The big Gulf Coast news this month was the dismissal of all charges against former St. Bernard Parish Deputy Sheriff Mike Minton and Sergeant Clifford "Chip" Englande in the STREET shootings case. While the SBP SCHOOL shootings case is still open, this establishes a horrible precedent for prosecuting crimes against animals during the chaos after Katrina.

1. KINSHIP CIRCLE, an historical overview of St. Bernard Parish Shootings: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/gulfcoast/newsletters/08-01-20.html

2. KINSHIP CIRCLE LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN
REQUEST SAMPLE LETTER: disasteraid@kinshipcircle.org
Send comments to Attorney General James "Buddy" Caldwell and his office, responsible for dropping charges against Minton and Englande. The most important thing you can do is send a letter demanding justice.

3. ABC26 BLOG / LEAVE A COMMENT
Did Attorney General Caldwell do the right thing? http://weblogs.abc26.com/news/local/neworleans/2008/01/dog_shooting_case_dismissed_in.html

4. EARTH TIMES / LEAVE A COMMENT
Animal cruelty charges dropped in Katrina dog killings
www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/178672,charges-dropped-in-katrina-dog-killings.html

5. PETITON requesting further investigation:
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/408098466

According to Dr. Pia Salk, a clinical psychologist specializing in the human-animal bond, who co-led the post Katrina animal rescue effort in New Orleans, "It takes a very sick individual to assert his power by abusing the defenseless. And it takes a diseased system to justify and permit this. As long as a culture deems particular beings to be of less worth, whether because of their gender, ethnicity or in this case species, it will then allow for violence against those beings. This is the root of all social injustice."
drpiasalk@gmail.com, 323-899-4160

Susan Michaels, Founder, Pasado's Safe Haven — susan2@pasadosafehaven.org• www.pasadosafehaven.org/

A man called Pasado's Safe Haven who was an EYEWITNESS to St. Bernard Sheriff's officers shooting dogs and cats approximately on August 30-31. He and his wife remained in their house for 11 days in St. Bernard Parish with no food or water. All of their pets, 2 dogs and 3 cats, eventually perished.

He and his wife heard shots from boats in the floodwaters. He saw individuals, "wearing St. Bernard Sheriff uniforms" who he claims he can identify in a photo line-up. He and his wife hid from the men, for fear the officers would shoot their animals.

The officers, according to this man, "picked off the dogs and cats who swam to roofs for safety".

This man saw Susan Michaels' (Founder, Pasado's Safe Haven) interview in the Times-Picayune (regarding dismissal of the street shootings case) and called to report what he’d witnessed. When asked why it took so long for him to come forward, his said, "Because I just assumed with all the evidence, a conviction would be forthcoming." He was angry the men "got off without a single charge.” The man will be interviewed, in Baton Rouge, this week.

Pasado's Safe Haven paid for all necropsies in the school shootings case and last week, hired a private detective to hunt down two eyewitnesses key to bringing charges forth in the school shootings case.

"We won't give up," says Susan Michaels, Founder, Pasado's Safe Haven. "We’re committed to seeing these cases through and we'll do what it takes to make sure those responsible for the cowardly acts pay."

View amazing photos + media coverage on the second chance for Vick’s dogs.

REPLY TO: arneworleans@aol.com
On Christmas Eve day, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and their 2 children, volunteered at ARNO! They worked for 4 hours, walking dogs, painting cat cage pedestals. They even got to see the ARNO team in action. The [Bacon] family had Styx and Journey next door and one of them, we won't say exactly which one, wasn't quick enough at the gate. Styx and Journey took off running at high speed. Without a word, we all sprang into action... Kyra said it was like watching a SWAT team.. We made sure to let them know they were now part of a very special and elite group, ARNO volunteers.

REPLY TO: kathybsweeney@yahoo.com
I received word from someone told by the Wildlife and Fisheries: Numerous collared dogs still wander in undeveloped areas of New Orleans East. Has anyone photographed these dogs for possible reunions? Apparently dogs catch rabbits and share them with the packs. I know there are feeders for New Orleans East, but I'm wondering if anyone is feeding this remote area.

Which Candidate Speaks For Animals? www.kinshipcircle.org/updates/updates_01-17-08.html

Cheri J. Deatsch, deatschlaw@hotmail.com • 504-610-2999

Animal Relief and Rescue Fellowship (ARRF), arrf303@aol.com• 662-378-8817

Animal Relief and Rescue Fellowship (ARRF) desperately needs Igloo dog houses, any sizes, new or used. The dog pound at Leland, MS is filled with abandoned, neglected animals. They were in the FREEZING COLD when temperatures dropped recently. Animals are on cold concrete floors that stay wet due to poor drainage. ARRF has vaccinated every dog, and many have been treated for heartworms. But now they risk death from exposure... Four puppies were abandoned at the dog pound entrance... No one is at the pound during the day — no groundskeeper or office. THREE of the puppies FROZE TO DEATH in a storage container with a sweater in it. They were rushed to the vet by when found, but it was too late for all but one...

