had imdedded collars and lived chained to be guard dogs, etc etc. Surely, no one wants these animals returned and is there a safety net in place to assure that??? Or, is it that such absuive owners aren't even trying to find the animals??
In my experience, neglectful or cruel people aren't the ones lookiing for their animals.
Without fail, each and every person I've met who is missing an animal loves that animal...it's a member of the family.
Dogs rescued from Hurricane Katrina need a home again
BY MARSHA L. MELNICHAK Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Saturday, December 3, 2005
Seven dogs rescued once from Hurricane Katrina and once again from what a veterinarian described as deplorable conditions at a Baxter County animal sanctuary are looking for homes in Fayetteville.
Jill Hatfield, Fayetteville’s director of animal services, and Lib Horn, retired from that position, are searching for homes for seven spayed females taken by court order from William and Tammy Hanson, who operated a sanctuary called "Every Dog Deserves A Home" near Gamaliel.
The Hansons are charged with 28 counts of cruelty to animals, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count. They were arrested in October when authorities found about 470 dogs on their property. Trial is set for Jan. 16. "It’s very tragic. There is no felony cruelty law in Arkansas; it was defeated in the last election. So whatever they’re sentenced to, it will be a misdemeanor offense. There’s nothing to stop them from doing it again," Horn said.
District Judge Van Gearhart authorized the Humane Society to care for and find homes for about 370 of the dogs. Humane Society officials contacted Horn, a member of the board of directors for the group’s local chapter, and told her they had seven females that needed to get out of the cold and to a good place. "They hadn’t had good care. There was no veterinary care. Most of them were malnourished," Horn said. "All they’ve known the last three months is stress and hunger and cold. They went through the hurricane and survived that, then they got sent up there. They got double hit. That’s why we feel so sorry for these little girls.
" Every dog deserves a home, but no dog deserves that kind of home "
At the Fayetteville Animal Shelter, the dogs are in 10-foot-by-4-foot cages. At the sanctuary, many of the dogs were found in 2-by-3 crates meant for transportation.
Horn said the law usually provides the animals should be able to stand, sit and turn around in their cages.
" They couldn’t do that, "she said.
Gearhart said last month that no evidence was presented to indicate the Hansons" have even an inkling of the ability to take on the care and protection of these animals. "
" Some of the dogs were shipped there from Katrina and she never got them out of their crate. They died there. She didn’t feed them; she didn’t do anything, "Horn said.
" Dead. Dead. Dead, "said Hatfield, pointing to pictures of the trash-strewn sanctuary.
Reports indicate about half the dogs at the sanctuary were sent there after being rescued from the Gulf area hit by Hurricane Katrina.
The dogs being held here can be adopted now. Waiting periods are over. They include a beagle, a German Shepherd, a Golden Retriever mix, a boxer mix and a black lab mix.
Hatfield warned that the dogs have been traumatized and may be frightened. Separation anxiety is another possibility, she said.
" They’re going to have issues. They’re going to need somebody who can spend lots of time with them, to reassure them, "Hatfield said.
" It will take time for them to feel secure again, "added Horn.
One of the seven is being treated for heartworm and another for mange. The beagle had a bite on its shoulder stitched.
Would-be owners will have to go through the animal shelter’s adoption process of application and screening.
" Remember, every dog deserves a good home, "said Horn, who said the shelter is strict about the process because it wouldn’t help the animal go from one bad home to another.
The women have high hopes for the seven dogs.
" I hope everyone of them goes to a home where they will finally be properly cared for with plenty of food, warm shelter, room to play in, room to move, veterinary care and a really responsible owner, "Horn said.
" Lots of toys, "added Hatfield." Someone who will be kind to them. "
If approved, the new owners will not have to pay an adoption fee thanks to a volunteer at the Fayetteville Animal Shelter and her husband.
For her Christmas gift this year, Carmen Nilsen asked her husband to make a donation to the animal shelter.
" So he said, ‘ Why don’t we sponsor those dogs? That’ll be my Christmas gift, ’" she said.
Nilsen is the dog-walking coordinator at the Fayetteville shelter, where she has volunteered three days a week for about a year. "Once you start, you can’t stop," she said. "They’re so excited to see you. You get to play with them and groom them and throw the ball and pet and love on them. It’s their highlight of the day."
Abuse situations--
Most of those animal owners are not looking. I have not heard of a single case of that. Nobody is for returning an animal to that situation.
Out of the hundreds dogs we rescued I can think of 2 Pits only that were in that situation. I don't think people have to worry about it...Rescuers are not blind to abuse and are not giving them back. "That is paperwork that is lost"
Dear ALl:
WE found Lexus. She is nursing two week old puppies--obviously, some cad of a k9 jumped her as she was left to walk the streets after Katrina, the winds having blown open the gates knocking out the elctricity, rendering the electric fencing and physical fencing useless. She'll stay at the shelter to nurse her pups, then get spayed, and then we'll make arrangements for her to come home.
A twelve year old girl will be SO HAPPY to have her baby home.
The hunt was amazing: I took two days off of work and, honestly, did not stop hunting until I found her. It is NOT easy to reunite. And, frankly, Lexus' paper trail wasn't that messed up because she came out of SBP and Camp Lucky 1 or 2. Yet, it took two entire days and nights of ceaseless calling and emailing and "sensing" and researching who was rescuing where and reading news articles re: animal transports and finally we found her.
Ceily Trogg of SBP is a champ.
Carol of Wildlife Animal Orphanage is a champ.
