Returns
I am off to New Orleans for another week...
posted by EricsDogBlog.com @ Saturday, November 12, 2005
57 comments
Eric's Dog Blog
This blog provides the vivid descriptions of the operations of various animal rescue groups in New Orleans, LA and surrounding areas who worked for months to save thousands of animals left during Katrina. In more recent months we have focused on various dog related issues as well as Katrina related stories
Saturday, November 12, 2005
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About Me
- Name: EricsDogBlog.com
I am the owner of 4+ dogs. I am rescuing the 1000's of animals left behind after Katrina. These animals are crucial to the “emotional” survival of people who have lost everything. The blog continues its second year past Katrina
Previous Posts
- Phase 2 Crisis Emerges - Please Help
- Special Guest Hero: Marilyn McGee
- Interview Questions: Laura Maloney LASPCA
- They Listen Now -- 2 Week Workshop
- The Truth Is We Do Know
- The Truth is We don't know the truth -- BUT THESE ...
- St. Bernard Parish Rabies, Tatoo and Chip Info Ava...
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57 Comments:
Wow, Eric, you are one amazing guy. I know that you're doing this because it's the right thing to do, but you are to be commended none the less.
A capital offense? Has more come about about LA wanting rescuers gone?
I head down 12/7 to work w/ Jane's group. Our Animal Control has agreed to send an ACO w/ me and I'm gathering other folks as well. If you're still there I hope to meet you.
~Peace~
nice family picture! cute kids! :-)
Great picture. You look like The Waltons. Keep up the good work.
Eric, I hope all goes well. You are a wonderful person for going back after all you have already done.
Please look for Bandit and Bully when you are there. They have never been found despite hours and days spent searching shelters.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/Ursula4x/bandit8yresold.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/Ursula4x/BullyBullyBrindleaboutthreeyearsold.jpg
You go Eric! Thanks for heading back to NO to save even more animals. You are indeed a very special soul.
Great picture too! What a fine looking family!
Be well, stay safe :)
Re: Buster
Can't get the links you posted to work. What kind of dog is Buster?
I saw a post on snowballschange.org abaout a yorkie named Buster, and wondered.
You are a good lad Eric, your mother should be very proud of the way she raised you. We should all be so fortunate. Thank you for your continued efforts on behalf of all the furry friends in need. You are a hero in every sense of the word.
Tip for you if you want to shrink a long link of html so people can click on it?
Cut/paste your long link to wwwltinyurl.com and it will convert it to small link.
This will help you to post pics of dogs on CL or anywhere else.
If you want to have a pic of x animals on any site such as CL, etc.... you can open a FREE account at www.photobucket.com, and again, cut/paste the long html tag to www.tinyurl.com to convert.
Hope this help you folks.
RE: Buster
There is a "Buster" story listed on EricsDogBlog in the "comments" section under Eric's entry for October 25 "the truth is we do know" -- at the end of the comments about the EDNAH situation are comments about Buster.
I assume that is the story you are asking about.
Buster is a tan/black German Shepherd with 2 dewclaws. (tan/black, but not much black) He was wearing an orange collar. His petfinder ID is PF34312.
http://disaster.petfinder.com/emergency/
rescue/reportDetail.cgi?id=34312
His story can be found at
http://forums.petfinder-network.com/
viewtopic.php?t=81701
&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
or try to click on
http://tinyurl.com/cukgb
Note there are at least 10 pages (so far) to Buster's story -- the link I gave you is page one, look near bottom of page and there is a place that says pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 --- click on next for next page of story.
PLEASE CROSSPOST WIDELY
RE: Help Animal Rescue: Minimal Effort
Here are pictures of two chows trapped out of a pack of six last night:
#1 Brown Chow: "Lion"
Lion's rescuer writes: "His ear was rotted off and the smell would have gagged a maggot. He had a horrible eye infection, and his leg was lame. I had to send him off [to the shelter] in this condition because it was late when I caught him and of course no vets, if it were earlier in the day, I know of a wonderful vet that would have treated him that is local, and would have done it for free."
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b175/WillowLu/Lion11-12-05.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b175/WillowLu/LionTwo11-12-05.jpg
#2 Black Chow: "Bear"
He had a horrible eye infection also.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b175/WillowLu/Bear11-12-05.jpg
These are merely two very recent examples of the horrible condition these animals are in.
Please use this form to write to the State Vet and Gov. Blanco allowing out-of-state vets to practice in LA:
http://action.alleycat.org/c.mmL3KgN3LzH/b.806667/k.9ED9/Action_Center/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=mmL3KgN3LzH&b=806667&tr=y&auid=1224813&tr=y&auid=1224813
Please take a few short minutes to be a part of the rescue effort.
Additional information here:
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=56547
Thank you for your compassion.
From Eric Rice, Been on the ground now for 24 hours.
1. Biggest need right now is VOLUNTEERS ! The LASPCA, the police, NO one is trying to stop the rescue effort.
The National Guard, The Military , and the Police continue to be very helpful in directing us as to where to locate animals !
This city is so massive that coordinated effort to stop the rescue would never work. So Let me REPEAT I have been to all the camps( Winn Dixie, Jane Garrison) and what they really need is VOLUNTEERS ! The Volunteer Campaigns are working. Although right now we do need more ACO's that have more animal experience so we can send them out to trap !
VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEERS
2. There is no doubt that there are still many many animals out there. There is a HUGE need for the rescue efforts to continue. There were 40 trapped in the last 24 hr. period. this was over nite.However these dogs are not easily spotted...they have become very adept at hiding. You will not just drive around and see these animals! The folks that are trapping get their info from the national guard or the police as to where these animals are then they go in and access the situation. From what I am seeing they are covering a very small percentage .
3. I have a meeting at 10:00am Monday morning with Laura Maloney to discuss the situation. Plus the LASPCA has asked several large national groups to come in and access the situation. The problem is that that acessment wont take in the true situation. they will be driving around and NOT seeing what we are seeing.
Again this is not the LASPCA's nor anyone elses fault. this is a unique situation that no one has ever had to deal with before.
the grassroots operations have become the main contacts due to this unique situation.
4. VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEERS please continue all of your efforts on getting volunteers down there...if you have vacation time .. think about using it ! keep cross posting and notifying colleges ! We need VOLUNTEERS
Eric Rice
Laura Maloney of the LASPCA in N.O. paints a bad picture of rescuers. She has accused them of breaking into homes when in actuality, most rescuers had permission from pet owners to break in and save their animals. Maloney's solution to the whole matter of animals left in houses was to just leave food until the owners returned. Isn't that a brilliant solution? Pets are locked in the house and can't get to food left on the porch. How does that help? Also, how many owners have not yet returned? How many owners are dead and will never return? How many owners are still displaced and in shelters in others states? I live in Louisiana and I greatly resent Maloney's callous attitude. I personally want to thank each and every rescuer who at great personal sacrifice donated their time and efforts to travel here and save the animals. Maloney is also claiming total credit for the LASPCA for rescuing 8,5000 animals when it was a joint effort by all involved. Please read the latest news article below which appeared in the 11/13/05 edition of the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper.
Rift among rescuers
11/13/2005, 1:01 p.m. CT
By JESSICA BUJOL
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — They all share the same goal — rescuing animals left to fend for themselves after Hurricane Katrina — but a schism has developed between the Louisiana SPCA, the official animal control agency for Orleans Parish, and other groups who are conducting their own rescues.
