DonationsExpenditures -
UPDATED April 22, 2006Here are some of the Katrina (and Rita) animal and pet donations taken in by major animal groups and how they have been spent or are committed to be used:
DONATIONS TAKEN IN
A Rosy ForecastMany nonprofit groups expect strong fund raising in 2006
Chronicle of Philanthropy - Issue dated January 26, 2006
[Excerpt]
After New Orleans was flooded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rescued nearly 9,000 animals. But saving the organization's fund raising has been a far greater challenge.
The storm completely destroyed the charity's shelter and caused most of its 40,000 donors to flee the city. "Donors are gone, and we are reliant on the generosity of outsiders," says Laura Maloney, the society's executive director.
Even so, Ms. Maloney is optimistic about this year's finances. With a $3.7-million grant from the Humane Society of the United States, the charity is back in business, operating a shelter in a refurbished coffee warehouse.
Another $2-million from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is covering expenses, including the salary of an assistant director hired by Ms. Maloney.
"We will come out of this stronger than ever," Ms. Maloney says.
Strong Returns
Like Ms. Maloney, many charity leaders — even those whose organizations did not see any of the more than $3-billion donated to hurricane-relief efforts — predict that 2006 will be a year of strong growth.
Their confidence is underscored by last year's better-than-expected contributions for many charities. A Chronicle spot check of 57 nonprofit organizations found that fund-raising returns for many far outpaced last year's 3.4-percent inflation rate.
Charities say that as the economy has grown stronger, donors are stepping up their giving. What's more, a new law passed after Hurricane Katrina prompted many donors to make big gifts to take advantage of special tax breaks for donations made before 2005 ended. Many charities say that online gifts, as well as donations from corporations, are rising especially quickly and that new efforts to tailor appeals to donors' interests and to reach out to young people are also working well.
And despite the widespread fears of "donor fatigue" after the tsunamis, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, few charities faced a big drop in gifts.
"We thought with Katrina we would see high-level gifts diverted, but we've had the opposite experience," says Suzanne Mink, senior vice president for development at the World Wildlife Fund, which raised more than $77-million last year.
The organization is now six months into its 2006 fiscal year, when it hopes to raise $80-million. So far, Ms. Mink says, it has received 500 percent more from corporations than it had expected by this point, due in large part to the charity's efforts to persuade U.S. companies with global operations to support its wildlife projects around the world. Foundation grants are 154 percent higher than the group forecast, and gifts of $25,000 are 159 percent more than projected.
The dogs of New OrleansAfter all the human tragedy, pets left behind were an afterthought -- except to a pack of determined rescuers
San Francisco Chronicle - Tuesday, November 29, 2005
[Excerpt]
The Humane Society of the United States and Louisiana's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have taken a combined $40 million to date.
An Outpouring for Other Victims, the Four-Legged KindNew York Times, United States - Nov 14, 2005
[Excerpts]
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.
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.
Faces of Fido, Fluffy stirred folks to give'Compelling' Katrina images sparked record donations to animal charities
Houston Chronicle - November 11, 2005
[Excerpts]
Tens of millions of dollars — an unprecedented amount compared with other disasters, animal welfare advocates say — poured into pet charities such as the Humane Society, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, PetSmart Charities and Noah's Wish, a group whose sole purpose is to save animals during disasters.
Among the animal-welfare organizations that took in the most post-hurricane money were the Humane Society, with $20 million in donations; Noah's Wish, with $6.5 million; and PetSmart Charities, with $3.5 million.Much of the money has paid or will pay for food, medical attention and vaccines, sheltering pets and reuniting them with owners, and rebuilding damaged animal shelters in Louisiana.
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EXPENDITURESThe Humane Society of The United States Announces Additional Katrina Recovery and Rebuilding GrantsApril 14, 2006
WASHINGTON-Today, The Humane Society of the United States announced more than $800,000 in additional grants to organizations working on pet welfare issues in the Gulf Coast. The HSUS is providing $445,000 in recovery and rebuilding grants to animal shelters affected by Hurricane Katrina and to groups who assisted with relief and sheltering of animal victims. The HSUS also identified two organizations that will receive a total of $375,000 for spay and neuter work.
To date, The HSUS has spent or committed more than $25 million on emergency aid and programs to help people and animals recover from Hurricane Katrina and other disasters that occurred in 2005.
"Recovery is a long process, and we are committed to providing long-term and sustainable solutions for pets in Louisiana and Mississippi," said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO. "These latest expenditures are part of The Humane Society of the United States' ongoing commitment to help reestablish animal care and sheltering systems in the Gulf region and to deal with the historic pet overpopulation and heartworm problems in the region."
The new rebuilding grants include $100,000 to the Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary whose buildings were either damaged or destroyed by the hurricanes; $100,000 to St. Tammany Humane Society for facility repairs and toward costs of serving a huge increase in people and animals in its community; $10,000 to TRANS/Feral Cat Consortium for the construction of additional feral cat housing areas in New Orleans; $15,000 to Heckhaven Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for the purchase of replacement equipment; $20,000 to Ascension Animal Advocates, a foster care program, for covering expenses incurred from caring for rescued Katrina animals; $20,000 to the Washington Parish Humane Society for structural repairs and the purchase of a replacement truck; $15,000 to Used Dogs for structural repairs and replacement equipment; $15,000 to Cajun Clickers to reimburse for more than 1,400 hours of computer work; and $40,000 to Humane Society of Louisiana to purchase a replacement animal transport vehicle.
The new recovery grants include $50,000 to the Santa Cruz (Calif.) SPCA, which coordinated airlifts of animals from the disaster zone, managed reunions, and treated numerous animals for heartworm; $45,000 to the Animal Sanctuary of the United States (Texas), which is still housing more than 300 cats and several dogs rescued from Katrina; and $15,000 to Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals for its handling of Katrina animals, including many with major medical issues.
Earlier this year, The HSUS announced that at least $1.5 million would be allocated to address the problem of animal overpopulation in the Gulf. Today, The HSUS has awarded the Southern Animal Foundation in Louisiana $250,000 to allow for an expansion of the group's spay and neuter work. The HSUS had previously made a grant of $75,000 to the group.
