Animal Rescue Alerts 12-24-2005
From Katrina Help Info
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Saturday December 24, 2005
Happy Holidays! Thanks to everyone for compassion and dedication
Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 19:47:21 -0800 (PST) From: Monica Orta <pawpawshouse03 @yahoo .com> Subject: Happy Holidays! Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Katrina-Pet-Rescue-info/
Hi Everyone!
I want to thank all of you for your continued efforts with helping the animals affected by Hurricane Katrina. Even during the holidays with all of our busy schedules we can not get these animals out of our minds and our hearts. For many of us this has been the saddest yet the most rewarding experience of our lives.
A very special thank you to those of you who have been able to continue to go back and help with the efforts. Also thank you to all of you who may not be able to go back but are still helping from where you are now.
I would like to also let you know that ARNO has calenders, T-shirts and bags for sale on their website benefiting their continued work in NOLA. Please consider giving these as gifts for the holidays. Your recipient may not have it tmw BUT you can always print out a picture to show what they will be receiving in the mail. http://www.animalrescueneworleans.com/
At Best Friends website http://www.bestfriends.org/ you can make a donation to help support all their hard work.
Thank you everyone for your compassion and dedication. May you have a wonderful holiday, kiss your furry "kids" and hold them tight.
- Monica Orta Elkins
- Homeward Bound Animal Rescue
- http://members.petfinder.org/~TX122/index.htm
ARNO Animal Rescue in N.O.
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 21:49:48 -0600 From: "Richard and Lynn Szymurski" <richlynnsiberians @cox .net> Subject: ARNO Animal rescue in N.O. Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Katrina-Pet-Rescue-info/
The ARNO is moving into their new facilities, much nicer than the LA/SPCA that is operating out of warehouses and tents in New Orleans on the West Bank. They are the only New Orleans city shelter. They are doing pick-up of animals whenever a call is put in. ARNO came about as a response to the rescue of animals due to Katrina. If you notice strays in your area, call the LA/SPCA at 504-368-5191, HTTP://www.la-spca.org/ and request a pick-up. The survey done recently by the ASPCA, HSUS, LA/SPCA, ARNO, and a couple of other groups, proved that there aren't thousands of dogs running loose. But there are thousands of pet owners that are still looking for their animals. That was proven by a 3 day "Find your lost Katrina pet" held by Best Friends at the Garden District last weekend. During 2 and 1/2 days of this event, over 790 applications were filled out for lost pets. This is when I finally learned, people didn't abandon their dogs. Every person, except for a few, had legitimate reasons for leaving their dogs behind. I have their stories in my head now, and I'm distraught that they are being put up for adoption at the end of the year. People haven't even been able to return to the city, 200,000 homes were destroyed. They are still looking for the pets, but because overzealous, but good intentioned people came in without a system, we have lost their pets in the system.
We basically set up about 20 + laptops, and looked for registrations of their dogs, and if they weren't listed, we listed them on Petfinders, scanned in any photos for them, and then the applications were sent to Stealth volunteers working all over the country on their computers and telephones. We did have some success stories, and when it happened, the entire room and the hallways, all the way to the lobby erupted in claps and screams!!! When I heard the stories of swimming through water for a mile, carrying their animals on their backs if they didn't swim or like water, pack animal food and water, not their own clothes, and go to the interstate high rise to be picked up Fri. after the hurricane, I learned a hard lesson myself. Or the ones who hid when their houses were investigated for inhabitants.
It's very sad, the donations that went to the National Humane societies, totaled almost 18 million dollars. That money should be sent to the shelters so they had the resources to hold these animals. People now know that a majority of our population are low income, illiterate, don't own computers, what ever the reason, and they need help in even searching online for their pets. Their pets are all they have left. I'm very upset by these developments, as are several of the volunteers who worked so hard, and stayed late to put the applications into other databases for volunteers to work on. There were 2 dogs and an elderly woman found yesterday. She was found dead, lying in her bed, and her two dogs were found dead, in her front living room. Her door was marked searched, no inhabitants, no animals, and it was dated 9/16 and 9/13. How do two teams of rescuers miss this? Our death toll is rising every day now, bulldozing is happening. We are still hurting down here. Christmas??? What is that? Hopefully a FEMA trailer instead of a tent. We lost 2-3 months of our lives, it doesn't even feel like a holiday season here.
We are the test case of a disaster gone wrong. What is going to happen when the Big One, in CA, happens? Y'all are 25 years overdue for your devastating 100 year earthquake. As an evacuee told me today. "I survived Hurricane Katrina, but I didn't survive Hurricane FEMA." Happy Holidays to all of you trying to make a difference.