The rift developed about a month after Katrina, when it became clear some organizations were not willing to follow the guidelines set out by the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, executive director Laura Maloney said.
"I think that they're well-meaning people with huge hearts that just don't understand boundaries," she said.
In one meeting, someone handed out crowbars for breaking into homes. Though no one wants to see a pet go hungry, Maloney said in some cases it makes more sense to just leave food for the animal and check up on it until the owner returns. The LA/SPCA also had to be careful who it granted credentials to, because they're liable for the actions of anyone acting on their behalf, Maloney said.
And though countless people showed up willing to help, Maloney said most of them weren't trained in animal rescue and weren't willing to do anything else.
"We asked if anyone wanted to help clean kennels, no one did," she said.
The LA/SPCA has cleared a backlog of calls — some 7,000 — from people who left their pets behind, Maloney said, and shipped around 8,500 animals off to shelters around the country. More than 600 people have been reunited with their pets.
Maloney said reports that there are starving animals roaming the streets have largely been exaggerated and that her officers haven't seen any more abandoned animals now than they did before Katrina.
But the animal rescue groups who splintered from the LA/SPCA paint a much different picture and say the LA/SPCA isn't equipped to deal with the magnitude of the situation.
Anne Bell, co-founder and director of the Southern Animal Foundation, said she's still finding animals clinging to life after months on the streets and her group is trapping strays every day.
"I have a list, 40 pages with little tiny print. That's thousands of animals that are still out there," Bell said.
On Saturday alone, Animal Rescue New Orleans founder Jane Garrison said her group rescued 26 dogs — six of whom had collars and tags.
"These are not wild, stray animals we're picking up," she said.
The animals now loose on the streets have also begun breeding and veterinarians from out of state who were spaying and neutering animals for free are being turned away because Gov. Kathleen Blanco didn't renew an order allowing them to practice here, Bell said.
"To me, what doesn't make any sense, is why would you turn down help, when there's hundreds, thousands of people willing to help?" Bell asked. "They need to follow this dedicated group of people that they asked to leave the city and see the animals they're finding."
That's precisely what Maloney said she intends to do. The LA/SPCA is creating a multi-agency team in an effort to heal the rift between it and other groups and to get a handle on the situation.
"I get e-mails from people saying, 'Don't you care about the animals starving in your community?' and of course I do, but we're just not seeing that," Maloney said.
The multi-agency team, with members from the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Best Friends Animal Society, United Animal Nations and others, will begin its work Tuesday, conducting detailed surveys for two days and two nights, Maloney said.
Whatever the politics of animal rescue, both sides have something in common, Maloney said.
"All of us have the same goal of saving animals," she said.
___
On the Net:
http://www.AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com
http://www.la-spca.org
http://www.southernanimalfoundation.org
Eric,
Great picture of the family! Thanks for all of the updates. I'll be back down there in less than 2 weeks, and posts like yours keep me abreast on the situation and what I'll need to bring, and well as what to mentally prepare myself for.
Kudos!
Karen M.
UAN Sends Experts to Join Assessment Team in New Orleans
SACRAMENTO (November 13, 2005) – Two representatives from United Animal Nations (UAN) will join a multi-agency assessment team to evaluate the post-Hurricane Katrina status of animals in New Orleans.
The assessment team, coordinated by the Louisiana SPCA (LA/SPCA), will comprise two professionals each from UAN, the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Best Friends Animal Society, American Humane Association and the U.S. Public Health Services. The Louisiana Animal Control Association and the Society of Animal Welfare Administrators may participate as well.
Representing UAN will be EARS National Director Kay Mayfield, a firefighter and veterinary technician from Apple Valley, California, and Cindy Walden, an animal control officer from Loomis, California.
“The goal of the assessment team is to obtain accurate and objective information needed to effectively plan for the continued recovery of New Orleans animals,” said Jennifer Fearing, UAN president and CEO. “Between the two of them, Kay and Cindy have more than 15 years and 30 disasters under their belts. They will bring significant expertise and compassion to this effort.”
On Tuesday, November 15, two-person teams will deploy to different sections of the city to collect detailed data for two days and nights. The LA/SPCA will analyze the results so they can tailor current operations to suit the needs of the animals and citizens in the New Orleans community.
Founded in 1987, UAN is the nation’s leading provider of emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services and a key advocate for the critical needs of animals.
WILL THEY GET IT RIGHT ???
The veterianrian's oath:
Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health, the relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.
I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.
I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence.
Email addresses for the AVMA:
avmainfo@avma.org; avmagrd@avma.org
I've emailed, please join me. These are the people responsible for holding her accountable.
I returned home after 15 days of search, rescue & trapping with Animal Rescue New Orleans and there are thousands of animals under houses and running the streets. Mostly at sunrise and sunset. Lots of barking could be heard at night.
More times than not, as we drove our well marked rescue vehicle we were flagged down by citizens, police and the National Guard and told of where there were dogs and cats needing to be captured and removed.
I pray the multi agencies see exactly what my team and I saw: A great need and urgency for long term trapping, transporting and sheltering.
The constant denial of the ongoing animal issues by those in charge, confirms the need for a clean sweep out of the people who have no regard or respect for animals or their own citizens. A good reason to vote in the next elections.
As soon as I can find a sponsor, I will return to New Orleans to resume the critical trapping mission.
I urge ALL ACO's, and other animal professionals with trapping and catch pole experience, to devote 10 days and get yourself and a team mate down to New Orleans.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Nothing else I can say.
from NOLA.com message#29299
She is responding to the message posted below hers which gets truncated here, but you get the idea.
I got this from theKatrinaAnimalReliefLA@yahoogroups.com
Subj: RE: URGENT plea from New OrleansDate: 11/13/2005 11:02:16 AM Central Standard TimeFrom: Laura Maloney
Hello all,
I haven't spent time engaging in dialogue via email or responding to the internet rumors as I'd be spending my entire day doing so. But, I wanted to respond to the message below. Please feel free to forward onto your lists.
In an effort to get closer to the truth amidst the rumors and conflicting reports, we have developed a multi-agency assessment team that will be fanning four New Orleans hot spots -- Lower 9th, East New Orleans, Lakeview, and Gentilly – to systematically evaluate our animal situation. We're working two shifts (6 am - 9 am and 5 pm – 8 pm) as animals are most active at dawn and dusk. We'll tally our results on Thursday and determine next steps.
It's my hope to a) obtain a better understanding of the state-of animals in New Orleans by using a systematic approach, and b) to tailor future animal response efforts to match the needs of the community. The team includes two members each from HSUS, ASPCA, Best Friends, United Animal Nations, LA/SPCA, and individuals who have been working at independent rescue sites (Richard from Winn Dixie, for example).
We hope that this assessment will offer greater clarity about our true situation (NOTE: The LA/SPCA is only focused on New Orleans and is not working in the other parishes such as St. Bernard, Plaquemines, etc.).
I've never been one for perpetuating myths or histrionics. If Jane Garrison or others have specific information about animals in need, I've asked them to call us at 368-5191, ext 100. Sadly, we were forwarded emails where people mentioned "testing" us with false reports to see how fast we'd respond. Yesterday, one of our visiting teams responded to a call only to find see an "animal rescue" vehicle flee when they approached. I would hope that would-be rescuers wouldn't waste valuable resources playing games with animals' lives.