In addition, The HSUS and American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have each awarded $125,000 to the Humane Alliance and its "Big Fix Rig" to conduct high-volume spay and neuter activities in the Gulf region. Also, The HSUS is working with Louisiana State University in developing a major spay neuter program. Finally, The HSUS has committed $200,000 for a spay and neuter program organized by the ASPCA with financing from PetSmart Charities.
"With the many major programs we are supporting that will very dramatically enhance the spaying and neutering capacity in the Gulf region, we truly hope to conquer the pet overpopulation problem so that there is a home for every animal in need," adds Pacelle.
The HSUS has asked federal and state agencies to adopt new public policies related to animals in disasters. The HSUS is also promoting House and Senate legislation, the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (S. 2548 and H.R. 3858), to require that state and local authorities include pets and service animals in their disaster evacuation plans. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved H.R. 3858 last week.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization representing more than 9.5 million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research, equine protection, and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.
The Road to Recovery: A Special Report on The HSUS and Hurricane KatrinaApril 14, 2006
It's been nearly eight months since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast area, and The HSUS's response includes both short- and long-term strategies. We are working to rebuild the capacity of the animal care community to make it stronger than ever—improving the humane infrastructure along the Gulf Coast with reconstruction grants and partnerships and working to curb the historic problems of animal overpopulation and heartworm in the region. In addition, with our sights fixed on making lasting changes, we are building our own capacity to respond to major disasters, as well as pursuing a national legislative policy that takes animals into account during such emergencies.
Thanks to an outpouring of public concern over animals in disasters starting with Hurricane Katrina, The HSUS raised more than $30 million for disaster response services since August 2005. Only a small percentage was specifically earmarked for Katrina, although The HSUS has spent the bulk of those funds in the Gulf Coast states. Thus far, we have spent or committed approximately $25 million on our response to and recovery from Katrina and other disasters last year. This report highlights our major expenditures.
"Rescuing stranded animals and providing for their care was the most visible portion of our disaster response program," says Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO. "But we knew all along that the road to recovery requires rebuilding the capacity of local organizations to provide basic services for the communities affected by Katrina. We intend to help rebuild the humane infrastructure on the Gulf Coast and make it stronger than it was before the storms hit. We're going to go even further by doing all that we can to encourage government at all levels to incorporate animals into disaster planning."
Katrina Rescue and Support Operations
After Katrina struck on August 29, The HSUS reassigned more than 200 staff members from HSUS headquarters and field offices to respond to the crisis. Over the last six months, The HSUS has spent or committed over $5.5 million on direct operations related to Katrina. We cooperatively operated two major temporary facilities, at Gonzales, Louisiana, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi; set up an emergency sheltering operation in Gamaliel, Arkansas, in a Katrina-related hoarding case; supported other groups' rescue efforts; and outfitted and staffed an innovative overflow shelter at the Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson, Louisiana. These efforts resulted in direct rescue and care for more than 10,000 abandoned, hungry, and frightened animals.
We helped coordinate and covered the field expenses for thousands of volunteers and animal care professionals who went to the stricken areas. Our logistical support brought millions of dollars worth of essential supplies and services to the afflicted zones. We paid for the facilities and refrigerated transport vehicles that supported operations throughout the Gulf and carried animals to safe harbor. We even chartered planes to fly animals to local humane societies and rescue groups, to free up space and make it possible to take in more rescued animals from the field.
The HSUS dedicated about $800,000 to the operation of a reunion center that matched displaced animals with the people who had lost them, and helped to coordinate their return. We helped to reunite about 2,500 people with their pets and helped to find new homes for many others. We moved animals with obvious behavioral challenges to specialist facilities to give them the opportunity for evaluation, training, and possible adoption.
Reconstruction Grants
The HSUS has already given away or committed over $7.5 million in reconstruction grants to organizations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Florida. This includes a $4.5 million grant-and-aid package to the Louisiana SPCA and $665,000 to the Humane Society of South Mississippi, two major organizations whose facilities were destroyed or severely damaged by the storm, and $250,000 to build a new animal shelter in Hancock County, Mississippi. Groups receiving $50,000 or more include Animal Aid for Vermilion Area (Louisiana), Mississippi Animal Rescue League, the Humane Society of Southeast Texas, the Humane Society of Broward County (Florida), the St. Tammany Humane Society (Louisiana), the Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary (Mississippi), and the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Nature Preservation Society (Mississippi).
The HSUS is considering additional recovery projects and applications for assistance that will amount to millions more for Gulf Coast groups and agencies. We are also in discussions with the congressional delegations from Louisiana and Mississippi to secure federal funds for all of the animal care and control entities in the devastated zones. Because it takes time to plan and execute reconstruction efforts, the allocation of additional monies will occur over the next year or so as we help rebuild the long-term animal-care capacity of the region. We have husbanded sufficient resources to foster this multi-year rebuilding effort.
Reimbursement Grants
The HSUS has made over $1.3 million in reimbursement grants to more than 75 local humane societies, animal control agencies, and rescue groups throughout the United States that assisted in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts by sending staff members to the stricken zones, accepting Katrina animals, and working to reunite displaced animals with the people searching for them. Groups receiving $50,000 or more included Animal Rescue New Orleans/1-800-Save-A-Pet.com, the Houston SPCA, Best Friends Animal Society, Farm Sanctuary, the Humane Society of North Texas, Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, the SPCA of Texas, the Humane Society/SPCA of Sumter County, Texas State Animal Response Team, and the Santa Cruz (CA) SPCA. Another $700,000 has been committed for future grants.
Trapping Operations
The HSUS sent teams of professional trappers in order to conduct high-volume humane trapping to deal with strays in the affected areas of Louisiana and Mississippi. We will continue to support well-managed field operations to trap stray animals. We purchased, used, and distributed hundreds of humane traps. We have spent approximately $100,000 on these projects.
Other Disasters
The Gulf Coast was not the only place The HSUS assisted when disaster struck in 2005. In early January, several weeks after the massive tsunami hit Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, our affiliate Humane Society International sent disaster relief teams to those devastated nations of the Indian Ocean rim. We sent people into the field again in October when a horrific earthquake struck in Pakistan and India. A month later, when Hurricane Wilma pounded parts of Mexico and Florida, HSUS personnel stepped up to the challenge there too. The estimated cost of The HSUS's non-Katrina disaster work for 2005 was $500,000.
