7/22/06: Still Here For Animals, In Memory Of Shannon
Disaster Rescue Needs & News
TO SEE PAST NEWSLETTERS, VISIT:
http://www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/gulfcoast/newsletters/default.html
ANIMAL ISSUE OF THE WEEK
NON-DISASTER ALERT: Dark-Age Dog Labs at Wisconsin College
Take action: http://www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1486&seriesfirst=true
IN THIS ALERT:
- SMALL BITES
- Recruiting Volunteers For Big Fix Rig In Orleans Parish
- ARNO & SAF Need Fosters/Adopters/Shelters
- Big Fix Making Big Impact In Katrina-Torn Louisiana
- Katrina Dog In Pittsburgh Could Die Soon
- Animal Disaster Training In Louisiana – Good Overview
- FOUND: Chance, Katrina Survivor Shiba Inu Mix
- FOUND: Orange Cat In Lakeview (Orleans Parish)
- Pet Evacuation Volunteers Sought
- No Fido Or Fluffy Left Behind
- Landmark Trial Begins July 31
- Campbell’s Story
- A Culture War Erupts As Many Keep Foster Pets
1. SMALL BITES
Send small-bite food, or cat food, when donating for Gulf Coast animals.
Happy Birthday Shannon, Happy Birthday Angel
Please light a candle in memory of Shannon Moore.
July 22, 1969 ~ May 31, 2006
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=shann
PICS OF SHANNON
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yepitsme770/sets/72157594155834244/
ALLEY CAT MEMORIAL FUND
http://www.alleycat.org/memorial.html
REMEMBERING SHANNON MOORE
http://memoriesofshannon.blogspot.com/
GUEST BOOK FOR SHANNON HARTWICK MOORE
http://www.legacy.com/NOLA/Guestbook.asp?Page=Guestbook&PersonID=18017409
LeAnne G. <yepitsme770@yahoo.com>
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Who Can Help 3 Rescued Puppies At ARNO?
RAMONA BILLOT <ramonabillot@yahoo.com> writes, 7/20: ARNO received 3 puppies
yesterday that they cannot keep. They are about 5 months old (very cute I
saw them this morning) and they have ringworm. Robin cannot keep them there
with ringworm. She has no fosters available at the moment. If anyone can
help please call Robin at 504-913-2328.
REPLY TO: Robin Beaulieu, ARNO, 504-913-2328
SOURCE: RAMONA BILLOT <ramonabillot@yahoo.com>
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Need Transport Of Cat Food To ARNO
REPLY TO: kelle@ev1.net
I am a former Animal Rescue New Orleans volunteer that does animal rescue in
Houston, and gets free donations of cat/dog food from two local stores. I
have a bit of cat food(about 20+ bags) Iam trying to get to Animal Rescue
New Orleans in New Orleans. If you or anyone is heading that way please
consider taking this cat food along and delivering it to them, and thus
helping save the lives of the cats and now many kittens still living in the
deserted streets unable to survive without it. They are in desperate need of
this food to continue doing the food and water program. Also if you have
some to donate please do! REPLY TO: Kelle - 832-969-8831, kelle@ev1.net
SOURCE: http://neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/183698507.html
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Plaquemines Parish – Feral Cat TNR Program
To all Plaquemines Parish residents: Are you feeding or caring for feral
cats? Are you willing to be part of the solution to the overpopulation and
complaints about them? We are looking for people who care and want to help
implement a TNR (trap, neuter, return) program in Plaquemines Parish.
Resources will be provided. Please be part of the solution, not the problem.
REPLY TO: Ramona Billot, ramonabillot@yahoo.com
SOURCE: ramonabillot@yahoo.com
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RV Needed To Facilitate Animal Rescue
The donation of an RV with a working bathroom (or pull trailer with a
working bathroom) would help animal rescue efforts immensely. We came
together in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to rescue animals. Since then we
have been alerted to animals in need across the country. An RV for
volunteers to have a place to clean up and sleep would make volunteers
be better equipped to help the animals. If you can help,
REPLY TO: Susan Meyer, susankiwikwi@hotmail.com
SOURCE: Susan Meyer, susankiwikwi@hotmail.com
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FAT CAT Needs A Family
REPLY TO: Krismastym@yahoo.com
Date: 2006-07-21
7 year old(?) fat black and white cat named FAT CAT needs a responsible
loving home. He is fixed and litterbox trained. Very affectionate and funny.