Thankfully we've received a tremendous outpouring from professionals across the country who have sent staff and resources to help us with the overwhelmingly challenging tasks of establishing a semi-permanent shelter, vet clinic, housing staff, capturing strays, reuniting pets & owners, working with the military & cadaver teams, and the daily care of the animals we rescue. In just the past few weeks, we've had staff from HSUS, ASPCA, Missouri, Texas, and Nebraska, San Diego, Pasadena, helping us every day to make things happen.
I also wish to clarify that the LA/SPCA has not stated that it has everything "under control" but has said that its visiting animal control teams and local residents are not seeing evidence of the thousands of starving animals that Jane writes about. We're trapping every night and definitely seeing strays, but we're not seeing thousands. We always need volunteers to work with us to serve the needs of New Orleans' animal community. Not everyone, however, wants to work within the system.
Laura MaloneyExecutive DirectorLouisiana SPCA
We are deeply grateful for the incredible support received by people from around the country. To make a donation to keep the LA/SPCA's shelter and operation up and running or to rebuild our facility,please visitwww.la-spca.org. Many thanks for keeping us in your thoughts.
Original Message ----------------------------------From: tbkestler (snip)Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 10:22:53 -0500
From: "Pam Ellis-Leavy" Date: 2005/11/13 Sun AM 09:52:34 EST
Subject: Fw: URGENT plea from New Orleans
Hi everyone,
Tired of getting emails from me? A pest, aren't I? Actually, I forward only a very small fraction of what I receive from the 3 temp rescue shelters in New Orleans begging for volunteers and pet owners begging for help in finding pets. Every weekend, my husband and I, along with whoever else we manage to "sucker into coming with us" leave home before daylight with our maps and list of hundreds of addresses to visit (which we can cover only a small portion of.) We see animals roaming the streets of New Orleans. We trap when shelters are accepting cats (which they currently are not since they are full,) we search for lost pets, and we leave food and water for those roaming the streets. Yesterday, we found cats, even a mom and 5 kittens, so hungry that they were gulping dry cat food without chewing. Others do dog trapping (traps won't fit in my van,) but we have had success with catchpoles, however we don't see as many dogs anymore---very disturbing---they are dying. Yet, the LASPCA believes it has the animal situation "under control." I can as...
It will be interesting to see how this shakes out over the next two days. Eric's meeting with Laura, what he experiences with the animals and what the assessment team gathers. Although I would feel better if they were out on a really late shift to hear the animals and see the ones that are too afraid to come out. Also what about the more wooded areas such as St. Bernard? Why do they just ignore these places? Laura should be grateful to Jane for being so committed and tenacious. If only the big groups were.
Laura Maloney wrote:"Sadly, we were forwarded emails where people mentioned "testing" us with false reports to see how fast we'd respond. "
I believe I know the email that Laura is referring to. If so, the interpretation of that email is incorrect.
The email that Laura is probably referring to is one where someone suggested leaving a msg on the LA SPCA phone with information from a REAL call that was received by one of the street groups. The part of that email that is being misinterpreted is when the author suggested to not to leave all the information so that a return call from the LA SPCA was necessary.
Anybody going from Iowa. I could probably go, I'm unemployed and free.
I have been doing volunteer work for Katrina families for past 8 weeks. I'm ready to go. But not by myself. I live in Iowa. Anybody share a ride with me? Hope someone has an RV, mine is gone. By the way my email is nance898@Aol.com
Please sign and cross post. Thanks.
Allow vets into LA to help Katrina Pets
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/740552969
Investigate, prosecute and convict Josh Greer for cruelty and abuse to Zania (Mauled dog at shelter)
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/437445630
Related petition for Shelter Reform at Lebanon Animal Control Shelter-
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/679821517
Petition for St. Bernard Parish Pet Slaughter-
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/434180433Please disregard deadline. This is still active.
Anybody heard anything about Huntington Labs soliciting for Katrina animals? Quote from the message: "must be alive for 30 days after intake."
Some internet research indicates that the name on the e-mail is that of a toxicologist.
I'm hoping that this is just someone's idea of a sick joke, but I'm not optimistic.
gonzogirl
That Huntingdon post was bogus; however, their long-standing tradition of animal cruelty is not.
Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Crosspost:
Tylertown (HSUS) is desperate for volunteers. We have 3 people caring for 127 dogs & a TON of cats (a few are feral and the rest are tame), at the moment. A transport fell through. These are all animals rescued from Hurricane Katriana. You need to be willing to take care of dogs and cats, possibly without being able to rescue. We actually turned 4 dogs away that were brought to us. We're not accepting any more because we don’t have the people to take care of them. We don’t want the quality of care to suffer.
Understand that if we can’t care for the dogs and cats already rescued, the thousands remaining running the streets cannot be rescued.
************************
I was planning to go down to Jane's group - but if things are this bad in Tylertown.....would that be a better destination for us right now?
Animals in Biloxi need Help Now
Cross-Post from Best Friends Boards:
My name is Laura Lassiter. Received a plea for help. Information listed below. Am in Fl doing rescues from Wilma. Please help if you can or post. This man volunteered in NO and is now in Biloxi by himself doing rescues.
Man's name is Jim Wolf. Cell # is 937-539-3838. The dogs are in Biloxi. Says signs are down, so he will get exact location. He is leaving Wed. and won't be back. Says it is really bad down there. Doesn't have any more money for supplies and no one to help. Everyone down there trying to get food for themselves. No FEMA, no nothing except Salvation Army when they have stuff. Need food for dogs, about 50 hiding under homes that they are starting to bulldoze, very friendly and someone to feed. Area deserted.
Jim says he is staying at an econo lodge in Hattisburg. Gets on Hwy. 49 W to I10 towards Biloxi. Gets off on Division Exit (he thinks-no signs) turns left and goes to Holly St. Very URGENT as the contractors are bulldozing these homes. No one to help the remaining animals under homes. Come for food when they hear his diesel truck. Has been paying out of his pocket. Hiding from contractors. Says contractors don't care and are running short on patience.
Thank you for your help. Laura lauralassiter@animail.net
Eric, you are the best. But, now that you're gone, who do I turn to for help. I have heard over and over from volunteers at a local "shelter" (which didn't even exist pre-Katrina called Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana, that there are major problems there. The direct "Yvonne" has run off volunteer after volunteer. If any one questions what she's doing, what she's doing with the donations, and care for the animals, she locks them out of the shelter. There are dogs that have been sitting in crates for two months in a warehouse. There are NOT enought volunteers to walk them all. ALthough she'd advised that they were getting heartworm treatment, we found out they were not. Then, suddenly they are. But, now that they are, they're sitting in crates, displaying crate aggression as any dog walks by---and with the treatment, they now run risk of dying of stroke.
HELP. we need oversight here, whether from Best Friends, HSUS, ASPCA, or Pasados or???. Local authorities are not helping--this is Louisiana. I think the group is well-intentioned, but overwhelmed with no plan. Plus, it seems the "director" Yvonne is a dictator and unwilling to answer questions directly and honestly.
By the way,
my contact information is:
katebeez@bellsouth.net
318-934-4001
also, Steve Tobiason---whose been a volunteer from the gitgo. He can't rock the boat much more or he'll get the boot.
His cell (it's out of area as he just moved here) is 402 430 6772.
There was an incident where they refused to recognize an owner's ownership of a dog. The woman had to get an ACO to accompany her because the shelter wouldn't even let her look at the dog---claiming she had no pictures to prove it was her dog.
