Katrina Animals Pets ~ September 17, 2005

The Katrina Animal Rescue Resources webpage remains current. Posts for Katrina Animals Pets News from September 16 to August 28, 2005 are below today's post.

Note: The Katrina Animals Pets posts on this blog are mainly focused on larger or national animal rescue group efforts along with the local animal groups in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas. There are many local efforts of animal groups across the nation. Check your local newspapers and media outlets or ask your local animal groups.

As before, I direct you to:
Katrina National Animal Rescue Groups - Katrina Animal Action Daily Updates: [such as they are!!!]

* Noah’s Wish
* UAN/EARS
* HSUS
* Best Friends
* ASPCA
* AHA
* Katrina.Petfinder.org
* Animal Emergency Response Network (Petfinder.com database)

See also Animal Rescue Resources on Katrina Help Wiki
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Katrina Animals Pets Issues



IFAW: Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue Report #9: 9/16/05
The Hurricane Relief team is grounded today due to a new mandate requiring a special hazardous materials certification to enter the disaster areas. Acquiring the necessary approval will take just one day. It involves showing the authorities that we are following the proper procedures for making sure we don't carry any toxins from the contaminated floodwaters back with us from our animal rescue missions, such as cleaning our dry suits and hosing down vehicles.
The city of New Orleans is eerily quiet, almost post-apocalyptic, with the only sounds that of helicopters overhead. Everyone we see is in one kind of uniform or another. Our primary area of focus is City Park in the Canal District. As the water recedes, we are seeing more and more debris and evidence of destruction. A stop light completely toppled, shopping carts, plastic bags in trees, floating flower pots ... even a jet ski in the middle of the road.
Because of the overcrowding situation at the Lamar Dixon holding center, yesterday was primarily spent delivering food and water to stranded pets, although we did bring 4 dogs and 3 cats back with us who were in need of immediate medical attention. The water is receding, down to 1-2 feet in most places, and as soon as more animals are transported from Lamar Dixon, we will begin rescuing more animals. There are still a lot of animals left to be saved.
We also received a call that five trumpeter swans were stranded in a city park. Swans can be very aggressive, but they were extremely exhausted and didn't fight us at all. We delivered the swans to the Audobon zoo for safekeeping.

Senators promise to put recovery first
Boston Globe, United States
[Excerpt - Page 2]
For the first time in nearly three weeks, New Orleans will experience a promising repatriation today: Authorities are expecting several thousand business owners to return to dry patches of the city.
Those owners can reclaim their shops and offices in four neighborhoods -- the central business district, the French Quarter, Uptown, and Algiers -- starting at 8 a.m.
''Enter at your own risk," business owners will be told in a memo they will receive today at one of nine checkpoints entering the city. Officials have prepared 100,000 memos for distribution.
When those business owners return, they are likely to encounter some Katrina survivors who never left: dogs, cats, and other pets left behind by owners who never expected to be gone so long.
The president of the Humane Society of the United States lambasted state and federal authorities yesterday for not doing more to aid in retrieving stranded animals.
''We need a swift and decisive declaration to help these pets," Humane Society president Wayne Pacelle said. ''I really appeal to the state and federal leaders to take action today, not tomorrow."
The Humane Society, Pacelle said, has compiled a roster of 7,000 homes where animals were left behind. Pacelle suggested that military forces be enlisted to conduct house-to-house searches for pets.
Major Ed Bush of the Louisiana National Guard said no policy exists governing the role of security forces in aiding stranded animals, although he said there have been repeated instances when troops scooped up wandering pets. ''But our focus has always been to save human lives," he said.

Stonewall veterinarian helps save stranded pets, horses
Shreveport Times, LA
... and other animals that somehow survived the swamped parish. Few animal rescues had taken place there, which was submerged in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. ...

Humane Society says pets should be rescued
Shreveport Times, LA
... plucking humans from their rooftops escaping Hurricane Katrina's fury should have made room for pets, too, says an animal rights group. Animals are starving in ...

EVACUEE yearns to go back for his cat
The State - Columbia,SC,USA
... Charles, had to leave his 2-year-old cat, Concat in the Big Easy. ..."I was trying to get to go to Baton Rouge and be near home and my cat, but was unable. ...

RAINING cats and dogs: the aftermath
Arizona Daily Wildcat - Tucson,AZ,USA
... do so. There are tens of thousands of dogs and cats still needing rescue from the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas. Many ...