Building Our Own Capacity to Respond to Major Disasters
In Katrina's aftermath, The HSUS has taken steps to develop the humane movement's most comprehensive disaster response team, with experts in rescue, sheltering, logistics, technology, and veterinary services working under the capable leadership of a newly hired director of Disaster Services. Much of the support provided to The HSUS was given with the hope that we would significantly enhance our capacity to respond to the long-term crisis in the Gulf Coast and to respond to future disasters with a more complete capability. We have committed $5 million to this expanded program. We are tripling the section's capacity and are expanding its budget for the next three years to extend its work. We are going to provide additional disaster training for all HSUS staff members and expand our efforts to train disaster animal response teams at the local and state levels. The reconstituted Disaster Services team will lead our response to future disasters as well as to large-scale cruelty cases and other matters that require hands-on competency. The development of a new, non-commercial, disaster-specific database for identifying and tracing rescued animals will also be a priority.
Legislative Work
Together with our lobbying arm, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, The HSUS will work to secure the enactment of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act (S. 2548 and H.R. 3858), requiring state and local authorities to include pets and service animals in their disaster evacuation plans. On April 5, 2006, in a positive step, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved H.R. 3858. The PETS Act is also going to be the focus of The Humane Society Legislative Fund's June 11 Party Animals event. Our pursuit of this legislation is part of a broader effort to bring about a sea change in public policy concerning the safety of animals during disaster, one that involves contact and collaboration with government agencies at all levels. We are also working to shape evacuation and disaster care protocols for institutions and facilities responsible for large numbers of animals. The animal protection community, on its own, cannot possibly handle all of the needs of animals in large-scale disasters. Should we succeed in seeing the legislation enacted, we will work on rulemaking and its proper implementation. We have committed $500,000 towards this important effort.
Other Plans and Partnerships
The HSUS is developing a number of exciting projects to help animals in the Gulf Coast states. The most important of these deal with the region's longstanding animal overpopulation problem, exacerbated in certain respects by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, The HSUS plans to devote at least $2 million to address the high proportion of unsterilized animals in Louisiana and Mississippi, by launching a series of aggressive spay and neuter initiatives with local organizations, veterinary schools, and other partners.
We have granted $325,000 to the Southern Animal Foundation for an expansion of its spay and neuter work, and we may consider additional gifts if the program proves successful.
We have granted $125,000 (supplementing a previous grant of $25,000) to the Humane Alliance's "Big Fix Rig" to conduct high-volume spay and neuter activities in the Gulf region. The HSUS will also spend about $200,000 in a joint venture with the ASPCA and PetSmart Charities that will provide spay/neuter vouchers and support a high-volume spay/neuter clinic in Mississippi. Finally, we are launching a partnership with Louisiana State University to develop a major spay and neuter program on the model of our highly successful Rural Area Veterinary Services program, and we are considering a similar program with Mississippi State University.
The infusion of capital into spay and neuter programs is designed to ease the burden on local agencies that deal with the effects of animal overpopulation. If we can diminish the number of animals being produced, the community institutions won't need to invest as many resources in treating the problem. And since this area is so vulnerable to weather systems, we want as few homeless animals on the streets as possible, so that no unnecessary suffering will occur when another disaster hits.
"With the many major programs we are supporting that will very dramatically enhance the spaying and neutering capacity in the Gulf region, we truly hope to conquer the pet overpopulation problem so that there is a home for every animal in need," adds Pacelle.
In addition to our spay and neuter initiatives, we are conducting a feasibility assessment, with several institutional partners in the devastated zone, for a permanent animal housing facility for animal care, sheltering, and future disaster relief. We have committed $500,000 toward the realization of this project. And we expect to spend $750,000 for the construction of short-term overflow facilities, to serve as emergency animal housing areas for future disasters, at The Fund for Animals' Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Ramona, California, and Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas.
We will continue to develop new projects and enter into partnerships with other organizations and agencies so that we can be as effective as possible in helping animals in the Gulf Coast states and responding to future disasters.
The HSUS takes its responsibility for stewardship of donated funds very seriously and will continue to be transparent and accountable in our work to help animals. We will periodically update our list of expenditures and commitments related to Katrina relief at our web site, www.hsus.org.
PetSmart Charities Awards $2.3 Million in Grants From Katrina Donations to Support Ongoing Disaster ReliefPetSmart Charities Bestows Its Largest Single Gift Ever Made to an Animal Welfare Agency
PHOENIX, AZ -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/04/2006 -- Disaster relief agencies and animal welfare organizations will be better equipped to address the needs of abandoned, hurt or lost pets during hurricanes and other natural disasters and emergencies thanks to $2.3 million in grants recently awarded by PetSmart Charities.
The grants, awarded in February and March, will support three major initiatives: 1) development of a large-scale spay/neuter project in Louisiana and Mississippi; 2) underwriting for animal emergency response team training in up to 25 states; and 3) establishment of a fleet of regional PetSmart Charities emergency supply trailers.
Specific details on each grant are listed below:
-- $1.3 million to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals. Awarded to the ASPCA in February to fund a large-scale spay/neuter
program in the greater New Orleans and southern Mississippi areas, the
grant represents the largest single gift ever made by PetSmart Charities.
The grant supports a voucher program for local veterinarians to perform
spay/neuter surgeries, and will help fund equipment, supplies and vehicles
for two start-up spay/neuter clinics. In this collaborative $4.5 million
program led by the ASPCA, up to 32,000 spay/neuter surgeries could be
supported in each of the two regions, helping to control a growing pet
overpopulation problem in the post Hurricane Katrina era.
-- $540,000 to State Animal Response Teams (SART). The multi-year grant
will fund the development of 25 new SART-certified states through 2010.
SART is a public-private partnership that has developed a set of protocols
and training curriculum for teams to handle animal emergencies consistently
across local, county and state jurisdictions. Awarded as a challenge grant,
the funding provides each participating state one-half of the $40,000
required to become trained and certified under SART's emergency
preparedness program. SART units are trained using Incident Command System
principles developed by the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
Eleven states are already SART certified. The initial grant of $140,000
includes $80,000 to fully fund SART training in Louisiana and Mississippi.
States wishing to become SART certified in 2006 with a matching grant must
apply before April 30, 2006, at www.sartusa.org.
-- $500,000 to establish a regional emergency supply trailer program.