Hey Eric, I need guidance!!!!
I sent a plea to the AVMA, and, they answered! She wants information on what the needs are, while assuring me that Martha is doing everything she can day and night (whatever). I would REALLY like to talk to you about this before I reply. I'll email home addy w/ my cell # if there is any way you can get in touch w/ me.
Eric can you help Jim Wolf in Biloxi MS He is the ONLY one there. He has to leave ON Wednesday Nov 16 He has A POST ON Best Friends comment line. There are at least 50 dogs and lots of cats. Houses are being bulldozed where they are hiding.
He is also almost out of food. No one to take his place
Hi. Saw the crosspost. Notified mhpets in arkansas. to either help (food /staff/organization) Also to talk to HSUS, EARS and the other groups at EDNAH site. Since that is cleaned up and they are just marking time till court decides. mhpets is a small group that seems to be organized and good about getting food etc. Also called cell to see what he needs exactly and if he has heard from anyone. Have also approached a couple of other groups for help. Also posted ABCnews after they did an article today about the EDNAH. (only it was old information about three weeks old, the new pictures and info are on www.mhpets.com) Told them the real current story is the single handed rescuer in Biloxi and on the streets of New Orleans after dark. It seems like those reporters write articles lately without investigating what is current news at the source. Hope any of this helps.
The last post about Biloxi was not Eric Rice. Just someone else trying to help.
APPARENTLY there is MEGA-MONEY and 1000's of volunteers at their fingertips...
N.Y.Times - An Outpouring For Other Victims, the Four-Legged Kind
By Sara Ivry
Published: November 14, 2005
source - http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/giving/14animal.html
WHILE the outpouring of donations for the human victims of Hurricane Katrina was overwhelming, even more remarkable were the tens of millions raised to help their pets.
The Humane Society of the United States received the largest amount, more than $20 million, said Wayne Pacelle, the society's president and chief executive. "It was off the charts," he said.
Other animal welfare groups also generated large sums. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took in $13 million, and the American Humane Association received $1.6 million, although neither group's main mission is disaster response. Another group, Noah's Wish, which was founded three years ago to serve that purpose, raised $5 million.
Terri Crisp, the founder and director of Noah's Wish, said that the news media's intense focus on animals for the six-week-long duration of the rescue effort was critical in galvanizing sympathetic donors. Typically, she said, animals are stranded for just a few days, far less time to win public attention.
"Anytime they would see a dog on a roof, people's hearts went out, and they just wanted to make sure they got help," Ms. Crisp said.
It is estimated that 13,000 to 15,000 animals were cared for by welfare and rescue groups, said Jo Sullivan, the A.S.P.C.A.'s senior vice president for development and communications. Calculating the number of hurricane-related deaths, however, is complicated because the number of strays that lived in the area is unknown. "In New Orleans, they might have bagged them up and disposed of them," said Dr. Terry Conger, an epidemiologist at the Department of Agriculture who helped plan Louisiana's animal rescue effort. "I'm sure the number of pets that expired exceeded the number of human fatalities simply because a lot of people just abandoned their pets, and there's no way to keep track of them."
The Humane Society used the money for a range of purposes. It operated two staging areas in Louisiana and Mississippi for animal rescue, admitting 200 to 400 animals a day; arranged for nine 18-wheeler trucks to transport animals and supplies; rented planes to fly animals to shelters outside the region as local ones filled up; sponsored 500 animal-control personnel and individual volunteers to come to the staging areas; provided medical care for the animals; coordinated reunion efforts between pets and owners; ran a disaster-telephone center; and administered grants for local pet rescue and foster care programs. Some of the contributions were spent responding to Hurricanes Rita and Wilma, and the earthquake in Pakistan and India in October. The society also continues to help with shelter reconstruction and is pushing legislation that would include animals in future state and federal disaster plans.
After last year's tsunami, the group received $400,000 from donors. It was, at the time, the most it had ever received in disaster response. After Katrina, a domestic crisis, the society expected an outpouring of $1 million maximum. Getting 20-plus times that, with $18 million pledged over the Internet, was "an entirely different order of magnitude," said Mr. Pacelle of the Humane Society. In addition, 165,000 of its online givers were new.
This time around, people could consult the Web sites of animal organizations and get news reports from the field, complete with video and sound, to learn how groups were saving dogs from flooded neighborhoods or reuniting cats with their owners. Spurred to action by what they saw online, donors could give on the spot.
"The new donor in the marketplace understands the most effective way to help is to go straight to the Web," said Ms. Sullivan of the A.S.P.C.A. She said that 90 percent of the money they raised after the hurricane came through online donations.
The group enlisted thousands of volunteers from its Web site, a process, she said, that "built a community for us, and those people have stayed engaged. They still get our weekly newsletter, and if something like this happens again, we're going to have a group of 18,000 people to draw from to help.
"People who have pets in their home call them their children," Ms. Sullivan added. "The unique part of Katrina is many of these people lost everything - their homes, their cars, their jobs. The only thing they had left was their pets. The human-animal bond is extremely strong, but in a disaster like Katrina, it's even more important."
Marie Belew Wheatley, the president and chief executive of the American Humane Association, agreed. Neglecting animals in crises brings "undue trauma on families that are already traumatized," she said. "That's an important element here, that's an important realization that this disaster has brought to light."
***
(These #'s are all VERY high - from money raised, volunteers available - all the way to # of animals saved. 13-15,000 ? Last I heard it was more like 8,500 - 9,000. What and who to believe)
Update Eric ???
FYI.....
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/darr
Post to this list (above) if you are trying to get back to NOLA or MS. Groups trying to form and people wanting to hook up with other rescuers to go back. This list of rescuers is growing fast!
Well done on a nice blog EricsDogBlog.com. My friend actually sent me a link to this blog post and I have to admit, theres some pretty good info here but nothing I could find on attack dog training specifically. Although Returns is not exactly what I am looking for it certainly got my attention and interest. I was looking for information on attack dog training but am glad I stopped by even though this is not a perfect match.
PLEASE POST AND CROSS POST. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. KATRINA PETS NEEDING HELP/FREE TRANSPORT TO RESCUE GROUPS.
We at Awareness Day, would ask that each group who has any room please say yes to at least one dog or cat from Katrina. We and Companion Animal Placement will do the rest.
One of our volunteers, Leslie Picone just got back from her second trip to New Orleans. She was instrumental in helping develop a successful trapping schedule and now dogs and cats are being trapped at a dramatic rate.
Problem. There is no one coming forward to rescue these animals and because of lack of space these animals are going to have to be euthanized.
We understand that everyone is overwhelmed but if you can find a place for just one Katrina cat or dog, it would make all the difference in the world to that animal
Please contact us if you are a reputable rescue group who will be able to handle this animal and do right by it. We do not want to have any group over extend themselves.
Free transportation will be arranged by Companion Animal Placement. We are told there are about 30 super friendly cats who are just sitting in holding areas and waiting. The traps are being set in areas where there have been no rescue previously, and the animals are very adoptable.
For more information, please email, us or Leslie directly at munchie324@aol.com awarenessday.org
PLEASE HELP! Crosspost everywhere. thank you.