He was abandoned in a home after Katrina like so many others. If you have
questions or want to see a picture, email Kristen: Krismastym@yahoo.com
SOURCE: http://neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/184739828.html
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7/30: Join Spay/Neuter Event To Bring Attention
To Euthanasia Rate In Kern County
Lisa Tipton, tiptonizers@earthlink.net, writes 7/17: Volunteers needed for a
big spay/neuter event in Bakersfield, CA on 7/30. We need experienced dog
handlers, and we also need crates, sheets, blankets and towels for the day,
too! Event starts at 6:30am and will last until the last dog is handed to
the owner. We plan to do 100 dogs, so it is likely to be a very long day,
and into the evening.
There is also a pet faire being held at the front of this event, to educate the public in Kern County about how to get their own subsidized services. If any of you are disgusted with the kill rate at the shelter and the condition that the animals come out (if they make it) in, this is your chance to do something about it. We will have a live radio remote, and there will be national press releases sent out about this event. The pet faire also needs people. A large number of us from different orgs sends a big message.
Neither the shelters nor Kern County have a low cost, accessible spay and neuter program in place. The kill rate is as high as 98% for cats and 90% for dogs at Bakersfield shelter. This shelter was named in 2004 as one of the nine neediest shelters in the nation by "Animal People Magazine."
SPAY/NEUTER EVENT
Date: 7/30/06
Time: Begins 6:30am
Address: 200 China Grade Loop; Bakersfield, CA 93308
Amanda Foundation's Mobile Clinic will do the spay/neuter for 100 dogs.
REPLY TO: Lisa Tipton, tiptonizers@earthlink.net, 661-803-8462
Spay/Neuter Day Poster: http://www.dbonesweb.com/kcac/snday.html
7/31: Join Picket Outside Courthouse
For Landmark Shelter Abuse Case
Lisa Tipton, tiptonizers@earthlink.net, writes 7/17: I'd like to get a large
group together to picket the courthouse on 7/31 in Bakersfield (California).
Lock vs. KCAC goes to trial at 9am on 7/31. This is likely to be a landmark
case, and Kern County has managed to keep this case very quiet. If it loses,
none of the shelters in the country will be held accountable to follow the
laws in place! Information about the case: http://www.shelterwatch.com/
Impetus for both events is a lawsuit filed against Kern County Animal Control in 2004 for numerous violations of California's Hayden Law SB 1785. *See item 11 in this alert, RE: charges against Kern County Animal Control.
Won't you all please come out for a peaceful demonstration in front of the
courthouse? We're all aware of the kill rate at Bakersfield, and the
conditions that the animals come out of the shelter in, if they are lucky
enough to make it out alive. This is your chance to speak up and do
something about it!
DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE COURTHOUSE
Date: Monday 7/31/2006
Time: 9:00 am
Address: 1415 Truxton Avenue; Bakersfield, CA 93301
REPLY TO: Lisa Tipton, tiptonizers@earthlink.net, 661-803-8462
SOURCE: Lisa Tipton, tiptonizers@earthlink.net
Barb Dunsmore, tochashona@yahoo.com
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Two New Must-See Videos
VIDEOS: http://www.ericsdogblog.com/
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Click on: Dana's Rising Floodwaters in Saint John's Parish
This video is hard to watch. This is raw footage from Dana who many of us
tried to help find her dog for months and months. In the opening you can see
her dog for a second. Then Dana worries about her beloved pet pig Barley as
the water comes up. (Barley was later found drowned) Later you will be
almost amazed at how fast and how far the water comes up leaving the family
in the attic. After a blue pause be sure to watch as the family goes back to
the house. Many of us know that Dana did everything she could to get the dog
out with her but it came down to an almost impossible situation for the
family. This story was played out for thousands of residents whose dogs
could not evacuate with them...