- Siberianly,
- Lynn Szymurski
- Richlynn Siberians
- New Orleans, LA
- http://www.richlynn.com/
- mailto:richlynn@cox-dot-net (@cox.net)
- mailto:lynn@richlynn-dot-com (@richlynn.com)
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 23:34:27 -0500 From: "Crystal Dodd" <curlybutts @adelphia .net> Subject: Re: Animal rescue in N.O.
Lynn,
It tears me up also when I think of those two truckloads that left NOLA without the A/C on, killing all of the animals in excruciating ways. And, I think of the shelters that I know killed dogs/cats when their thirty days were up. I think there is plenty of blame to go around, but I do still think HSUS dropped the ball on that - they should have known better than anyone the magnitude of this crisis. 30 days is ridiculous. Then they asked for more time, after 30 days were up, when animals were already killed. I tried to stir it up about this but couldn't get anything to happen to get the HSUS to make them stop killing. Folks were upset about the little Chowmix pup, but I didn't hear about any organized big stinks being made. Just that most rescuers can't stand HSUS for this.
At the same time, I brought back seven dogs, one being fostered in MS and the rest to VA. I've spent close to $4K in boarding alone, and that is with a discount. Add at least another $1200 for vetting. That's with a lot of discounts too and free vetting for some. It is all out of pocket. I've made inquiries to AKC and Petfinder to get reimbursement of that. But, I am not 501c3 so am ineligible. I tried telling them that many rescues are not nonprofit but still helped the dogs and cats. But they only pointed out the obvious to ask for discounts, which I already did. Another rescue has put me under their umbrella to see if I can get back some funds for the first month when they apply to get some relief for their costs.
I have told fosters/adopters Dec. 31, but would like to make it longer. What is reasonable? How long can we expect people to wait to officially adopt these dogs that they have taken in?
Crystal
Hurricane Relief Volunteer Opportunity
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 18:46:54 -0800
From: "Pam Norman" <pam_norman @charter .net>
Subject: Hurricane Relief Volunteer Opportunity
Dear Pamela,
We know how much you care about the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Katrina, and in particular, how the animals are faring. As you know from the e-Journal, other publications, and maybe even from deploying to the Gulf region to participate in relief efforts yourself, United Animal Nations (UAN) has been involved from the beginning. UAN was actively deployed for two months and is still supporting various hurricane relief efforts.
Among other ongoing relief projects, UAN is currently working with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to support a relief effort led by Best Friends. Best Friends is currently planning to open new rescue centers in New Orleans, Louisiana and Gulfport, Mississippi. UAN is making a financial contribution to this effort.
Though UAN does not plan to re-deploy Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers to the Gulf, we do want trained EARS volunteers to be aware of this opportunity to volunteer with Best Friends. They will likely be in need of volunteers for at least the next two months. Read the e-mail we received from Best Friends, below, for more information:
E-mail from Best Friends to UAN
Best Friends is looking for five or six mechanically inclined individuals to start immediately to help build dog and cat runs at the new holding facilities. As soon as those runs and catteries have been completed, we will need animal caregivers and administrative/computer people to help keep track of all the precious animals.
Then, starting next week, we will need volunteers who have the following specific skills: Data entry experience, an experienced dog caregiver (a commercial kennel manager would be great), an experienced cat caregiver (a vet tech for example).
Of course, we will be needing volunteers to help with general needs as well.
Also, if you are unable to help at the new rescue centers, Best Friends could certainly use your help at our relief center in Tylertown, MS. We are currently in need of volunteers there through at least the end of January.
Additionally, if you are interested in participating in the direct rescue and humane trapping of animals, please visit http://www.animalrescueneworleans.com for information on where to go, what to bring, and what to expect.
If you wish to volunteer or find out more information, click the link below:
Be sure to indicate that you're an EARS volunteer!
We do not know how this situation will compare with an EARS-run experience. Since this is not an EARS response, you will not be covered under the normal EARS volunteer secondary insurance policy if you assist Best Friends; we encourage you to inquire about their volunteer insurance policy.
We have heard that Best Friends may be able to reimburse travel expenses and is providing food on site. Volunteers are sleeping in sleeping bags in a heated building.
If you're interested in participating, please sign up here using the form that Best Friends has provided. Be sure to tell them that you're an EARS volunteer! You're welcome to bring your EARS T-shirt and other EARS gear, if you wish.
We don't have any further information about this opportunity, so if you have questions, you can contact Best Friends by sending an e-mail to mailto:ed.command@bestfriends-dot-org (@bestfriends.org).
Thank you so much for caring about the animals affected by Hurricane Katrina!
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Animal Rescue Resources > Alerts > 12-24-2005