Little mom & pop group in need:
Animal Aid for Vermilion Area/Plaquemines area
Erath, Louisiana
larryandjrupert@hotmail.com
Joelle Rupert
(337) 893-0235
cell (337) 277-4239
The Humane Society of Louisiana (HSLA) gives Joelle high marks for being a straight shooter whose primary interest is the animals. (HSLA has in the past assisted her from time to time.) She clearly hates unfairness. She says that she has pet owners who lost everything, house, job, all. They will be most appreciative of anything they receive. From pet feed to flea control and heartgard. Joelle also needs help for the roaming animals. The cats seem to have fared better than the dogs. She needs help with feed, and eventually catching and S/N.
From reading all the rescue sites, I thought the "volunteers" were just that VOLUNTEERS who donated their time, paid their own way to NOLA and Miss. and were NOT paid for their efforts?! Am I wrong in thinking that the ones who helped the HSUS weren't paid either? The NY Times article makes it sound like they were by saying the HSUS "sponsored 500 animal-control and individual volunteers to come to the staging areas". I know that maybe they were fed and slept on the ground or in tents!! And that maybe there was a service station where they could fill up for free? But were they actually PAID or reimbursed for their expenses? Were the vets or vet techs paid? Weren't many/most of the plane charters donated or sponsored by other individuals? (I know there was even a private plane donated to fly some of the rescued cats to a santuary in Oregon.) What is the REAL STORY? $20 MILLION DOLLARS (of which I was a contributor) should have gone a long, lonng way even in a disaster of this magnitude (which YES it was) BUT by the end of 5/6 weeks, there should have been WAY more bang for the bucks done for these animals. WAY MORE... Including actually "hiring" enough people with the organizational skills and computer knowledge to GET THE JOB DONE RIGHT both at the staging area and record keeping as well as for the rescue effort and the LIST of pets to be rescued. Money should have been ~no object~ They could have set up A/C and heated tents for the animals, dog runs, more> Instead of apparently hoarding the money to use it later for OTHER disasters?! (Rita, Wilma, the earthquake in Pakistan and India... all good causes BUT the original donations were for Katrina were they not?!) So how much KATRINA MONEY are they still sitting on!! I for one am really disappointed with the HSUS because they didn't spend the money that they were entrusted with, to do a much better job. (And I won't donate to them again.) Best Friends has done more and is STILL there along with several other very dedicated groups, rescuing and caring for the hundreds, thousands of pets still left months later to fend for themselves in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
There are tons of animals. The LASPCA is fine getting to Prekatrina #'s which they claim was 26,000 strays. I met with Laura Maloney and she invited me on the assessment team. The science is flawed on that as well but that is ok. The real data to be used (as agreed by Dave Pauly at HSUS) is the # of animals caught in traps to a ration of the # of traps. The number of animals in traps is the telling #.
It is astonishing that between the groups with what I figured about 100-120 traps out that the combined totals are 60-80 per day. Almost ALL WERE PREVIOUS OWNED PETS. Of course some were strays prior. You have all kinds of animals out there.
Within 24 hours of being on the ground I was tracking a pack of 20+, 6, 5, 5. YOU NEVER SEE THEM DURING THE DAY AND ONLY AT NIGHT OF YOU WORK AT IT. AND I MEAN WORK HARD.
I brought a black labby boy home from Tylertown who knows commands and is the most gentle creature you have met. He was lured away from the pack of 20 by hand and didn't need trapped.
One thing I didn't see was starving animals.
Eric
Eric,
It's a sin you would put so many resources towards domesticated animals, when so many HUMANS in New Orleans need help. No wonder you think it's ok, when you have hundreds of other misguided souls patting you on the back. Putting God's animals and their needs before humans is twisted. You saved 500 animals, and sent them to be starved and mistreated in Arkansas...Nice job!
Dear Happy Tower:
Get your stroy straight. Most of the dogs at EDNAH were there before Katrina.
Everyone needs a niche, some people rescue people, some animals.
Some people are electicianS some plumbers. THEY ARE ALL NEEDED.
Saving animals saves people/owners who are desperate to be reunited.
Get a life Happy Tower. You are nothing but a trouble maker. I doubt you have done one thing to help either a person or animal. Everone knows the
"type" you are.
Eric,
Not only have you been instrumental in New Orleans pet rescue, but you have mobilized others to rescue in their area, myself for example! That is great news on the current situation! We will keep supporting your work in every way we can!
Happy Tower -
FYI, animals are on the bottom of the barrel when it comes to humans helping them. There are far more charities helping humans than there are helping animals. If you're so deeply concerned about the humans in N.O. that need help, what have you done to help them? Have you assisted the very inept governmental agency FEMA to get their act straight? Have you volunteered with the Red Cross or the Salvation Army? Anyway, what qualifies you to sit in judgement of how people donate their personal time and efforts whether it be humans or animals?
Happy Tower or Power or whatever your stupid name is. Why don't you help this person by helping her find her dog. You would have to be dead to read this and not understand why we are saving and reuniting these animals.---
LOST MISSY COCKER SPANIEL
by saddog, 11/16/05 12:17 ET
29609. Missy 3yr cocker by Balyn, 11/16/05 11:42 ET The search for MissyMarin Independent Journal
November 15, 2005
The flood waters in New Orleans were rising and Missy was doing her best to keep up with family members who were hanging onto a telephone pole, now serving as a floating life-line, as they slogged through chest-high water toward the Superdome 16 blocks away. She would swim a few yards and then, tired, climb on to the pole; swim, climb - over and over until arriving, exhausted, at the dome where she and her family would spend several horrific days with thousands of others amid human feces, violence and insufferable heat. But they were all together.
It would be the last days Missy would spend with them - at least for a while. Missy, a 3-year-old cocker spaniel, is missing and her owner, Connie Grant, a Katrina hurricane flood victim living in Marin City, is launching a nationwide search to find her.
Grant, 47, cannot talk long about Missy, whose full name is Missy Irie-Taylor, without breaking into tears. Though her family made it safely out of New Orleans, Missy's whereabouts are unknown. She feels, at least in part, if only she had not given her a bath that morning just before they had to leave, maybe, just maybe, Missy would be here now.
After the bath, Grant, distracted by the imminent danger, forgot to put Missy's collar back on. On it was a tag inscribed with her and Grant's name as well as their home address and phone number. And what in normal circumstances would have been a trivial oversight has now become a painful "if only."
While in the dome, Grant's mother, who suffers from high blood pressure, became ill and it was clear that she had to be moved. Ultimately, Grant, her partner Gerald Taylor, her mother and her granddaughter were told they could get on one of the buses taking flood victims to Houston.
As they were getting on the bus, "a National Guardsman told me I could not bring my dog on the bus." He told Grant that she should take her back to the dome to a make-shift "kennel." But Grant couldn't face taking Missy back into a place she now describes as "Sodom and Gomorrah."
So she did the best she could in a situation devoid of satisfactory solutions, made all the more distressing by an earlier mistake. "I am so sorry I forgot her leash, forgot to put her collar back on," she said. "I found (a) rope and tied it around her little neck and (with a pen) put my name and phone number on it." "I cried so much, cried, cried and cried, and Gerald said, 'Just tie it to a pole.'" Grant tied Missy to a railing next to one of the dome's entrances.
That was the last time she saw her. Driving the hurt even deeper, Grant got on the bus, sat down - and "saw a Caucasian woman with a dog in front of me." Grant, her mother, her 8-year-old granddaughter, Kayla, and Taylor were flown to Oakland after staying for several days in the Houston Astrodome - where she said conditions were only slightly better than those in New Orleans. Grant's daughter found her way to Atlanta and soon will be reunited with Kayla.