Heika of Animal Defense League of San Antonio is a champ.
Melissa of stealth volunteers is a champ.
Laura of ASPCA is a champ.
Ann, friend of Laura's, is a champ.
Pamela is a champ.
All of you fellowinternet wingnut dog crazies are CHAMPS!!!!
Thanks for all of your help.
Kathryn S. Bloomfield
As an example of messed up paperwork, Lexus paperwork showed she'd been taken to Texas and then to Florida. But, in fact, she never left Texas!
In her case, it seems it was a medical issue--once in Texas, it was discovered she was pregnant. However, the paperwork back in St. Bernard was not updated to show she never went to Florida because apparently that was not communicated back to Camp Lucky or St. Bernard Animal Control.
So, after hounding every shelter in the Pinnellas FLA area, I went back to square one to trace each step of the way.
The writer meant when the dogs where Fought Pit Bulls..they are not going back to owners.
CHECK OUT THIS NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK!!! eRIC
Hi Eric
My name is Christine Robinson, I am a veterinary technician from Canada that has been down to New Orleans twice for search and rescue and medical treatment work for the Katrina dogs and cats. I brought several dogs back to our local shelter and kept one with my family to foster. We have had her for two months and she is a terrific little dog. We would be happy to keep her but I have been trying to find her owner while she stays with us in case they are looking for her. I have posted my little dog everywhere I could think of to no avail. Then, I hear of a site called “snowballs chance” and I put her info on there. Within 10 minutes I had a reply with the name and address of the person who lived where the dog was found and where she had been evacuated to. I tried to contact her at the Southern Baptist Assembly in Arizona where she had gone to after the storm and spoke to the gentleman there and he said she had left in mid-September. I was so disappointed. Then, as I was about the hang up, he asked me to wait a minute because some people had sent thank you cards to them, maybe she was one of them. After a very brief wait he came back on and told me he had a card from her and her name and address and phone number was on the back of it! I called her this morning in Pasedena, California and we both cried! She couldn’t believe her little dog was alive! She has lost everything and is living in an apartment with her daughter and son-in-law temporarily. She is trying to find her own place but until then she can’t have her dog. I told her we would be happy to keep her if she can’t have her but if she wants her back and can get accommodations where she can have her, we’ll make sure she gets delivered to her doorstep! I hope it works out, even though we’ll be sad to see her go. I’ll keep y’all posted! I really believe it is nearly impossible for a lot of people to have access to the resources to even begin to try to find their pet. I would like to volunteer to be a person that can look for owners on the computer if someone has a dog they are fostering and knows the address they were found at. Do you know of anywhere I can do this? Also, let people know it can be done!!! I just have to hope she can figure out a way to have her dog in her new circumstances!
Thanks, your website is amazing! I have hundreds of pictures that I took as well, it is overwhelming what is happening there. Thanks for your work.,
Chris Robinson
Re: EDNAHs
Does anyone else here wonder if those 7 KATRINA dogs were/are ever going to be listed on Petfinder/PetHarbor?!
Is anyone looking for a >
Female BEAGLE
Female BOXER MIX
Female GERMAN SHEPHERD
Female GOLDEN RETRIEVER MIX
Female BLACK LAB MIX
And two more females?!
quote: "The dogs being held here can be adopted now. Waiting periods are over..."
How could an owner find their pets IF they were NEVER listed in the 1st place?! Such a sad situation, even though it sounds like they will go to nice "new homes", what if the "original families" are still desperately looking for these babies?! Don't they at least deserve the chance to be reunited again...
FAYETTEVILLE ANIMAL SHELTER does anyone live in the area that can visit the shelter ASAP, or contact Jill Hatfield the Director??
suzysmom
Re: Jackson, WY
Have emailed both shelters, asking IF ALL KATRINA RESCUES are listed on PetHarbor/Petfinder?!
Let's see if they answer me!!
suzysmom
I WAS Heartworm ignorant
by khbdab, 12/4/05 10:31 ET
and unfortunately, it cost my dog his life. Moved to LA from the midwest. I have had dogs all of my life and never had them on Heartworm prevention. Our vet did not tell us that is was mosquitos caused heartworms. Offered meds, we said not right now, and he never pressed the issue. He developed a cough but it cleared up.Right before x-mas last year, our Duke" died. Within 3 days he went from being an energetic 4 year old lab to lethargic and wobbly. Thought he had gotten bite by a snake. It had happened before and our vet said to give him benedryl and watch for infection. We ended up sitting on the back porch (which is totally enclosed) with him, his head in our laps. He could no longer walk or even hold his head up.He did not want to come inside he wanted to go to his kennel. So we brought his kennel onto the porch along with his kennel mate Amber. We sat out and talked to him, petting him and so on. I did not want him to feel alone. We came in to put our kids to bed and Amber started to whine and pace. We knew then that Duke had passed. It was devastating but made worse by the fact, it did not have to happen and was totally our fault.
I guess my reason for writing is to let those not from an area that has huge amounts of mosquitos, if you move to one of those areas, GET YOUR PETS STARTED ON PREVENTATIVE MEDS. Vets also need to realize that not everybody knows what causes heartworms and they need to explain why they want their pets on heartworm prevention meds.
All Seven Females received from EDNAH byThe Fayettville Animal Shelter have been posted (with pics) on pet finder - each bio of each dog has been given the code GG meaning "Gamiel Girls" I guess good pictures etc take a bit of time
Food for Thought -
Americans have spent 230 MILLION DOLLARS to see the new Harry Potter movie ...so far.