Tractor-trailer rigs will be fully stocked with emergency pet supplies and
strategically stationed at six PetSmart distribution centers across the
U.S. The trailers will be deployed to affected areas during natural
disasters such as hurricanes and fires as well as other large-scale pet
emergencies. Each trailer will be furnished with animal necessities such as
crates, bowls, collars, leashes, food and medical supplies, including
equine products, and will be capable of handling the emergency needs of up
to 500 pets. Trailers also will be stocked with generators, tents and other
supplies used by emergency response volunteers.
The recent grants represent the remaining balance of $3.5 million in donations made to PetSmart Charities by customers, PetSmart associates, suppliers and others for hurricane relief during the storms of 2005. An initial $1.2 million went to local and national animal welfare organizations that were involved in relief efforts or whose facilities were damaged by the storms.
"In collaboration with our animal welfare partners, we've worked hard to identify the greatest needs associated with last year's disaster and the most practical and sensible solutions to those needs. We've directed the funding where we believe it will have the greatest impact, with a focus on being better prepared for the future," said Susana Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities.
"We know these dollars will help position organizations to better achieve their goals of responding to the needs of pets during a disaster or emergency, and also to mitigate the effects of future disasters on pets and other animals," Della Maddalena said. "We're most grateful to the many individuals and organizations who were so generous in their donations and who made these lifesaving gifts possible."
About PetSmart Charities
Since 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. (PCI) has helped save the lives of more than 2.5 million homeless pets, and with support from PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PETM), has granted more than $51 million to animal welfare programs. PCI works to improve the quality of lives for companion animals by creating and supporting programs that save the lives of homeless pets, facilitating adoptions through in-store programs, raising awareness of companion animal welfare issues, and promoting healthy relationships between people and pets. To learn more about how PCI is working to help find a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit www.PetSmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS.
HSUS Announces New Grants for Katrina Recovery and Animal Rescue, Expands Capabilities to Handle Ongoing Needs and Future DisastersMarch 27, 2006
More Money Directed to Gulf Organizations for Capital and Operational Costs
WASHINGTON – The Humane Society of the United States announced today that it has spent or committed $25 million on emergency aid and programs to help people and animals recover from Hurricane Katrina and other disasters that occurred in 2005. In Katrina's aftermath, The HSUS has also taken steps to develop a highly capable and comprehensive animal disaster response team, with experts in rescue, sheltering, logistics, technology and veterinary services working under a newly hired director of its disaster services section.
The HSUS's expenditures include over $5.5 million on direct field rescue and operations related to Katrina; $7 million in reconstruction grants to rebuild animal shelters that were destroyed in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Florida; $1.3 million in reimbursement grants to more than 75 local humane societies and animal care and control agencies from around the country that participated in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts; and multi-million dollar commitments to build short-term emergency overflow shelters, improve animal health with hands-on programs, and to spay and neuter dogs and cats to control animal overpopulation in the Gulf Coast region. The organization is reviewing a range of other projects and grants, and decisions will be announced on future expenditures when they are finalized.
The HSUS is committed to enhancing its disaster response and rescue program to help animals in future crises. The organization has earmarked $5 million for the expansion of its Disaster Services section, which will coordinate Katrina-related follow-up work and lead the organization's response to future domestic and international disasters.
"Our members have told me they want us to help with the short-term and long-term needs in the Gulf," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "Those needs include enhancing our professional disaster team to manage the long-term rebuilding of the Gulf while responding swiftly and effectively to future disasters."
The newest members of the Disaster Services department all participated in The HSUS's response to Hurricane Katrina. Randy Covey, director of disaster services, previously worked with the Oregon Humane Society, where he managed the Law Enforcement/Animal Welfare Investigations Department for eight years. Covey has 19 years of experience in animal control and protection, field operations and sheltering, and extensive training in disaster response, investigations, technical rescue, and law enforcement issues. Cited repeatedly for his professionalism, excellent management and team-building skills, and dedication, Covey graduated first in his class at the Oregon Police Academy.
Debra Parsons-Drake, director of disaster sheltering, previously served as CEO and executive director of the Suncoast Humane Society in Englewood, Fla. Drake, an experienced disaster responder during her eight years at Suncoast, managed The HSUS's temporary animal sheltering facility at Hattiesburg, Miss., after Hurricane Katrina.
Allan Schwartz, disaster field responder, is a co-founder of Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Lisbon, Md. For 16 years, Schwartz oversaw the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of abused and abandoned horses, helping the sanctuary to become one of the nation's leading equine rescue organizations. His experience includes cruelty investigation, rescue, critical care and rehabilitation of equine animals.
The HSUS will focus not just on hands-on work, but also on new public policies related to disasters. The HSUS is having ongoing conversations with federal and state agencies, and is also pushing to secure passage of House and Senate legislation to require that state and local authorities include pets and service animals in their disaster evacuation plans. In January, Pacelle wrote to members of the Congressional delegations from Louisiana and Mississippi asking them to seek federal funds to assist all of the animal care and control entities in the devastated Gulf region.
The Louisiana Attorney General's office has asked The HSUS for information on the organization's Katrina expenditures as part its efforts to ensure that funds donated by the public are being appropriately spent. The HSUS is providing the requested information. For information on The HSUS's disaster services program and an updated accounting of expenditures related to Katrina and other disasters, visit www.hsus.org/disaster.
The Road to Recovery: A Special Report on The HSUS and Hurricane Katrina
March 17, 2006
The HSUS/Kathy Milani
It's been nearly six months since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, and The HSUS launched its response. The response for Katrina, as for other disasters, includes both short- and long-term strategies. For Hurricane Katrina, those efforts include rescue, reunion, and ongoing trapping operations. We are working to rebuild the capacity of the animal care community to make it stronger than ever—improving the humane infrastructure along the Gulf Coast with reconstruction grants and partnerships aimed at curbing the historic problems of animal overpopulation and heartworm in the region. Finally, with our sights fixed on making lasting changes, we are building our own capacity to respond to major disasters, as well as pursuing a national legislative policy that takes animals into account during major disasters.
Thanks to an outpouring of public concern for disasters starting with Hurricane Katrina, The HSUS raised just over $30 million for disaster response services since August 2005. Though only a small percentage of the money was specifically earmarked for Katrina, the bulk of those funds have been spent responding to the great needs of the Gulf Coast and pursuing long-term policies that will better protect people and animals nationwide. Thus far, we have spent or committed approximately $25 million on our response to and recovery from Katrina and other disasters last year. This special report highlights our major expenditures.