Grant's trip to the Bay Area was made possible by two Marin residents, Jo Maynard of San Anselmo and Douglas Clack of San Rafael, who traveled to Houston to help, even though neither person had any experience doing anything remotely resembling what they were about to undertake.
As recalled by Maynard recently, she and Clack met at the San Rafael Red Cross, where both had gone to see what they could do to help Katrina victims. The Marin duo printed flyers with their phone number and offers to help victims relocate and distributed them around the Astrodome.
Grant, Taylor and her family upon arriving were first put up at a hotel in Berkeley, Grant said. One day while they were out, she said, her room was broken into and all of her clothes, jewelry, suitcases, blankets - everything she owned - was stolen. She and her family are living on food stamps.
A few days ago, Grant thought she had found Missy in Virginia on an Internet site featuring pets that had been separated from their owners. She had heard that these animals had been placed with humane societies and other agencies in several towns across the country. After looking into it, however, she was told the dog in the photo was not Missy.
So now, she will try something new. Her daughter in Atlanta has mailed a photo of Missy along with her medical records, including shots she has received and the like. And though the battle plan for Missy's recovery has not been fully developed, Grant knows she will post a photo of her beloved dog on the Internet site.
Perhaps taking the offensive will blunt, at least momentarily, some of the sharp edges of her despair. "I love that dog so much," she said, crying. "It hurts every time I talk about her."
Eric - is an increase in # of vets needed still?
Good morning to you all,
Today we pulled 4 puppies from the underground of an abandoned building in one of the poorest sections of NO. The neighbors flagged us down and told us of their whereabouts. We walked the building looking for all signs of entry/exit so we could seal it off and began the rescue. The building was about 30 yards long and only had access points from one end. Rachel crawled in and within minutes I heard her yell "we got 4 puppies." Unfortunately they all ran to the farthest end of the building which required Rachel to crawl the length in a space with no light, no air, and no room to even roll over. I found a small opening about halfway down one side of the building and began pulling away the siding so we could bring them out. It took about 1 1/2 hrs. but Rachel and Kristen got them out. I felt like a doctor delivering babies because each one was passed to me through the hole we broke away. They were scared at first but quickly warmed up when I cuddled and held each one. They are safe now...When I left my rescuer friends they were scouring the neighborhood for their mother. I know they won't take her puppies and leave her behind. It was a heartwarming way for me to end my second "tour" of NO rescue.
There's much to tell...my feet stink...I bought a new pair of boots for this trip but I'm afraid they'll need to be condemned. I just hope it doesn't happen while I'm in them! (thought you could use a little humor). Yesterday we had another successful day tracking and catching abandoned dogs. Our small group of Rachel, Chuck, Kristen, Troy, Cadi and Laura and I caught 9 dogs. This may sound like a lot of people to catch 9 dogs but let me tell you it isn't enough. What we do is drive the streets where known packs roam. When we find them we try to flush them out of their hiding or safe places hoping they'll retreat under a house or into an enclosed area. When we get them under a house we quickly "close off" the house. This requires a lot of hands and equipment as most homes in NO have crawlspaces under them and the dogs have many escape routes. It's really quite amazing to watch and partake in. Under our first house we caught one dog. In front of the house was an old mattress and on top of the mattress was a particularly distressing sight...we found the remains of a small dog. After more than 2 months on the streets the dogs are having to resort to these forms of survival behavior. The pup we caught was not vicious though. Not once did we feel threatened by her. She resisted, as they all do, but once we got her in the cage she was calm as could be. It's just amazing to see these animals so scared and in some cases vicious and once we get them they just calm right down. Just amazing...in another house we got a larger female who had obviously never been loved by a human and had had many litters. She was old and had an infected eye which I am sure she had lost sight in. What struck me most about her was the way she held her head when we had the catchpole on her neck and were navigating to get into a crate. She looked so proud and yet so sad at the same time. Like losing her freedom but ensuring her safety all in one...and it was evident in the way she held her head. It broke my heart. We brought her to an animal hospital immediately. Last I knew Laura, one of the rescuers, wanted to adopt her. Laura drove away with me that day and started to cry when she said, "she'll get the best possible care Chris, I promise you that." but I already knew that...I hope Laura takes her...
Manuel is still looking for Missy. We spoke daily and the call always ended with me telling him to not give up hope. He has a picture of her in his truck and he's quick to pull it out and show me...he showed it to me every time I met with him to discuss Missy. Yesterday I met a woman walking her dog by Hound Zero. She told me she lived in Lakeview before the hurricane. She lost everything to Katrina. Now she lives with her dog and daughter on the other side of town. Her neighbor is a drug addict and she hears fighting from his apartment all night long. She told me she was an executive at the Times Picayune and she was having a hard time finding another apartment in the city that she could afford. She wondered how the many other displaced folks of New Orleans were going to be able to go back if she couldn't even afford an apartment. FEMA offered her a trailer but she'd have to park it on her property in Lakeview. But she's even more afraid to go there. There's no lights in Lakeview and nobody is there at night...
I want to tell you about Dr. Prunier, a vet from Maine who took care of and quickly decided to keep a little small breed pup who had become so dehydrated that his eyes had dried up and he was blind. The first day he came in she set about treating him while she lovingly held him in a blanket. We all wanted to know if he would ever see again but she wasn't quite sure. Hard as we tried we couldn't provide the type of treatment a lot of our kids needed when they came in. The vets and vet techs who worked Hound Zero had two lights to see by and really no adequate exam tables. We had run a long cord from nearby and one power strip supplied our electricity. She took the little guy back to the FEMA tent with her that night so she could treat him and the next day he looked a lot calmer and comfortable. They were headed to Tylertown where she was going to spay and neuter the cats. She was more optimistic that he would see again and many of us doted over him and took his picture. Soon you'll be able to see him on our website.
In one of my earlier reports I told you about a man I met in St. Bernard's Parish who lost 4 of his cats to drowning and the fifth one wouldn't come to him. I told you about Marilyn who promised him she'd return the next day and set a trap for his cat, Min-min. I saw Marilyn on this trip and asked her about the cat. She told me that she caught his cat. I was so happy I cried when I hugged her! Marilyn lived in NO when it flooded and she lost everything. Now her and her husband live in a trailer with their 9 dogs and umpteen cats on the land where their house once was. There's no electricity or running water...and everyday she gets up and rescues the Katrina animals...she's another one of the remarkable people...Marilyn epitomizes the word "hero."
On Sunday morning we got a visit by one of the folks at Southern Animal Federation. They are right around the corner from us at Hound Zero and they have been providing us free and excellent veterinary care for the kids. The Times Picayune, NO's biggest newspaper, had run a frontpage story and quoting the director of the LASPCA stated that the numbers of packs roaming the streets was grossly over exaggerated and most at this point were just strays. I know I wrote about this in my last report but I bring it up now because on Monday we were in a neighborhood and had surrounded a home where three dogs had crawled underneath. There were folks living in the house so I spoke with them and ensured they didn't mind us crawling around under their home. A young woman assured me it was fine and then she came out to watch us rescue...as did her grandmother, her neighbors, and a few big, tough "football looking" relief workers who just happened to drive by. They all watched closely as Cadi and I crawled under the house and navigated the trash, pipes, vines, broken bottles, kitchen sink (just kidding) and just about everything else you could imagine to pull out the three dogs hiding deep in the crevasses. And we did...and out of the three two of them were wearing collars. Collars that their owners had put around their necks...collars that indicated to us that someone, somewhere was wondering what had happened to them and probably thinking they were dead...I've said it before and I'll say it again...the animals roaming the streets, and there are hundreds, had homes before the storm...and it's the decent thing to do everything we can to bring them back to those homes...