230 $$ MILLION DOLLARS $$ !!
You can see where I'm going with this, I think.
IN SEARCH OF a lady by the name of Bonnie who worked in Barn 5 at Lamar Dixon approx Mid Sept-late-Sept. She may have been a barn leader.This is in reference to an elderly dog who's elderly owner is frantically searching for. Some volunteers on our NOLA yahoo group list recognize the dog and think Bonnie may know where this dog went to since she seemed to have bonded w/this dog. If you would like to see the picture you are welcome to go to our group list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/darr
(Disaster Animal Response Rescuers) and it is in the picture section under Elderly dog. If you worked in barn 5 and rememeber Bonnie please have her contact me asap at pawpawshouse03@yahoo.com
We feel we are very close to finding this dog for his owner so if you think you can help got to group homepage listed above.
Thank you
Monica
Following is a small sampling of rescue work and vet care, or lack thereof due to the eviction of out-of-state vets by the State Vet's office, over the past week:
* 11/28/05 through 12/4/05 *
1. 12/4/05 New Orleans Animal Rescue reports "There are countless thousands of animals STILL alive today thanks to F/W drops.": http://www.neworleansanimalrescue.com
2. 12/2/05 Labrador found in Orleans Parish: http://www.nola.com/forums/townhall/index.ssf?artid=61357
3. 12/2/05 Beagle found by St. Bernard Parish resident: http://www.nola.com/forums/stbtownhall/index.ssf?artid=130082
4. 12/2/05 St. Bernard Parish resident reports "My house in Chalmette has three large dogs living in it. I called the parish and told them about it but was told that they could only send out food and water.": http://www.nola.com/forums/animals/index.ssf?artid=125573
5. 12/1/05 Rescue Team Charlie reports "There is one great Vet in the New Orleans area that has done thousands of dollars of pro bono work for the Hurricane Katrina animals." http://neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/115180764.html
6. 12/1/05 Animal Rescue New Orleans Update - "We still cannot trap unless critical because there is no place to take them. Best Friends is full.": http://www.nola.com/forums/animals/index.ssf?artid=125147
7. 11/29/05 Animal Rescue New Orleans reports "Today one of our dog trappers trapped a dog who was not looking very good... bad skin, problem with her eyes, etc. When she got her back to Magazine Street they noticed she was a nursing mom. Jessica called me and asked what to do. I told her to ask Southern Animal Foundation to put some ointment in her eyes and do a quick medical check, then get her back out to where she was trapped. I told the trapper to put her on a 20 foot leash and she would walk them to her puppies. Sure enough she did! We now have Mommy and her TINY puppies whose eyes are not even open!": http://www.animalrescueneworleans.com
8. 11/29/05 German Shephard found in deserted Lakewood: http://neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/114668775.html
9. 11/29/05 HSUS reports "By some estimates, these [volunteer] groups have rescued more than 1,500 animals since Lamar-Dixon closed down in mid-October.": http://hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center/recent_activities_and_information/2005_disaster_response/hurricane_katrina/three_months_later_hsus.html
10. 11/28/05 Two cats found by French Quarter resident: http://neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/114173799.html
Abusers ARE looking for dogs if those animal represent MONEY.
And "fighting quality" pits are being sought by fighters for fighting & breeding. They don't care who owns them. These dogs are like LIVESTOCK.
And yes, these fighting dog people will tell any lie under the sun to get their hands on "good" quality stock, based on appearance, muscle development, etc.
Dog fighters, just like show dog people, can tell a quality fighting dog by appearance (conformation) etc
Yes, they are shopping these lists and photos
And getting naive helpers to help them get the animals they want
And let's not even get into the puppy millers, who share similar motivations!
It is pretty obvious that many nice, middle-class people in the pet rescue world have no comprehension of these other dog worlds, and the fact that dogs represent something other than pets to many people.
Money is a powerful motivator. And yes, those people will tell you any sob story under the sun (or tell you they are "show dog" breeders) to get you to help find them some stock
Got another reunion nailed down tonight. I've been searching for this family for over a month using info on a rabies tag. Found the family the day before the dog was going to be legally adopted. Whew, that was too close for comfort.
This little guy, PF 44108, is a mix between a rottweiler and a poodle. What a romance that must have been!!! Maybe we should make up a new breed and call him a roodle!!
Diane
I'm shocked that a Katerina dog is on a shelter's kill list, and deeply saddened that other dogs were already killed to make room for her.... Some please help.
----
THIS DOG NEEDS A HOME...FAST!
Copied from Craig's List:
Last modified: Sun, 4 Dec 22:58 CST Copied from: neworleans.craigslist.org > pets
Reply to: comm-115834463@craigslist.org
Date: 2005-12-04, 10:57PM CST
Please help--We need to find a home for this dog quickly. She was rescued in Lousiana, and then owner-surrended, and now she is in a kill shelter in Tennessee. She needs someone to adopt her fast, or she faces euthanization. Even now, other dogs are being put down to make room for her. After all she's been through, she needs a good, loving owner to adopt her and give her the good life she deserves.
See a picture of her at: www.savethepetskatrinarescue.blogspot.com
She is a mixed breed (probably part Australian Cattle dog/beagle/doberman?)...very cute, and very loving. She's not a fan of other dogs, so preferably needs to go to a single-pet owner/family. Give this girl attention and she'll be loyal for life. She's a sweetheart.