Katrina Rescue and Support Operations
After Katrina struck on August 29th, The HSUS reassigned more than 200 staff members from HSUS headquarters and field offices to respond to the crisis. Over the last six months, The HSUS has spent or committed over $5.5 million on direct operations related to Katrina. We cooperatively operated two major temporary facilities, at Gonzales, Louisiana, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi; set up an emergency sheltering operation in Gamaliel, Arkansas, in a Katrina-related hoarding case; supported other groups' rescue efforts; and outfitted and staffed an innovative overflow shelter at the Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson, Louisiana. These efforts resulted in direct rescue and care for more than 10,000 abandoned, hungry, and frightened animals
We helped coordinate and covered the field expenses for thousands of volunteers and animal care professionals who went to the stricken areas. Our logistical support brought millions of dollars worth of essential supplies and services to the afflicted zones. We paid for the facilities and refrigerated transport vehicles that supported operations throughout the Gulf and carried animals to safe harbor. We even chartered planes to fly animals to local humane societies and rescue groups, so that we could free up space to take in more rescued animals from the field.
The HSUS committed over $800,000 to the operation of a reunion center that matched displaced animals with the people who had lost them, and helped to coordinate their return. We helped to reunite about 2,500 people with their pets and helped to find new homes for many others. We moved animals with obvious behavioral challenges to specialist facilities to give them the opportunity for evaluation, training, and possible adoption.
Reconstruction Grants
The HSUS has already given away or committed over $7 million in reconstruction grants to organizations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Florida. This includes a $4.5 million grant-and-aid package to the Louisiana SPCA and $665,000 to the Humane Society of South Mississippi, two major organizations whose facilities were destroyed or severely damaged by the storm, and $250,000 to build a new animal shelter in Hancock County, Mississippi. Groups receiving $50,000 or more include Animal Aid for Vermilion Area, Mississippi Animal Rescue League, the Humane Society of Southeast Texas, the Humane Society of Broward County, and the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Nature Preservation Society.
The HSUS is currently considering additional recovery projects and applications for assistance that will amount to millions more for Gulf Coast groups and agencies. We are also in discussions with the congressional delegations from Louisiana and Mississippi to secure federal funds for all of the animal care and control entities in the devastated zones. Because it takes time to plan and execute reconstruction efforts, the allocation of additional monies will occur over the next year or so as we help rebuild the long-term animal-care capacity of the region. We have husbanded sufficient resources to foster this multi-year rebuilding effort.
Reimbursement Grants
The HSUS has made over $1.3 million in reimbursement grants to more than 75 local humane societies, animal control agencies, and rescue groups throughout the United States that assisted in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts by sending staff members to the stricken zones, accepting Katrina animals, and working to reunite displaced animals with the people searching for them. Groups receiving more than $50,000 included Animal Rescue New Orleans/1-800-Save-A-Pet.com, the Houston SPCA, Best Friends Animal Society, Farm Sanctuary, the Humane Society of North Texas, Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation, the SPCA of Texas, the Humane Society/SPCA of Sumter County, and Texas State Animal Response Team. Another $750,000 has been committed for future grants.
Trapping Operations
The HSUS sent teams of professional trappers in order to conduct high-volume humane trapping to deal with strays in the affected areas of Louisiana and Mississippi. We will continue to support well-managed field operations to trap stray animals. We purchased, used, and distributed hundreds of humane traps. We have spent approximately $100,000 on these projects.
Other Disasters
The Gulf Coast was not the only place The HSUS assisted when disaster struck in 2005. In early January, several weeks after the massive tsunami hit Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, our affiliate Humane Society International sent disaster relief teams to those devastated nations of the Indian Ocean rim. We sent people into the field again in October when a horrific earthquake struck in Pakistan and India. A month later, when Hurricane Wilma pounded parts of Mexico and Florida, HSUS personnel stepped up to the challenge there too. The estimated cost of The HSUS's non-Katrina disaster work for 2005 was $500,000.
Building Our Own Capacity to Respond to Major Disasters
In Katrina's aftermath, The HSUS has taken steps to develop the humane movement's most comprehensive disaster response team, with experts in rescue, sheltering, logistics, technology, and veterinary services working under the capable leadership of a newly hired director of Disaster Services. Much of the support provided to The HSUS was given with the hope that we would significantly enhance our capacity to respond to the long-term crisis in the Gulf Coast and to respond to future disasters with a more complete capability. We have committed $5 million to this expanded program. We are tripling the section's capacity and are expanding its budget for the next three years to extend its work. We are going to provide additional disaster training for all HSUS staff members and expand our efforts to train disaster animal response teams at the local and state levels; our May disaster training and planning conference in Washington, D.C. promises to be our largest ever. The reconstituted Disaster Services team will lead our response to future disasters as well as to large-scale cruelty cases and other matters that require hands-on competency.
Legislative Work
Together with our lobbying arm, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, it is a priority for The HSUS to secure the enactment of the Pets Evacuation and Standards Transportation (PETS) Act, requiring state and local authorities to include pets and service animals in their disaster evacuation plans. The pursuit of positive legislation is part of a broader effort to bring about a sea change in public policy concerning the safety of animals during disaster. The animal protection community, on its own, cannot possibly handle all of the needs of animals in large-scale disasters. Should we succeed in seeing the legislation enacted, we will work on rulemaking and its proper implementation. We have committed $500,000 towards this important effort.
Other Future Plans and Partnerships
The HSUS is developing several exciting projects to help animals in the disaster-stricken gulf region. In partnership with several institutional partners in the devastated zone, we are conducting a feasibility assessment for a permanent animal housing facility for animal care, sheltering, and future disaster relief. We have committed $500,000 toward the realization of this project.
The HSUS plans to devote at least $1.5 million to address the high proportion of unsterilized animals in the Gulf Coast states, by launching an aggressive, low-cost, spay and neuter initiative with veterinarians and other partners.
