Animal Rescue efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina

[Guest guest]

Last week I was in , Louisiana assisting with animal rescue efforts for

the victims of Hurricane Katrina. I was deployed to the Lamar Dixon Expo

Center, the largest staging area for interim sheltering where at one point the

numbers of animals present reached 2,500 and for a very short week I worked

under the Humane Society of the United States as a veterinary technician in

several stages of the rescue efforts, including field rescue within the city of

New Orleans

I cannot begin to describe the overwhelming response of generosity which brought

thousands of volunteers to care for these animals from all over the states, as

well as Mexico and Canada. The work was hard and dirty, and the days long and

unbearably hot, yet every day these people started and ended the day with a

smile.

The satisfaction of success came every night when hundreds more dogs, cats, and

even rabbits, ferrets, hamsters and birds were rescued from homes buried in

toxic sludge left by the receeding waters, and to hear the stories that came

with them... the labrador retriever who jumped off a second story porch to swim

to the rescue boat he saw before they saw him; the pit bull found in a tree

where the flood waters had left him to die; the chow who swam out of a house to

reach another rescue boat only to repeatedly turn around and swim back into the

house where the rescue team finally found her sitting next to her beagle

companion waiting for help; the tiny black dot one rescuer saw on the road far

ahead which slowly grew into a little dachshund running frantically to the

humans who would save him, throwing himself into the rescuer's arms; or the chow

who led a team to her half-starved puppies, refusing to be saved without them...

I can easily take an hour describing the heart-wrenching

examples of how much hell these animals have been through, and I still can't

get over their strength, determination and sheer gratitude for our help!

Our satisfaction also came every day as dogs were sent all over the country to

shelters or rescue groups where they would be cared for until owners can claim

them or a foster family could be located. Jets were chartered, shipping trucks

were loaded, and hundreds of animals were vet checked, vaccinated, microchipped

and moved out to make room for the hundreds more coming in each night.

I was walking across the complex one day when I saw a couple ahead walking a

little shih tzu. They could have easily been volunteers helping with

dog-walking, but there was something different about them - the little dog was

running circles around these people, jumping up and barking. I caught up with

them and commented to them that they must be the dog's family. Both looked at

me with tears in their eyes as the words of gratitude tumbled out. They had

left their little friend two weeks ago, and when the severity of the hurricane

hit them they never expected to see him again. Someone mentioned to them the

day before that there was a phone number they could call to report their address

and have a rescue team dispatched to their home, and they received a phone call

that evening to tell them their dog - as well as their parakeet - were safe.

They will never be able to return to their home which will be completely

demolished, but their entire family is now safe. I had to ask them

- if they were never reunited with their pets, but knew that our efforts likely

saved them and they had new homes elsewhere, would that be enough? Their answer

was an unequivocal Yes.

Realistically speaking, only 5% of the thousands of animals we rescue will be

reunited with their original family. But because of our efforts, thousands of

animals are stilll alive despite the odds. The Humane Society of the United

States, along with several other organizations such as the ASPCA, Code 3, United

States Public Health Services, VMAT, and the SPCA's of New Orleans, Louisiana,

Texas and California to name a few, have done amazing work - and none of it

would have been possible without generous donations to support them. It is for

this reason I have taken your time to tell you their stories. HSUS needs your

help to continue their efforts in caring for Katrina's pets, and to care for the

imminent victims of Hurricane Rita and others to follow. You can follow our

efforts and make a donation at www.hsus.org - the slideshows highlight a few of

the amazing stories I have seen, including the bittersweet ending to Rick and

's 4-day search for their dogs.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. This was an

experience I am happy to share!

Kate

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Katrina M. Hissam

OSU College of Veterinary Medicine

Class of 2007

~my karma ran over my dogma

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Yahoo! for Good

Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.