Debra A. Barlow, Hopeful Haven Equine Rescue Organization, www.hopefulhaven.com • hopefulhaven@yahoo.com
22 Pit Bulls Seized in Louisiana Dogfighting Case: www.idausa.org/campaigns/sport/dog/feature_080102.html

Urge fire department to fire man facing dogfighting charges for second time: Caddo Animal Services officers who raided the Shreveport home of firefighter Eric Mosley seized 22 pit bulls and equipment used to train dogs for fighting. The dogs were confined by heavy chains, and had no food and only filthy water in their bowls. Mosley, 42, was arrested on one count of felony dogfighting and taken to jail, but soon released on $10,000 bond.

This is the second time Mosley has been charged with felony dogfighting. After a year-long undercover investigation, authorities raided Mosley's home in 2005 and seized a total of 37 dogs and dogfighting gear. However, the courts ultimately acquitted him of the charges. The 22 pit bulls seized last month are being cared for at the Caddo Animal Services shelter. Meanwhile, Caddo Parish Animal Control and Shreveport Police Department are conducting a joint investigation of the crime. The Caddo Parish Fire Department has placed Mosley on paid leave while conducting their own internal investigation.

Interim Fire Chief David Glass: 318-673-6655
Deputy Fire Chief Mack McCoy: 318-673-6658
Caddo Parish Fire Department • 263 North Common • Shreveport LA 71101
Ask fire department to request Eric Moseley's resignation. Urge them to terminate any employees involved in dogfighting.

Attn: Paul Carmouche, District Attorney
Office of the District Attorney, Criminal Division • 501 Texas Street • Shreveport, LA 71101
email: Pmouche@caddoda.com
Ask Shreveport's DA to seek the maximum legal penalty in prosecuting Mosley and others implicated in felony dogfighting.

SEND COPIES OF YOUR LETTER TO: Debra Barlow, Animal Cruelty Investigator
12193 Providence Road • Shreveport, LA, 71129
ph: 318-286-3116; email: hopefulhaven@yahoo.com

NEED DONATED CAGES: We need more large cages — 48" cages only — to house smaller dogs so we can use regular runs for pit bulls contained as evidence. Cages needed to stop the euthanasia of other dogs when we bring in these pit bulls.

Please donate cages or $$ to Hopeful Haven Equine Rescue (tax deductible): www.hopefulhaven.com/
Order cages: www.petcratesdirect.com/

HURRICANE PETS RESCUE INC., HurricanePets@aol.com
Celene Albano, HPR Rescue CEO: CeleneA@aol.com

- FOSTER HOMES: TEMP OR PERMANENT (all fosters screened)
- ADOPTERS, ADOPTIONS FEES WILL APPLY
- TRANSPORTERS / FROM FOSTER TO VET AND BACK
- RUNNERS, TO PICK UP DONATED SUPPLIES
- CRATES/CAGES FOR MEDIUM AND LARGE DOGS
- CARRIERS - FELV AND FIV COMBO TEST KITS AND VACCINES
- SPAY OR NEUTER, SPONSORS and/or CAT NETWORK CERTIFICATES DONATIONS
- FELINE PINE LITTER
- METAL DISPOSABLE OVEN PANS (medium and large)
- CLAVAMOX
- TERRAMICINE

HURRICANE PETS RESCUE INC., HurricanePets@aol.com
Celene Albano, HPR Rescue CEO: CeleneA@aol.com
ph: 305-866-6322 • www.hurricanepetsrescue.org/
2160 Bay Drive West, Suite # 14 • Miami Beach. Fl 33141

Animal Rescue New Orleans, arnocharlotte@cox.net

Since resident-run ARNO's inception, out-of-town volunteers have been our lifesavers — particularly when just two or three regulars are caretakers to approximately 250 animals!

VOLUNTEER FOR ARNO:
504-571-1900, arnovolunteer@yahoo.com • www.animalrescueneworleans.org/volunteer.html

1. ONLINE: www.animalrescueneworleans.org/donate.html
2. MAIL: Animal Rescue New Orleans, 1219 Coliseum Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
3. PETSMART GIFT CARDS: www.petsmart.com
4. PETCO GIFT CARDS: www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=462&sku=948675&Nav=14
5. SUPPLIES: Ship/Drop Off - ARNO Warehouse, 271 Plauche St., New Orleans, LA 70123
6. ARNO’S UPDATED WISH LIST: www.animalrescueneworleans.org/donate.html

We recognize not all can contribute monetarily, so please check out and cross-post our WISH LIST to increase awareness about ARNO’s efforts since Hurricane Katrina.

Remember Spot, the 11-month puppy shot (12/7/07) in New Orleans East — an area devastated 2+ years past Katrina? A security guard shot Spot and left him crumpled in blood pools for at least 8 hours before rescuers rushed him to a veterinary clinic. Spot underwent surgery to amputate his right front leg and found a second chance at ARNO’s no-kill shelter in Harahan, LA.