The HSUS will also spend about $200,000 in a joint venture with the ASPCA that will provide spay/neuter vouchers and support a high-volume spay/neuter clinic in Mississippi. We have granted another $25,000 to the Humane Alliance's "Big Fix Rig" as a sponsor of its spay/neuter efforts in the Gulf region. We've also committed $75,000 to the Southern Animal Foundation in Louisiana for spay and neuter work. And we expect to spend $750,000 for the construction of short-term overflow facilities, which would serve as emergency animal housing areas for future disasters, at The Fund for Animals' Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Ramona, California, and Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas. We will continue to develop new projects and enter into partnerships with other organizations and agencies so that we can be as effective as possible in helping animals in the Gulf region and responding to future disasters.
"Rescuing stranded animals and providing for their care was the most visible portion of our disaster response program," said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO. "But we knew all along that the road to recovery requires rebuilding the capacity of local organizations to provide basic services for the communities affected by Katrina. We intend to help rebuild the humane infrastructure on the Gulf Coast and make it stronger than it was before the storms hit."
The HSUS takes its responsibility for stewardship of donated funds very seriously and will continue to be transparent and accountable in our work to help animals. We will periodically update our list of expenditures and commitments related to Katrina relief at our web site, www.hsus.org.
Animal Shelters Affected By Hurricane Katrina Receive Grants from HSUSJanuary 5, 2006
WASHINGTON— Over $4 million in grants were awarded in December to Gulf coast animal welfare organizations by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The grants were distributed to groups directly affected by Hurricane Katrina and will provide for their ongoing operations and building restoration. These direct grants complement the millions of dollars in financial and other resources already provided by The HSUS for rescue, relief, sheltering operations, and reunion efforts conducted since the disaster struck.
The HSUS awarded $3.65 million to the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA SPCA)– the largest ever gift given by The HSUS. Of the total amount, $1.65 million will be used to conduct operations and to equip and restore a temporary facility in the Algiers section of New Orleans, and $2 million will be set aside for the construction of a new shelter. The LA SPCA’s shelter was destroyed by Katrina, and it cannot be restored.
The HSUS also focused its attention on Mississippi. A $665,000 grant was awarded to the Humane Society of South Mississippi (HSSM), whose Gulfport facility was ruined by Hurricane Katrina. Of the total amount, $500,000 is granted for capital reconstruction. The remainder will support shelter reconstruction, the purchase of a vehicle, and the salary expenses for three years for a director of operations.
Other groups receiving grants from The HSUS include:
The Wildlife Rehabilitation and Nature Preserve, in Long Beach, Miss.;
Animal Aid for the Vermillion Area in Abbeville, La.;
Plaquemines Parish Animal Control in Belle Chasse, La.;
Heckhaven Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Lake Charles, La.;
Calcasieu Parish Animal Services in Lake Charles, La.;
St. Charles Humane Society in Luling, La;
St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter in Chalmette, La.;
Lafayette Animal Control in Lafayette, La.;
Washington Parish Humane Society in Bogalusa, La.
Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO, announced the grants after four months of close cooperation between The HSUS and the animal rescue organizations in the Gulf region.
“Rescuing stranded animals and providing for their care was the most visible portion of our disaster response program,” said Pacelle. “But we knew all along that the road to recovery requires rebuilding the capacity of local organizations to provide basic services for the communities affected by Katrina. We intend to help rebuild the humane infrastructure on the Gulf Coast and make it stronger than it was before the storms hit.”
The HSUS is continuing with field operations to trap stray animals, and we are considering support for spay-neuter clinics on the Gulf Coast. The HSUS is also pushing bipartisan legislation in Congress to compel state and local governments to consider better planning for animals in disasters.
[Dated December 15, 2005 and posted online about January 5, 2006, gives projected costs and who's contributing]
Final rescue-adoption plan for new-orleans-gulf region.docThe Best Friends plan for the final rescue/adoption drive in Greater New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. December 2005
An Unprecedented Show of Kindness Toward Animals, An Unprecedented HSUS Disaster Response[Dated December 15, 2005; posted online late 12/16 or early 12/17]
[Excerpts]
To date, The HSUS has spent—or has committed to spend—more than $20 million on disaster relief services since those storms hit. By committed, we mean that the money has either been spent, set aside for a Katrina-related project in the near future, or been budgeted for bills not yet submitted to The HSUS.
Here is what The HSUS has spent or pledged so far:
$8 million committed to direct Katrina expenses. The expenses to rescue and shelter an estimated 10,000 animals include bills for:
Animal transportation—to move rescued pets to sites across the country;
Rental space for our emergency sheltering operations in Louisiana and Mississippi;
Staff and equipment for an emergency shelter at the Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson, Louisiana
Travel expenses for nearly 1,500 volunteers and professionals in the Gulf;
Animal rescue vehicles and trailers that housed dispatch and communications centers;
Equipment such as generators, computers, phones, cages, and many other supplies;
Veterinary fees for more than 1,000 animals;
Food for the hundreds of volunteers and professionals on site;
Staff and equipment for an emergency shelter in Arkansas after Katrina animals were found there.
$1 million for ongoing field projects in Louisiana and Mississippi. This includes funds to:
Manage a high-volume trapping program in Louisiana and Mississippi;
Support rescue operations to deal with homeless animals.
$5 million committed to a Katrina reconstruction fund. This includes funds to:
Help rebuild shelters and wildlife rehabilitation centers damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina;
Assist the Louisiana SPCA (LA SPCA) with its reconstruction. We have already provided nearly
$1 million to equip LA SPCA's temporary facility in Algiers;
Help rebuild the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi's facilities. We have committed an initial $500,000 to this reconstruction project;
Conduct assessments to determine what other local agencies need reconstruction support.
$2 million provided or committed to agencies that have helped rescue, shelter or reunite Katrina animals. This figure includes funds to:
Reimburse local humane societies, animal control agencies, and rescue groups that have accepted Katrina animals and have worked to reunite them with their guardians;
Reimburse groups that did their own rescue and sheltering work during the 45-day period after Katrina hit.
$1.5 million committed to reunion efforts. The includes funds to:
Staff and equip The HSUS Reunion Center, whose workers have personally assisted with or confirmed more than 1,300 reunions, bringing the total estimated number of reunions to more than 2,270.
Cover the transportation fees to reunite people with their pets.
$1 million committed to spay and neuter programs in communities impacted by Katrina. The includes funds to:
Address the high proportion of animals in the Gulf who are unsterilized;
Work with the Louisiana SPCA and set up an aggressive, low-cost spay and neuter program.