Please help us find her a good home, QUICKLY...
no -- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
115834463
You just don't understand what is going on in the world then. My friend runs a shelter in The NorthEast, since Katrina her euthanasia rates have had to skyrocket because all the rescues that used to pull from her haven't taken any dogs since Katrina. So if many shelters are not euthanizing Katrina dogs they are euthanizing others to make room for Katrinas. This could all be helped by HSUS if they would run a massive adoption campaign and explain that shelters are fuller than anytime in our history due to Katrina and if they animals are not moved some will die. People would run back to the shelters and adopt. At least it would not hurt. The problem in the world is 20 million more are born every year than we have homes for. You just can't say "how can you run a kill shelter, shame on you" if you have 20 million extra dogs and cat...so focus on the problem and then you will have no kill shelters. Which is what everyone wants.
Has Wayne signed?
TELLS IT LIKE IT IS/WAS, ALL THE ANIMALS LOST BECAUSE OF POLITICS AND GREED. ANYONE WHO HAD A HAND IN LAMAR DIXON SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES. THEY CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT SHELTERS GOT HOW MANY ANIMALS ON WHAT DAY..LET ALONE ABOUT A SPECIFIC ANIMALS. THEY ARE SHAMELESS IN THE COLLECTION OF PROCEEDS, THEN LEAVE THIS MESS UP TO 500 STEALTH VOLUNTEERS. SICK!
Dog Gone
Animal rescuers poured into southeast Louisiana to help save evacuees' beloved pets -- but the tide of displaced animals soon overwhelmed their good intentions.
By Adrian E. Hirsch
Photo by D. Veni Harlan
Most of the 4,200 dogs and 1,400 cats rescued from floodwaters, balconies and streets are now scattered among shelters across America.
For more than 40 days and nights after Hurricane Katrina, it rained cats and dogs -- as well as potbellied pigs, parakeets, chinchillas and iguanas -- in the town of Gonzales. During that time, three un-air-conditioned barns that normally are used as horse barns at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center served as both the command center for the largest animal-rescue project ever attempted and the largest animal shelter in the United States. It wasn't easy.
Coordinating rescue efforts across southeast Louisiana and opening the sprawling shelter at Lamar-Dixon required a Herculean effort by several humane societies that don't normally work in such close quarters -- or even on the same levels. For decades, the LA/SPCA on Japonica Street has reigned as the New Orleans region's most prominent animal rescue agency. After establishing a temporary headquarters in Gonzales, LA/SPCA was joined by personnel from its national affiliate, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), generally the first responder when catastrophes threaten animals. In Katrina's wake, however, all three groups were thrown together at Lamar-Dixon, which became the animals' Ground Zero. It was a forced three-way marriage.
By Sept. 30, more than 6,000 pets had entered the shelter. On that date, the LA/SPCA opened a temporary headquarters and shelter in Algiers. And, while the Lamar-Dixon shelter operated until Oct. 15, the tide of displaced pets in Gonzales slowed to a trickle after the Algiers facility opened.
But the logistical and bureaucratic problems of caring for so many displaced pets -- and reuniting them with their owners -- were just beginning.
The groups have doled out several million dollars in grants to organizations and shelters -- but some say they did not give displaced animals enough time to be identified by their owners. According to HSUS figures, only 707 Louisiana owners have been reunited with their pets, and more reunions seem unlikely. Most of the 4,200 dogs and 1,400 cats rescued from floodwaters, balconies and streets are now scattered among shelters across America.
Under the terms of an agreement that the state required the animal rescue groups to sign, the displaced Louisiana pets became the shelters' property -- and therefore eligible for adoption, release to rescue groups or euthanasia -- on Oct. 16.
Earlier in October, HSUS, the ASPCA and the state veterinarian appealed to the nation's animal shelters to hold displaced Katrina animals until Dec. 31. But that hasn't always happened.
Some evacuees lack the will or the resources to look for their missing pets. Even for determined pet owners, a search requires hours squinting at blurry Polaroids on the Web site Petfinder.com or calling in their descriptions to polite but overwhelmed operators at a HSUS phone bank.
And even those resources are dwindling. On Nov. 23, HSUS stopped accepting new requests for assistance on its hotline. It plans to close its Katrina reunification files on Dec. 16.
From Dallas, Gentilly plumber Rivers Jacques trawled the Internet searching for Nicodemus, his rambunctious palomino-colored golden retriever. Jacques, his family and two golden retrievers safely rode out Katrina until floodwater from the Industrial and London Avenue canals converged on Clover Street. A few days after Jacques evacuated his family, he boarded a swamp craft already filled with people. From the reports he heard on his 27-year-old transistor radio -- his only link to the outside world -- he knew animal rescue groups were approaching and hoped they would bring his dogs to safety. He intended to recover the retrievers.
Three days later, Baton Rougean John Ratcliff coaxed the stranded dogs from a porch into the boat and brought them along with four cats and two ducks to the Lamar-Dixon shelter's intake area. In late September, Gulf South Golden Retriever Rescue president Jim Butts of Houma wrested seven goldens from the shelter, called the phone numbers on the I.D. and rabies tags and quickly reached Jacques and four other owners.
Elated to find his copper companion, Columbo, Jacques immediately asked, "Where's Nico?" Butts had no answer.