The second video recounts the animals still being searched for:
Click on: Somewhere Out There
SOURCE: Eric Rice <ericrice3@comcast.net>
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Have You Asked Your Senators To Support PETS Act?
The federal Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act has
passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and is now before the U.S.
Senate. Write your U.S. Senators to ask for their support of the PETS Act.
SAMPLE LETTER: http://www.kinshipcircle.org/letter_library/letter.asp?LetterID=1527&seriesfirst=true
SOURCE: info@kinshipcircle.org
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REMINDER: Check Posts About Missing & Found Animals
Nola.com: http://www.nola.com/forums/animals/index.ssf
CraigsList: http://neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/
Petfinder’s Animal Emergency Response Network:
http://disaster.petfinder.com/emergency/home.html
FOUND Katrina/Rita Animals, Still Missing Their People:
http://tinyurl.com/ht9c2
2. Recruiting Volunteers For Big Fix Rig In Orleans Parish
SOURCE: Charlotte Bass Lilly, ARNO, arnocharlotte@cox.net
http://www.animalrescueneworleans.org
<arnocharlotte@cox.net> writes, 7/20: The Louisiana SPCA is hosting the Big FIX Rig, a 53’ mobile, high-volume spay/neuter clinic, in partnership with Spay/Louisiana, beginning July 24. The Big Fix Rig is in Orleans Parish after successful stints both on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and St. Bernard Parish. This is an affordable opportunity for rescue groups, colony managers or pet caretakers to have their cats spay/neutered for only a $10 co-pay. This is open to anyone by appointment who can get to Algiers, LA (on the westbank from downtown New Orleans). But the LA/SPCA desperately needs volunteers to fill critical volunteer spots. They can also use LA-licensed veterinarians if they can give any of their time to spay/neuter surgery.
BIG FIX RIG: A mobile spay/neuter clinic from Humane Alliance of Asheville, North Carolina. WHERE: Stationed at the LA/SPCA - 701 Thayer St. New Orleans, LA 70114. WHEN: Monday July 24 for initial two weeks. Possibly longer depending on demand.
The Rig must have at least 8 volunteers each day in order to operate. Please consider volunteering for any one or all of the days the Rig is here. This is a very exciting opportunity for our communities to receive low-cost spay neuter services. And as you all know an important part of insuring quality of life for our feral as well as our pet companions.
VOLUNTEER NEEDS:
INTAKE — 3 volunteers each morning from 6:45am until 9:00am. Intake
volunteers work primarily outside of the Rig, and are responsible for:
• Greeting pet owners/caregivers and thanking them for participating in the program
• Completing intake paperwork accurately (see sample in intake section)
• Providing instructions to pet owners/caregivers
• Accepting co-payment for surgeries
• Completing the intake log
• Writing appropriate information on animal neckband and carriers
RECOVERY — 1 volunteer inside the Rig from 9:30am until 5:00pm each day.
(Please note that the evening time slot may be adjusted due to
surgery/recovery times). Because of limited space on the Rig, no more than
one volunteer will work on the Rig itself. The On Rig volunteer is
responsible for:
• Assisting with surgery prep.
• Assisting the veterinary staff with any needs they may have.
• Monitoring animals to ensure that they recover from anesthesia in a timely manner.
• Assisting with the return of animals to their owners/caregivers.
DATA ENTRY — 1 person to complete data entry each day. Data entry
volunteers work on the Rig either in the surgical room or in the recovery
area, and are responsible for:
• Using the Humane Alliance online database to accurately enter data for each surgery.
• Ensuring that each written surgery record is accounted for before the veterinary staff leaves each day.
• Presenting the written surgery record to either the onsite.
representative of Spay/Louisiana, the Humane Alliance representative onsite, or the lead veterinarian.
• Reporting daily surgery totals and results to the project lead.
RELEASE — 3 volunteers from 3:00pm until 5:00pm. Release volunteers are responsible for:
• Greeting pet owners/caregivers and thanking them once again for participating in the program.
• Making certain that each owner/caregiver signs the log before leaving.