$500,000 spent on disasters that have hit since Katrina. This includes expenses related to our responses:
In Texas and Louisiana after Hurricane Rita hit.
In Florida and Mexico after Hurricane Wilma hit.
In Pakistan after the country was ravaged by an earthquake.
$1.5 million committed to grow HSUS staff. This includes funds to:
Expand staff and its capacity to deal with ongoing Katrina responses;
Develop a bigger and stronger Disaster Services section, so we can respond in an even more meaningful way to future disasters, cruelty cases, puppy mills, and other hands-on crisis situations.
HSUS
Monthly Report - September 22, 2005
[Excerpt]
• Finance the rebuilding of animal shelters in the devastated region. We recently announced a pledge of $2.5 million for a Gulf States Shelter Reconstruction Fund. We are seeking to raise $10-$15 million for this program alone.
• Fund the emergency animal shelter in Baton Rouge, which is run by the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine and the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association. We have donated $150,000 to support the facility, which is caring for owned animals until owners can return to their homes or find new places to live.
Three Months Later: HSUS Still Chest-Deep in Post-Katrina Animal WorkNovember 29, 2005
[Excerpts]
* Wellness Program [see below]
* Early work in gulf area
* Many of these loose-knit groups and coalitions have approached The HSUS for funds, and we have obliged many of their requests. We've awarded grants, large and small, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. In some instances, we're funding entire teams in New Orleans, volunteer teams that are still trapping animals or feeding and watering them in place. We've given these teams cages, crates, and equipment. We've paid for their transportation costs and expenses. We've even supplied trucks to facilitate their movement around the city.
* Groups have approached us to pay for the transport of animals out of New Orleans, and we have satisfied many of those requests as well. Most recently, The HSUS footed a substantial bill for a group named Muttshak to ship 80 animals, at $120 an animal, to Washington state, where they have been put into foster care, far away from the mean streets of New Orleans.
* "We also provided the initial humane trapper training to all the responder groups in October, and have spent well over $100,000 bringing traps, nets, and other animal capture and tracking technologies into New Orleans," noted The HSUS's Pauli.
* ... The HSUS helped LA SPCA get its temporary warehouse facility up and running in Algiers, which is located just across the Mississippi River from the group's ruined building. We worked to secure electrical contractors and plumbers; we purchased supplies, from temporary dog kennels to industrial fans; we even bought a trailer to help house volunteers at an RV park. With our assistance, LA SPCA's 45,000-square-foot facility started to accept its first critical animals in mid-October.
Since that opening, we have continued to help stabilize the operation so that LA SPCA can carry on its mission in New Orleans. We've provided fencing, generators, permanent kennels, control poles, and other needed equipment. We've provided funds for animal control officers and their trucks, so they can go out into the community and respond to animals in need. We are even paying for security guards on the site. In total, we have committed more than a $1 million to help rebuild LA SPCA.
* ... The HSUS has also helped other shelters destroyed by Katrina, including the Humane Society of South Mississippi. Our work to rebuild the Gulf Coast's animal care and control infrastructure will continue through the Katrina Shelter Reconstruction Fund; our goal is to grow that fund, with corporate support, to more than $15 million. What's more, we have awarded more than $1 million in grants to local humane societies that took in animals from Louisiana and Mississippi.
* We even came to the rescue in Arkansas when more than 100 Katrina pets turned up at a facility whose operators were charged with animal cruelty.
* The HSUS is working to expand and fund a humane companion animal trapping program under the supervision of LA SPCA, with the assistance of a humane trapping expert. The need for such a city-wide program was made clear in mid-November when a multi-agency team, including The HSUS, assessed the "state of animals" in New Orleans.
The HSUS is bringing in an experienced, high-volume humane trapping team, including staffers from our Northern Rockies Regional Office (NRRO), to manage the expanded program, which is expected to launch soon. Even better, the program is expected to coordinate the work of various rescue groups in New Orleans, which should go a long way toward ensuring the capture of as many animals as possible. The field capture teams will employ new technologies, including radio telemetry collars to track lactating females to their "dens" to recover puppies as well as GPS systems to properly locate and recover all traps set. All companion animals trapped will either go through LA SPCA or be shipped to Best Friends Animal Shelter in Mississippi.
"We have purchased several hundred live traps, many costing $200 each, to help get the remaining animals off the street," added Pauli, who's also the director of NRRO. "The cost of just this final stage of animal rescue could eventually run into hundreds of thousands of dollars for the remaining animals when you consider that all the animals have to be vetted, microchipped, photographed, and then exported to other states for foster care, reunions or rehoming."
* Back closer to home, at The HSUS's headquarters in the Washington D.C. area, the organization continues to work to match displaced owners with displaced pets via our Reunion Center. The reunion effort is a painstaking process that requires countless work hours; at present, we have more than 40 people devoted to reunions, including more than 20 working full-time on nothing but matches.
Shelters and Rescues We've Helped - ASPCA update December 13, 2005
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
- compiled from
Rescue Diary* 9/2 300 crates to Houston SPCA
* 9/3 Grant to Emergency Equine Response Unit for water buffaloes (water tanks)
* 9/3 1000 crates
* 9/6 to sponsor LVMA computer/phone bank set up a LSU SVM.
* 9/6 $50,000 to Houston SPCA
* 9/6 $20,000 to Humane Society of LA
* 9/6 $50,000 to LA-SPCA for emergency expenses
* 9/6 $250,000 minimum commitment pledge for LA-SPCA rebuilding fund
* 9/7 $150,000 additional to LA-SPCA for Gonzales
* 9/9 $200,000 to LA-SPCA to purchase home for staff members
* 9/10 $12,000 computer equipment to Gonzales
* 9/10 $13,000 medical supplies to LSU
* 9/10 $205,000 in disaster grants to 10 shelters in LA and MS
* 9/19 Mississippi Animal Rescue League was one of dozens of shelters that received
[this is likely included in 9/10 grants]
* 9/21
Grants and Emergency Funds the ASPCA has Given to aid in the Hurricane Katrina Rescue and Recovery EffortsTo date the ASPCA has raised over $9,000,000 for animals impacted by disasters like Katrina.
To date grants and emergency funding total just over $1 million dollars and pledged gifts bring the total to $3.5 million.
See downloadable pdf file:
List of Grants and an Expense Summary dated 11/3/05.