For Dorothy Wright and her family, the question of her cream-colored poodle Tiny's fate is even more perplexing. After Katrina damaged her roof, the 70-year-old left provisions for Tiny and waited near I-10 for a bus out of the city. After several days in Texas, Wright convinced her family to return to Gretna for Tiny. She later moved to the evacuee shelter housed in the Lamar-Dixon Trade Mart building so she could remain close to her pet. "That's all the company I have," says Wright.
Despite a large "owner-on-premises" sign taped to her crate, the poodle disappeared, leaving the Wrights with nothing but an intake number.
So what are the chances of an owner finding a cherished black cat with green eyes? "It's the kind of thing that keeps us up at night," says Julie Morris, ASPCA senior vice president of national outreach in New York. "It underscores the need for I.D. on the animals, both visual and microchip. Some animals will not get back to owners; but hopefully some pets will be reunited."
Both Jacques and Wright returned to the Crescent City with the small consolation that their missing dogs are probably safe, living somewhere else, with someone else.
Quick intervention and the relentless dedication of HSUS, ASPCA, Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams, International Fund for Animal Welfare, National Guard troops and hundreds of volunteers from Louisiana and across the country undoubtedly saved many pets' lives. But the near impossibility of reuniting owners with their pets has disheartened local volunteers and animal rescue groups.
Based on previous natural disasters in which no more than 650 animals were displaced, the HSUS disaster relief team arrived prepared to handle such a catastrophe. Then, Katrina rewrote the definition of disaster.
"Lamar-Dixon was set up by LA/SPCA to stage and house animals displaced by the storm," says Melissa Rubin, HSUS vice president of field and disaster services, in Maryland. "We had plans to set up a temporary shelter [where owners could come and claim their pets]. Within two days, we saw the levee break. The disaster and the problems just got so large. We needed so much help -- 300 volunteers a day just to care for the animals."
The flood of pets led not only to a logistical nightmare, but also to bad feelings between the national coalition and local rescue groups.
"They never made the best use of volunteers," says Florence Robinson, secretary of the Animal Protection and Welfare Society (APAWS) based in Baton Rouge. "If they'd had volunteers working on paperwork from the beginning, they would not have been so far behind in the database.
"They looked at [locals] as unequal and incompetent," Robinson asserts. "If you wanted to help, you could wash out dog dishes. ... All these rescue groups had been helping dogs in south Louisiana for years. We were begging to help. We wanted to help."
Local all-breed and breed-specific rescue groups say they offered to foster animals and scan microchips to help locate owners. Instead, they say, national coalition staff mired them in an almost-daily credentialing process, often followed by a 48-hour waiting period -- and new regulations when they returned.
"We're a local rescue, and they wouldn't release cats to us. But, within days, they're shipping them across the country," says Cat Haven founder and board member Lilla Whitehead of Baton Rouge.
The national rescue agencies tell a different story.
"It was a work-in-progress," explains the ASPCA's Morris. "The first concern was rescue and then giving the animals the best chance to be reunited."
In addition, HSUS' Rubin says, "We were mandated by the state to reunite the animals with owners by using large 501(c)(3) organizations such as the Houston SPCA, which had the ability to bunch out bigger groups [of animals] and track them better."
The volume and speed of transfers resulted in scant documentation, and unreliable data further diminished the potential of recovery by owners. In fact, Tiny (Dorothy Wright's cream-colored poodle) was identified as a black poodle, and Columbo ( Rivers Jacques' golden retriever) became an Irish Setter.
Along with the search-and-rescue teams and climate-controlled 18-wheelers destined for shelters from Boca Raton, Fla., to Alberta, Canada, came camera crews from Animal Planet and other networks and film producers. Images broadcast on cable channels and featured in Internet downloads made for compelling television -- and many thousands of dollars in donations.
All the while, the shelter's population grew exponentially -- as did the number of volunteers, veterinarians, professional animal rescue personnel and their conflicting processes. Add to that the late-summer swelter (with its predictable effects on out-of-state volunteers) and tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Rita -- and it's easy to see how turnover, burnout and confusion grew with every shift change.
But that was just the beginning.
When Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeff Wiley threatened to close down the facility because of overcrowding, the fur really flew -- literally. Pets began jetting away on planes chartered by mogul T. Boone Pickens, U.S. Sen. John McCain and Palm Beach's Peggy Adams Animal League, among others. Soon, the line blurred between an owned pet and a stray as pressure mounted to fill crates for high-profile humanitarians.
"Some dogs -- even those with addresses and collars -- were brought in at 7 p.m., and by 10 a.m. the next morning, they were headed out for shipment. There was no way an owner could locate a dog in less than 24 hours," says Sharla Roussel, president of Creole Poodle Club of New Orleans, who volunteered at the site. "At that point, I thought, 'This is about money, politics and photo shoots. It's not about reuniting owners with their pets.'"
In hindsight, Roussel suggests the money may have been better spent on creating a local, air-conditioned tent city organized by breed.
"People [from New Orleans] are still living in shelters or with relatives," says APAWS' Robinson. "How can they even know how to claim their dogs if they're living out of state? How can they have Internet access when they don't even have a telephone?"
Since activities at Lamar-Dixon ceased, local rescues have leveraged their experiences and contacts to help owners such as Jacques and Wright pursue even the smallest of leads. Unfortunately, despite Wright's and Roussel's inquiries, Tiny's whereabouts remain a mystery. However, on Nov. 2, two months after he was forced to abandon his retrievers, Jacques identified Nicodemus in an emailed photo sent by Susan Martin, a Florida volunteer with Stealth, a group of computer super-sleuths who use Internet databases to locate Katrina pet owners based on I.D. and rabies tag information.