UPDATE:
An Ohio State University veterinary student adopted Spot at Christmas!

TO ADOPT A SPECIAL-NEEDS PET OR ANY DOG OR CAT:
Contact adoptfromarno@yahoo.com

SPONSOR A PET: SPOT’S FUND ARNO
has created Spot's Fund to let donors sponsor an animal who needs extraordinary medical care. Donations to Spot's Fund pay for life-saving surgery, medical treatment and rehabilitation... If you can help us financially, please consider donating now using our PayPal link at the top of any page on our website, or if you prefer you can mail a check and mark Spot's Fund in the memo section on the check.

Animal Rescue New Orleans
Shelter: 271 Plauche St., New Orleans, LA 70123
Admin: 1219 Coliseum St., New Orleans, LA 70130
ar-no@cox.net • www.animalrescueneworleans.org

Jeff Dorson, Director, Humane Society of Louisiana, stopcruelty11@gmail.com

HSL launches ambitious project to finally identify all public and private animal sheltering facilities in Louisiana — With help from members and volunteers in the coming months, we’ll visit, inspect, and photograph each shelter, and display those images on our website. We’ll target substandard or mismanaged facilities. No such inventory of our state's shelter has ever existed, even though we estimate more than 100 shelters are in operation.

There are no license requirements to run a public shelter. There is little or no oversight, except for complaints to the governing agency, which often go unheeded. Many shelters, especially in rural Louisiana, consist of a single row of rusty cages under the city's water treatment plant. Often, animals are exposed to inclement conditions and disease, given poor quality food, and are attacked by more aggressive dogs. We suspect some shelters use illegal carbon monoxide chambers to gas their dogs and cats.

This year, with your help, we intend to finally to do something about all of these shelters:
• Photograph every known shelter during the next 12 months or more.
• Describe substandard conditions we expose.
• Forward our recommendations to governing bodies and see if conditions improve.

If conditions do not improve, we’ll activate hundreds to thousands of activists from around the state and country to help us reform these substandard shelters. Why is this statewide campaign important?
1. Animals are suffering needlessly and with some simple improvements, they can be housed in a more comfortable setting.
2. Change will never take place unless we will it to happen.
3. It is doable. We can mobilize people quickly over the internet to demand immediate and lasting changes.

We kicked off the new year by continuing campaigns for needed reforms at the Tangipahoa shelter in Hammond, LA. This innocuous looking shelter is actually a hotbed of corruption and controversy. Often, shelter policies are counterproductive and change on a whim. We’ve received reports the shelter now charges a surrender fee, no longer adopts to breed-rescue groups, and requires citizens to physically appear at the shelter to report animal abuse! Interim Director Donald Doty has no prior experience with shelter management nor he has taken any courses on shelter operations. He implements policies that often run counter to industry standards.

We recently submitted a Three Point Shelter Improvement Plan to the parish administration. The plan calls for hiring an experienced shelter director, creating a citizens' advisory council to monitor conditions and policies at the shelter, and to post all fees, in-take, and adoption policies at the front counter. Cost to taxpayers: about $30.00 extra dollars for the sign... We hope to be able to reform and improve conditions at dozens of shelters during the next 6 -12 months.

Zena’s guardian Adreian Roy: adreianr@juno.com • www.lostkatrinapets.com/zena/index.html

Female • Rottweiler • Coat is black and mahogany
RESCUED FROM: 1045 Jourdan Avenue in the Lower 9th Ward.
ZENA’S LOST PETFINDER NUMBERS: PF59374, PF62592, PF62946
ZENA’S FOUND PETFINDER NUMBER: PF35650.
Please note that Happy Tails says that they did not receive Zena, there was a mix-up with the paperwork.

Zena was rescued from inside her home late September 2005. She was transported to Lamar Dixon, where her paperwork was lost. Zena is a large female rottweiler. Her coat is black and mahogany. She has worn front bottom teeth and appears to have had a litter but has not. Zena is very friendly and loves kids. She loves to get her tummy rubbed, roll in the grass and go for a ride in the car. When she hears her leash she comes running.
CONTACT: Zena’s guardian Adreian Roy: adreianr@juno.com

Lynx’s family, ya_girl@cox.net • www.lostkatrinapets.com/lynx/index.html

Male • Shorthair Cat • Cream/nude/buff colored
LAST SEEN: At his home, 2500 block of Volpe Drive in Chalmette, Louisiana

Lynx is cream/nude/buff colored with darker tan rings around his tail. He also has a bit of the darker tan color on his back and around his ears. His guardians are not sure what breed he is, but looks like a flame point. He had been neutered prior to Katrina. His hair is short, not rough, but not very smooth. Lynx did not have a collar on at the time of the hurricane.

Lynx is a friendly cat, but not overly friendly. There is a very good chance he was rescued since one of the other cats in the household was rescued. We checked the house after the storm and found one of our other cats, but there was no sign of Lynx.
CONTACT: Lynx’s family, ya_girl@cox.net