Total $6,927,994 for recovery; rebuilding; Rescue, reunite, rehome; reunification reimbursement and reunification reward.
* 9/24 $3.5 million to date pledged grants and emergency funding from National Shelter Outreach
* 9/24 Both HSUS and ASPCA pledge $2.5 million for rebuilding fund for more than 20 shelters
[
UAN pledged an additional $100,000 - below.]
* 10/10 ASPCA pledges $500,000 for reunification [$500 reward to up to 1000 shelters]
ASPCA and HSUS Joint Reunification Fund
In addition to the $500,000 pledge for reunification rewards, HSUS and ASPCA will reimburse shelters for shipping costs to get Katrina pets safely back to their families.
United Animal Nations Awards Katrina GrantsLargest Single Gift to Louisiana SPCA for Rebuilding Efforts
[Excerpts]
SACRAMENTO (October 19, 2005) - United Animal Nations (UAN) issued several grants related to groups involved with Hurricane Katrina animal disaster relief today, including $75,000 to the Louisiana SPCA (LA/SPCA) to help with its animal shelter rebuilding efforts. The grant to LA/SPCA is the largest grant UAN has ever issued in its nearly 20-year history.
The LA/SPCA grant is in addition to $100,000 that UAN announced in September as a contribution to a fund established by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The Humane Society of the United States to reconstruct animal shelters and restore the capacity of animal protection efforts in the Gulf region. UAN was the first to commit additional money to the fund and is directing its contribution to shelters whose rebuilding plans include spay/neuter facilities.
UAN also awarded $2,500 grants to the Pet Animal Welfare Society of Northeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Animal Rescue League - organizations that helped UAN run two temporary animal shelters housing animals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. UAN awarded a grant for $10,000 to the Massachusetts Animal Coalition, to help cover costs associated with medical care for 39 dogs transferred to their custody from UAN’s temporary shelter in Monroe, Louisiana.
* The
HSUS /
AAHA Katrina Pet Wellness Program provides financial assistance for basic veterinary wellness checkups of pets displaced by the storm. Managed through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, the program offers reimbursement to veterinary practices of up to $125 per pet for the following basic treatments:
• Physical examinations
• Vaccinations
• Heartworm medications
• Short-term supply of chronic medications
*
Animal groups donate $150,000 for heartwormOffered by the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, grants of up to $500 per patient are available for heartworm treatment at
AAHA-accredited practices. Treatment is only available to pets rescued by over 200
participating shelters.
The Hurricane Heartworm Treatment Program is made possible through generous grants from the
Humane Society of the United States, the
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the
Humane Society of Greater Miami and Adopt-A-Pet.
American Humane's Second Chance Katrina Fund!For member organizations who need help bolstering foster programs and reuniting animals with their families due to their response to the Hurricanes.
PETsMART Charities Disaster Grants[Excerpts]
PetSmart Charities grants are funding the following needs: food, crates, litter, beds, medical supplies, vaccinations and capital repair costs for shelters. PetSmart Charities is also transporting lost and abandoned animals from the affected areas to designated evacuation shelters with its specially-designed Rescue Waggin' pet transport vehicles from its Midwest and California programs.
[Scroll down to list of] Grant-Receiving Organizations.
Petfinder.com Foundation Hurricane Relief Grants Made
Eighty-four animal placement groups have received allotments as of December 1.
Contact: Betsy Saul, Founder, Petfinder.com Foundation, 908-782-0146
For Immediate Release: TUCSON, December 3, 2005-Three months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast, the Petfinder.com Foundation has announced grants totaling nearly $460,000. The money has been allotted in varying amounts to 84 animal placement groups, large and small, in the hard hit areas and to organizations that stepped into assist those affected, such as the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, The Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Texas SPCA, and more. The amounts range from $300 to $50,000 and the Foundation expects to distribute even more as the rebuilding continues."The response from the Petfinder.com's visitors was swift and incredibly generous," said Betsy Saul, Petfinder.com's president and founder of the Petfinder.com Foundation, "and we are pleased to be a conduit for funds to help animal placement organizations get back on their feet and reimburse some of the expenses generous agencies were so willing to incur."The Petfinder.com Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity. The Petfinder.com Foundation partnered with Petfinder.com and Maddie's Fund to create and manage a collaborative database to reunite displaced pets and their families. Located at
http:://disaster.petfinder.com, the Animal Emergence Response Network facilitated over 2,000 reunions in the aftermath of Katrina.
*
List of Grant RecipientsNoah's Wish has committed $1 million to rebuild the Slidell Animal Control shelter in Slidell, Louisiana.
Louisiana SPCA (LA-SPCA) has received some larger grants and funding mentioned above. They have also received donations from a number of fundraisers around the nation; here are just a few:
Your Business CommunityIdahoStatesman.com, ID - Nov 30, 2005
The Humane Society and the SPCA of Louisiana received $3,676 in matching donations from The Cat Doctor Veterinary Hospital & Hotel of Boise. Clients, employees and non-clients from all over the Valley donated money to help heal and reunite lost and abandoned animals from Hurricane Rita. The Cat Doctor matched donations dollar for dollar and forwarded it.
When the Levee Breakscommercialappeal.com (subscription), TN - Nov 16, 2005
Set for release this winter, the CD is being released by 219records in New Orleans. Proceeds will benefit local New Orleans charities working to rebuild the city, such as the Tipitina's Foundation, whose mission is to provide instruments to students and musicians in the New Orleans area.
Other charities it will benefit are the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Covenant House, LA/SPCA and the JMH Foundation.
NEWS BRIEFSPioneer Press Online, IL - Nov 3, 2005
... Funds for the Louisiana SPCA for abandoned animals. Donations by check will be accepted by the Village of Glencoe, Village Hall, 675 Village Court, Glencoe, IL ...
It’s Hurricane Hounds To the rescue to benefit the Louisiana SPCA in Corvallis, Oregon
To help LA/SPCA in their mission to care for the animal victims of Katrina, Tara Robinson, Louisiana native and author of Genetics for Dummies, and Cyndi Leech, owner of Cyndi’s Blue Ribbon Pet Grooming (both of Corvallis), have partnered to initiate “Howling Success: Hurricane Hounds for the Louisiana SPCA” at the Corvallis Fairgrounds on Oct 29, 2005.