Since Sept. 23, Nicodemus had been with Darleen Wheelington of Oasis shelter in Camden, Ark. He arrived by way of a Lake Charles shelter, where his paperwork was lost after staff members hurried to evacuate 500 animals just before Hurricane Rita turned toward southwest Louisiana.
"We're all going to learn so many lessons from this disaster," Wheelington says. "We knew about Petfinder, but no one ever told us there was an emergency network. Many of the dogs [we took in] had several paper collars with [Lamar-Dixon intake] numbers that didn't mean anything to me. [When we found I.D. tags], we kept calling numbers that were never answered. We had pictures posted on our Petfinder site, but who thinks to look at our small shelter in Camden? We would get a lead, and it would bomb on us. That's why I was so glad to hear from Susan with the Stealth group.
"We have six or seven more I know are somebody's loved dogs that they are desperate for," Wheelington says. "It's just making the connection to find them. There is so much joy in delivering them back home."
Nicodemus and Columbo are now in foster care at the Butts' home in Houma until Jacques can rebuild his house. Still, Roussel remains haunted by the ones who got away: "How can we be sure we can find [Louisiana pets] that need to be rescued -- the old and sick ones who will probably not be adoptable? We [local rescue agencies] were too small for the prime directive to get them out [of Lamar-Dixon]. Now, we need to go through the normal rescue process to stop them from being put down."
Thousands of New Orleans pets have been separated from their owners for nearly four months and are living in temporary quarters at far-flung shelters. And, most animal rescue groups sadly concede, despite the human misery it may wreak, oftentimes the only humane course is to find the unclaimed pets new permanent homes.
With Tips Like This Needed No WONDER NOBODY HAS FOUND LOST PETS:
list of most of the animal shelters that received aminals
by wshoiee, 12/5/05 15:25 ET
http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/Receiving_Shelters_List_10-28-05.pdf?docID=6541When looking for your pets remember that many pets have been put in wrong on system such as wrong sex,wrong breed such as a whippet may be classified as greyhound or italian grayhound and a siamese as a burmese-tonkinese or himalayan.Also color can be red, liver, orange,or brown and white may be off-white,cream,or tan, and gray may be smoke or blue on listings. Also many pictures are of poor quality and you can request side shots or other views. Many pets rescued in the same area by same rescuers may have LA#s very close together so if you have found one of your several pets use numbers on each side of the number on your found pet to possibly find your other pets.Every pet even in same carrier may have been sent to a different place.
With Tips Like This Needed No WONDER NOBODY HAS FOUND LOST PETS:
list of most of the animal shelters that received aminals
by wshoiee, 12/5/05 15:25 ET
http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/Receiving_Shelters_List_10-28-05.pdf?docID=6541When looking for your pets remember that many pets have been put in wrong on system such as wrong sex,wrong breed such as a whippet may be classified as greyhound or italian grayhound and a siamese as a burmese-tonkinese or himalayan.Also color can be red, liver, orange,or brown and white may be off-white,cream,or tan, and gray may be smoke or blue on listings. Also many pictures are of poor quality and you can request side shots or other views. Many pets rescued in the same area by same rescuers may have LA#s very close together so if you have found one of your several pets use numbers on each side of the number on your found pet to possibly find your other pets.Every pet even in same carrier may have been sent to a different place.
Is till say its better to know your pet was rescued and maybe "lost in the system" than to have it trapped in a house to starve to death or wandering the streets to be hit by vehicles,be infested with heartworms,stricken by toxic sludge or impregnated to generate more homeless animals. I am working as a stealth volunteer to reunite the animals.Even though I am finding many have been adopted or surrendered by families I am grateful to everyone who put their own safety on the line to go out and find shelter,food and a safe haven for the "other" Katrina,Rita and Wilma victims.The animals are safe-that is what counts. If they can be reunited with their families-that is icing on the cake.
RE: LAMAR-DIXON
"...The disaster and problems just got so big. We needed so much help -- 300 volunteers a day just to care for the animals..."
Gee, WHAT do you suppose they would have done IF VOLUNTEERS wouldn't have kept showing up enmasse each day for SIX WEEKS?! Did the concept of HIRING (gasp pay) workers to do ALL THE LOGISTICAL WORK, such as record keeping> intake/meds/microchip info/transport EVER OCCUR TO THEM?! EVER in the entire 6 weeks!!
With almost $40 million between HSUS/ASPCA to spend on correcting problems as soon as they became apparent, how can they keep making such excuses?!
HSUS website says that part of the Katrina donations (specifically earmarked for Katrina when I donated!!) were used for Hurricanes Rita & Wilma and the earthquake in Asia. These are all very worthy causes, BUT THE MONEY was originally given for KATRINA rescue and help.
IF THE MONEY WAS THERE TO FIX THE PROBLEMS, THEN WHY WASN'T IT USED?! (sorry for yelling, it is just such a no brainer... and I hate incompetency)
As to subjecting displaced Katrina survivors to having to try to identify their lost companions by having to look for hours at blurry Polaroids, that is just utterly UNACCEPTABLE!! Another forum said that a photographer (with own cameras) had offered his/her services (for free) BUT was rebuffed by those in charge. AND what's more "volunteers" shouldn't have been depended upon to take intake pictures> A PROFESSIONAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIRED from the get go...
All the volunteers gave herculean efforts and should be rightfully commended, but they should NOT have been asked to do the tasks that should have been hired out in the 1st place.