The stories go on and on and on...Amy, my seatmate on the plane, personally experienced the horror of evacuation. She worked for the Ritz-Carlton and evacuated there. She was in a room with 5 NOPD officers. They were running out of water and food because there were over 1,600 people at the Ritz and tempers started to flare. By day 5 reports were coming out that the folks at the Superdome were going to start taking over the hotels but every time they tried to leave the Ritz they came under gunfire. They got out when an NOPD got some military trucks to help evacuate and they had to surround the trucks and shot into the air to scare the shooters away. This woman lived in NO her whole life. She worked at the Ritz. She lived in Lakeview. And in one day her life was reduced to being in a shootout to survive...in the middle of her major, metropolitan all- American city. But you know what she was most upset about? Not the fact she lost her home...not the fact that she had to carry a gun to survive for a few days...what broke her up was her parents and their home...all the pictures and the memories...they're all gone now...
The situation in Waveland continues...on Monday Joyce and Susan, two rescuers from San Francisco, drove to Waveland to pull some more dogs for us. We got 15 puppies, their mothers and two others. The 15 puppies were soooooo adorable and brought a lot of joy to the rescuers that evening. My understanding is 4 were adopted - two to the couple across the street from us who named us "Hound Zero" and lost everything to Katrina when Lakeview flooded. Last I heard they had decided to name their new kids Katrina and Rita. They wanted something positive to come out of their experience. Soon their pictures will be up on ARF's website...
...the sadness continues...this trip was the first time I saw dead animals...I saw them in my travels and I saw pictures some of my rescuer friends took in St. Bernard's Parish. And the animals are coming in in worse shape than ever...they have been running and scavenging for so long now...one Chow came in missing an ear and it was obvious he had lost it in a fight...words can not describe the horror and sadness of New Orleans...
I will return...I need to raise more money but I have no choice - I NEED to go...the animals and the people of NO are so grateful to us for what we are doing. I heard "thank yous" all day long...people waved to us wherever we went and one night when I walked into a pizza parlor on Bourbon Street a woman screamed out "animal rescue all right!." That city needs us and we need them. We need them because we can never let this happen again. This is our opportunity to really make a difference in our own country. To take care of our own and their four-legged family members. Please go to our website because volunteer opportunities will be posted later today. If you can't go to NO for whatever reason there's is still so much YOU CAN DO. Read the site...call me...write me...I don't care...let's get it together and extend our collective hand...they need us.
Sure vets are needed but I don't think it is the end of the world if they don't let them back in. I saw almost no critical animals out of the 150 I saw brought in across all of the groups over 2 days. Marilyn and I trapped a chow that had no ear but it was sent to Best Friends where it would get treatment the next day. it was not going to die overnight. Many animals very well fed due to feed and water stations. The bigger problem is where to take animals. Unless Best Friends is able to move more animals we can't trap everyday. I am sure that we could get the number trapped daily with Jane's group to 40-60 easily.
That was me above.! Eric
Good morning to you all,
Today we pulled 4 puppies from the underground of an abandoned building in one of the poorest sections of NO. The neighbors flagged us down and told us of their whereabouts. We walked the building looking for all signs of entry/exit so we could seal it off and began the rescue. The building was about 30 yards long and only had access points from one end. Rachel crawled in and within minutes I heard her yell "we got 4 puppies." Unfortunately they all ran to the farthest end of the building which required Rachel to crawl the length in a space with no light, no air, and no room to even roll over. I found a small opening about halfway down one side of the building and began pulling away the siding so we could bring them out. It took about 1 1/2 hrs. but Rachel and Kristen got them out. I felt like a doctor delivering babies because each one was passed to me through the hole we broke away. They were scared at first but quickly warmed up when I cuddled and held each one. They are safe now...When I left my rescuer friends they were scouring the neighborhood for their mother. I know they won't take her puppies and leave her behind. It was a heartwarming way for me to end my second "tour" of NO rescue.
There's much to tell...my feet stink...I bought a new pair of boots for this trip but I'm afraid they'll need to be condemned. I just hope it doesn't happen while I'm in them! (thought you could use a little humor). Yesterday we had another successful day tracking and catching abandoned dogs. Our small group of Rachel, Chuck, Kristen, Troy, Cadi and Laura and I caught 9 dogs. This may sound like a lot of people to catch 9 dogs but let me tell you it isn't enough. What we do is drive the streets where known packs roam. When we find them we try to flush them out of their hiding or safe places hoping they'll retreat under a house or into an enclosed area. When we get them under a house we quickly "close off" the house. This requires a lot of hands and equipment as most homes in NO have crawlspaces under them and the dogs have many escape routes. It's really quite amazing to watch and partake in. Under our first house we caught one dog. In front of the house was an old mattress and on top of the mattress was a particularly distressing sight...we found the remains of a small dog. After more than 2 months on the streets the dogs are having to resort to these forms of survival behavior. The pup we caught was not vicious though. Not once did we feel threatened by her. She resisted, as they all do, but once we got her in the cage she was calm as could be. It's just amazing to see these animals so scared and in some cases vicious and once we get them they just calm right down. Just amazing...in another house we got a larger female who had obviously never been loved by a human and had had many litters. She was old and had an infected eye which I am sure she had lost sight in. What struck me most about her was the way she held her head when we had the catchpole on her neck and were navigating to get into a crate. She looked so proud and yet so sad at the same time. Like losing her freedom but ensuring her safety all in one...and it was evident in the way she held her head. It broke my heart. We brought her to an animal hospital immediately. Last I knew Laura, one of the rescuers, wanted to adopt her. Laura drove away with me that day and started to cry when she said, "she'll get the best possible care Chris, I promise you that." but I already knew that...I hope Laura takes her...
Manuel is still looking for Missy. We spoke daily and the call always ended with me telling him to not give up hope. He has a picture of her in his truck and he's quick to pull it out and show me...he showed it to me every time I met with him to discuss Missy. Yesterday I met a woman walking her dog by Hound Zero. She told me she lived in Lakeview before the hurricane. She lost everything to Katrina. Now she lives with her dog and daughter on the other side of town. Her neighbor is a drug addict and she hears fighting from his apartment all night long. She told me she was an executive at the Times Picayune and she was having a hard time finding another apartment in the city that she could afford. She wondered how the many other displaced folks of New Orleans were going to be able to go back if she couldn't even afford an apartment. FEMA offered her a trailer but she'd have to park it on her property in Lakeview. But she's even more afraid to go there. There's no lights in Lakeview and nobody is there at night...
I want to tell you about Dr. Prunier, a vet from Maine who took care of and quickly decided to keep a little small breed pup who had become so dehydrated that his eyes had dried up and he was blind. The first day he came in she set about treating him while she lovingly held him in a blanket. We all wanted to know if he would ever see again but she wasn't quite sure. Hard as we tried we couldn't provide the type of treatment a lot of our kids needed when they came in. The vets and vet techs who worked Hound Zero had two lights to see by and really no adequate exam tables. We had run a long cord from nearby and one power strip supplied our electricity. She took the little guy back to the FEMA tent with her that night so she could treat him and the next day he looked a lot calmer and comfortable. They were headed to Tylertown where she was going to spay and neuter the cats. She was more optimistic that he would see again and many of us doted over him and took his picture. Soon you'll be able to see him on our website.