We will never know how many more happy reunions might have been possible IF "professional record keeping and photography" would have been done by HSUS/ASPCA/LASPCA at Lamar-Dixon.
suzysmom
..and just who was available for hire in a minutes notice?...if there were people available for hire,don't you think the fire,police,medical AND animal rescue groups would have been hiring?...if you were not there in the first weeks you don't have a clue as to the size of the problem and the chaotic nature
More owners found
by possecop, 12/6/05 5:53 ET
I have not been on lately, but just wanted everyone to know that I have been able to help reunite 8 pets all within the last week, I know it gives everyone a boost to hear of this type of news, I have two more pets pending positive ID, so cross your fingers for us, that we have made the correct matches.
my ultimate Christmas present to NOLA is to return as many pets as I can before Christmas......Possecop
Wayne Pacelle Reply
by Tierfreund, 12/5/05 18:19 ET
I asked him in my email not to send me the standard reply with their link and this is what I received - I replied back to him that I would post his reply. Looks like the Best Friends pressure maybe, hopefully helped. We'll see - hopefully they have started to be concerned about their image.
Beate,
I really do urge you to review the piece on our web site. HSUS never pulled out. We are the group that is entirely funding Jane Garrison and the Animal Rescue New Orleans organization. It is my understanding that we are paying for the volunteers who are down there working under ARNO. We have also just sent high-volume trappers to Mississippi and we are discussing more collaboration with Best Friends. We are also providing enormous financial support to the LA SPCA and the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi because they are the local agencies that will have to continue to work there in the long run. Finally, there was a 7-organization assessment, which Best Friends signed on to, that revealed that there are animals in need, but nowhere near the numbers that some have been claiming.
Best,
Wayne Pacelle
Wayne Pacelle Reply
by Tierfreund, 12/5/05 18:19 ET
I asked him in my email not to send me the standard reply with their link and this is what I received - I replied back to him that I would post his reply. Looks like the Best Friends pressure maybe, hopefully helped. We'll see - hopefully they have started to be concerned about their image.
Beate,
I really do urge you to review the piece on our web site. HSUS never pulled out. We are the group that is entirely funding Jane Garrison and the Animal Rescue New Orleans organization. It is my understanding that we are paying for the volunteers who are down there working under ARNO. We have also just sent high-volume trappers to Mississippi and we are discussing more collaboration with Best Friends. We are also providing enormous financial support to the LA SPCA and the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi because they are the local agencies that will have to continue to work there in the long run. Finally, there was a 7-organization assessment, which Best Friends signed on to, that revealed that there are animals in need, but nowhere near the numbers that some have been claiming.
Best,
Wayne Pacelle
Wayne Pacelle says, "We are the group that is entirely funding Jane Garrison and ARNO". Well, whoop-de-do! HSUS raked in $20 million for Katrina animal victims and they're funding ONE dedicated, hard working small group in New Orleans? Give me a break!
Then Pacelle states, "It is my understanding that we are paying for the volunteers who are down there working under ARNO." It's his "understanding"? Doesn't he know what is going on and since when does anyone pay "volunteers"? How about some financial figures, Wayne? How much of the donations that came in specifically for Katrina animals is being diverted to other HSUS projects or into bonuses for overpaid HSUS executives?
HSUS got the biggest chunk of donations and what the Gulf Coast animals and their guardians got in return was utter chaos, politics and lousy paperwork from Lamar-Dixon.
Where are all the HSUS volunteers, Wayne, that hogged the TV cameras in the immediate aftermath of Katrina? Please don't take the entire credit for funding Jane Garrison's small group. I sent my donation to them. I would never trust HSUS to disburse any money I donated. Your refusal to sign the Petition by Best Friends pretty well let's us know where you and HSUS stand.
HSUS is still helping in LA and MS. Millions of dollars have been granted to both states to rebuild shelters destryoed and damaged in both states as well as GA. I'm beginning to be believe some people gripe just to have something to gripe about. HSUS is not a rescue organization-never was,they did everything they could do at the moment at LamarDixon-where would the thousands of animals be now without the organized chaos of HSUS & LamarDIxon?....many,many more would not have survived and lost paperwork would never be mentioned since probably little to NO paperwork would have been generated for those lucky animals plucked from the wreckage
It is my understanding that ARNO is getting some. Is it ever enough? I doubt it so I would guess our gift and gas cards are still well used for people on the ground.
Someone would have to ask Tara how that is coming on her end, as I am under the conception that she just recently alerted Wayne to her continued situation.
Be advised, I am trying to stay somewhat neutral. I did hear on the conf call today from Best Friends that they are having good dialogue with HSUS and other rescue groups.
One thing needed quickly is some kind of cooridnated adoption campaign by all groups. HSUS could really get the word out. No doubt shelters are full all over the country, this is hurting nonkatrina animals etc. Adoption is needed badly to help all animals.
I have been in touch with Tara High for more than 5 weeks now as the first plea from Biloxi went out from Jim Wolfe. I have spoken to Tara first hand regarding her desperate situation down there. I have been helping her get her story to the media and putting out the call for volunteers to help her and her shelter. I emailed her after I read the response from Wayne that was posted on nola and here is her email back to me yesterday-
Trappers were to arrive in Gulfport yesterday. They will begin their work
in Biloxi first and hopefully will work their way down the coast.
Debi Drake with HSUS visited this week to assess our situation and I was
told that HSUS was going to help. At this time there are no details on how
much help they will provide. I am certainly optimistic as this is the first
they have inquired about our short and long term needs since they left
Hattiesburg the first of Oct. The trappers are a result of Debi's visit.