In one of my earlier reports I told you about a man I met in St. Bernard's Parish who lost 4 of his cats to drowning and the fifth one wouldn't come to him. I told you about Marilyn who promised him she'd return the next day and set a trap for his cat, Min-min. I saw Marilyn on this trip and asked her about the cat. She told me that she caught his cat. I was so happy I cried when I hugged her! Marilyn lived in NO when it flooded and she lost everything. Now her and her husband live in a trailer with their 9 dogs and umpteen cats on the land where their house once was. There's no electricity or running water...and everyday she gets up and rescues the Katrina animals...she's another one of the remarkable people...Marilyn epitomizes the word "hero."
On Sunday morning we got a visit by one of the folks at Southern Animal Federation. They are right around the corner from us at Hound Zero and they have been providing us free and excellent veterinary care for the kids. The Times Picayune, NO's biggest newspaper, had run a frontpage story and quoting the director of the LASPCA stated that the numbers of packs roaming the streets was grossly over exaggerated and most at this point were just strays. I know I wrote about this in my last report but I bring it up now because on Monday we were in a neighborhood and had surrounded a home where three dogs had crawled underneath. There were folks living in the house so I spoke with them and ensured they didn't mind us crawling around under their home. A young woman assured me it was fine and then she came out to watch us rescue...as did her grandmother, her neighbors, and a few big, tough "football looking" relief workers who just happened to drive by. They all watched closely as Cadi and I crawled under the house and navigated the trash, pipes, vines, broken bottles, kitchen sink (just kidding) and just about everything else you could imagine to pull out the three dogs hiding deep in the crevasses. And we did...and out of the three two of them were wearing collars. Collars that their owners had put around their necks...collars that indicated to us that someone, somewhere was wondering what had happened to them and probably thinking they were dead...I've said it before and I'll say it again...the animals roaming the streets, and there are hundreds, had homes before the storm...and it's the decent thing to do everything we can to bring them back to those homes...
The stories go on and on and on...Amy, my seatmate on the plane, personally experienced the horror of evacuation. She worked for the Ritz-Carlton and evacuated there. She was in a room with 5 NOPD officers. They were running out of water and food because there were over 1,600 people at the Ritz and tempers started to flare. By day 5 reports were coming out that the folks at the Superdome were going to start taking over the hotels but every time they tried to leave the Ritz they came under gunfire. They got out when an NOPD got some military trucks to help evacuate and they had to surround the trucks and shot into the air to scare the shooters away. This woman lived in NO her whole life. She worked at the Ritz. She lived in Lakeview. And in one day her life was reduced to being in a shootout to survive...in the middle of her major, metropolitan all- American city. But you know what she was most upset about? Not the fact she lost her home...not the fact that she had to carry a gun to survive for a few days...what broke her up was her parents and their home...all the pictures and the memories...they're all gone now...
The situation in Waveland continues...on Monday Joyce and Susan, two rescuers from San Francisco, drove to Waveland to pull some more dogs for us. We got 15 puppies, their mothers and two others. The 15 puppies were soooooo adorable and brought a lot of joy to the rescuers that evening. My understanding is 4 were adopted - two to the couple across the street from us who named us "Hound Zero" and lost everything to Katrina when Lakeview flooded. Last I heard they had decided to name their new kids Katrina and Rita. They wanted something positive to come out of their experience. Soon their pictures will be up on ARF's website...
...the sadness continues...this trip was the first time I saw dead animals...I saw them in my travels and I saw pictures some of my rescuer friends took in St. Bernard's Parish. And the animals are coming in in worse shape than ever...they have been running and scavenging for so long now...one Chow came in missing an ear and it was obvious he had lost it in a fight...words can not describe the horror and sadness of New Orleans...
I will return...I need to raise more money but I have no choice - I NEED to go...the animals and the people of NO are so grateful to us for what we are doing. I heard "thank yous" all day long...people waved to us wherever we went and one night when I walked into a pizza parlor on Bourbon Street a woman screamed out "animal rescue all right!." That city needs us and we need them. We need them because we can never let this happen again. This is our opportunity to really make a difference in our own country. To take care of our own and their four-legged family members. Please go to our website because volunteer opportunities will be posted later today. If you can't go to NO for whatever reason there's is still so much YOU CAN DO. Read the site...call me...write me...I don't care...let's get it together and extend our collective hand...they need us.
For now,
Chris
Founder, Animal Rescue Front
Where do I go from here? There is so much to tell you. Yesterday the Times Picayune ran a frontpage story stating that the head of the LASPCA was quoted as saying that there was no longer a problem with abandoned animals running loose in the streets of NO and that the rescue groups were a bunch of overzealous animal lovers who have greatly exaggerated the numbers of packs of dogs roaming the streets. And then yesterday we sent 30 dogs to Best Friends in Tylertown....and today we sent 22 dogs and 5 cats to Best Friends. And tonight we flushed out a very cute, but vulnerable pack of 5 Rachel knew of in a school about 2 miles from us...the truth is there are dogs, puppies, cats and kittens all over this city. They are hurt, sick, lonely and scared...and if it wasn't for the rescuers they would all die. The AP has the story. The record will be set straight. And I'll post on our website where and when the story will run...it may be as early as tomorrow.
Sure vets are needed but I don't think it is the end of the world if they don't let them back in. I saw almost no critical animals out of the 150 I saw brought in across all of the groups over 2 days. Marilyn and I trapped a chow that had no ear but it was sent to Best Friends where it would get treatment the next day. it was not going to die overnight. Many animals very well fed due to feed and water stations.
Thanks very much, Eric.
Eric,
Do you think you can help Jim Wolf who was rescuing and feeding dogs in Biloxi, MS. His comment was listed on this comment section by Laura Lassiter. I believe he leaves Biloxi today or has left already today. Please call his cell 937-539-3838 if you think you can help him. If you cannot help him, please try to send someone from assessemtn team (LA/SPCA, UAN, HSUS....) to Biloxi, at least to see the situation. He said there are about 50 dogs hiding and nobody is taking his place. Not only N.O but also Biloxi, MS need rescure's help.
If you have already contacted him, thank you.
1. We are trying to get Jim in Bolixi help. He met with Tara High and Best Friends. I spoke with him and he said they both were very supportive of him.
2. Vets -- You are correct, the issue is beyond critical animals and also involves spay and neuter programs which can't be done at this time...
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Eric Will Update by ericrice, 11/17/05
I will have an update and video up in 2-3 days from my 5 days in NO. I met with Laura maloney, met with Ciely Trog who runs St. bernard Animal control, went on the LASPCA assessement, spent time with Jane, Richard at WD, drove to Tylertown to get a Little Black lab we rescued out and delivered to MD (my buddy loved that as I rented him a car one way and said "you don't mind driving 24 hours to save this little dog do you?"), I went Trapping with Marilyn and others, I found packs of dogs on my own, I found the owners of 3 dogs Marilyn had just trapped a few days before by asking neighbors if they knew who owned them, lady started crying hysterically when I called her about the dogs...Had an insightful trip. Have good news and bad news. Eric
Eric - Thank God there are people like you. You are doing the right thing in helping these animals.
St. Francis is looking down on you and your volunteers.
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