------------------------------------
I guess it's a matter of definitions in describing the large or huge financial support she is receiving from HSUS. She had problems before Katrina. She had problems during Katrina and until Jim Wolfe started to get some attention when he went to Biloxi to help, it appears as though her shelter had been forgotten. They were devastated as much as NO, except they did not get the media attention. She is still having problems after Katrina. She desperately needs transport and volunteers as she has worked very hard to coordinate with other states who are willing to take animals. She has gotten the permission from the state vet and everything she needs to transport these animals. She not only is running the shelter with the regular work load, but is also coordinating any help she gets for the Katrina animals. Tara is very open, willing and hard working as the animals are her first concern. Her attitude is NOT anything like Laura Mahoney with LASPCA. To complicate matters, her vehicles were destroyed during Katrina and is expecting one the second week of December.
I can vouch for how BAD Tara High had it and Miss. She was way worse off because she got virtually no help. The couple of days I was at her shelter they were trying to figure out what the heck they could even salvage. That is the same shelter they are still using today. It took 5ft of water. She had people working who didn't have a house. She had no vehicles. She had no transport.
I don't think HSUS purposely gave her less support as they just tend to naturally follow the cameras (lets face it we all did) but now that they know how bad she has it and all the work that needs done, they HSUS should step back in and pick it up. All agree?
Re: Aftermath of Katrina
Sorry, maybe the unemployment rate in Louisiana isn't as bad as it is here?! BUT it doesn't take a rocket scientist nor even any special training (as in fire, police, medical) to be a record keeper or part of the "clipboard brigade"?! And a decent (even amateur) photographer with a good camera and lenses IMHO should have been fairly easy to find!!
I'm not tying to detract from the amazing job the volunteers should be commended for doing, HOWEVER they were continually coming and going; things were constantly changing and consistency was impossible as you said in the chaotic conditions.
However, a month later was the situation any better?? Were they still taking bad polaroids, were records still being lost, were animals still being transported out with no idea where they ended up?
I'm just pointing out that several million dollars can solve an awful lot of problems, or at least make the situation a whole lot better even within the 1st week of operations. Did they even put up Help Wanted flyers or check the local Temp Offices or Secretarial/Trade Schools, or place an ad in the area newspapers... I can't believe it would never occur to HSUS/ASPCA/LASPCA to think beyond depending on "volunteers" to do almost everything!! (Maybe my mind is just more organizational than most, but even I have to admit that I wouldn't have known the difference between a boxer & a mastiff, a springer and an English spaniel, etc... And I take terrible pictures. BUT I would have been there in a heartbeat if I could have. So I'm also just offering suggestions for "future reference"... Let us all pray that they should never be needed. And these are just my "armchair" views, no offense to anyone meant nor taken :)
Yet since I donated to HSUS I think I'm entitled to voice my opinions and to know/ask for an accounting of where the money went. I'm happy to hear that HSUS is offering financial assistance to several groups still there.
I'm overjoyed that little oily dog has finally been "found" and has been safe and warm and fed all this time... Let us hope that so many more will be found and reunited with their families too.
suzysmom
BOTH Jackson shelters have emailed me back.
Teton Valley Humane states that ALL the Katrina pets that they just took in from a shelter in Idaho (sounds like another hoarder) will be listed on Petfinder by the end of the week. So keep looking.
Animal Adoption Center claims that all of the Katrina pets they have are either owner surrender or were in shelters before Katrina. (We have all heard that before!)
suzysmom
sidhewlf said...
HSUS is still helping in LA and MS. Millions of dollars have been granted to both states to rebuild shelters destryoed and damaged in both states as well as GA. I'm beginning to be believe some people gripe just to have something to gripe about. HSUS is not a rescue organization-never was,they did everything they could do at the moment at LamarDixon
*************
The point is NOT that "HSUS is not a rescue organization and never was". The point is that HSUS used every means available to solicit donations directly to their bank account specifically for Katrina animal victims. They reaped in $20 million dedicated to help these animals and any related projects. The point is that HSUS hasn't come close to spending $20 million for the Katrina animals. The point is that every red cent collected in the name of Katrina animals should be spent on these specified animals. HSUS has a lot of irons in the fire and the $20 million was a windfall for them t spend any way they choose since they have listed no financial statement. The people who donated to this cause expect their donations to be applied solely to Katrina animals victims. That's the point!
Apparently the latest shipment that HSUS promised to send Vermillion Parish failed to arrive?! Is it ever going to be sent (esp. before winter worsens) or this just another one of those hollow "feel good publicity statements" to gather in more donations...
The other point we all are missing here is that IF HSUS isn't a rescue organization and never was, then why was it busily selling itself as such for Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue Operations AND in the 2nd place, then why was HSUS "appointed as HEAD of Lamar-Gonzales" if it lacked such "experience"? What are we all missing here?? Oh wait I remember, HSUS made a deal with FEMA. Anyway maybe American Humane would have been the better organization to appoint to head up the whole rescue operations?? MAYBE we would have had a better reunion rate, couldn't be any more dismal. In my book HSUS gets an F- all the way around. And from now on my donations will go somewhere that they will be used for what they were originally intended for. HSUS certainly had time to keep posting requests for "VOLUNTEERS" on their website!! But guess things were just too hectic and chaotic to take the time to find anyone they might have to spend some of those precious millions on LOL...
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