(see sample in Release Section)
• Providing take home care instructions to pet owners/caregivers. (see sample in Release section)
• Returning animals to their owners/caregivers
RIG SCHEDULE, FIRST TWO WEEKS:
Monday July 24 / Tuesday July 25 / Wednesday July 26 / Thursday July 27
and
Sunday July 30 / Monday July 31 / Tuesday August 1 / Wednesday August 2 / Thursday August 3
TO VOLUNTEER, CONTACT:
Kate Pullen: kate@la-spca.org
We need people who can commit to times indicated above. Please let Kate know what volunteer role you’re able to assist with. Volunteers must sign a LA/SPCA volunteer waiver. Intake volunteers work under tents outside and data entry and recovery volunteers work on the Rig which is air conditioned. Volunteers need to bring lunch for now, bottled water provided.
The Big Fix Rig is one of the many opportunities that has presented itself to Louisiana and Mississippi for spay/neuter services. We know this is needed ten times over. Help us make this opportunity a complete success!
CONTACT: Kate Pullen - kate@la-spca.org
Mention that ARNO sent you.
Thanks so much for your consideration.
Charlotte Bass Lilly, ARNO, http://www.animalrescueneworleans.org
arnocharlotte@cox.net
P.S. ARNO still needs you too, as a volunteer for:
FOOD/WATER
ANIMAL CARE AT THE SHELTER
A DONOR
Our cooperative ventures with the LA/SPCA and other humane organizations in
Louisiana and Mississippi result in efficient expedition of aid to the
animals. Help us all and be a part of animal recovery from the largest
disaster to ever hit the United States. Recovery is a long road and the more
people who walk the walk the faster it all can and will happen.
TO VOLUNTEER FOR ARNO:
—Fill out our online volunteer application.
—If you are interested in participating in evacuation/disaster volunteerism
please contact - disastervolunteer@cox.net
3. ARNO & SAF Need Fosters/Adopters/Shelters
For 100s Of Pets Still Roaming Streets
SOURCE: LeAnne Goudeau, yepitsme770@yahoo.com
If you are working with a shelter that is willing to take some roaming pets from NOLA or you are interested in fostering/adopting PLEASE email me (you must be associated with a 501c3 NO KILL to foster): yepitsme770@yahoo.com
F/W Volunteers are now filling up their homes with Katrina Pets just to
ensure they are safe. They are so worried because the past few weeks dog
packs are killing roaming cats. Please contact your local shelter(s) and see
if they have space available. They must be a 501c3 NO KILL facility.
REPLY TO: LeAnne, LA Pet Rescue
yepitsme770@yahoo.com, 337-513-2344
MORE Pics of Roaming Pets in NOLA:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yepitsme770/sets/72157594146629576/
REPLY TO: LeAnne, LA Pet Rescue
yepitsme770@yahoo.com, 337-513-2344
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Can You Help A Post-Katrina Stray?
SOURCE: http://neworleans.craigslist.org/pet/184065071.html
Reply to: comm-184065071@craigslist.org/2006-07-20
The few deeply committed people who have been feeding and watching over the
strays left in New Orleans after major animal rescue efforts ended there
really, really need our help. There is an urgent need to trap and find foster or permanent loving homes and these "feeders" have been doing the
best they can, but trappers have left to go back home now, local shelters
are full and cannot take in any more animals from the streets, food supply
is unpredictable, and foster homes are nowhere to be found. One feeder is
right now sheltering 28 cats in her home, while helping with the feeding
efforts, and holding down two jobs!
FOSTERS ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED. And no-kill shelters—anywhere in the country—are needed to take animals threatened by bulldozers and packs of wandering starving dogs. Trappers are needed to rescue them. Pet food is urgently needed, too, at ARNO and at the Southern Animal Foundation to supply the feeders.
If you can give your heart and home to be a foster, or if you can help with trapping and feeding, or if you can donate even a small sum for food and cages, you can be assured that you are doing a very great service for the animals left behind. REPLY TO: kathybsweeney@yahoo.com
4. Big Fix Making Big Impact In Katrina-Torn Louisiana
SOURCE: Marnie Reeder <starbright60@webtv.net>
SpayLouisiana, http://spaylouisiana.org/bigfixrig-stbernard.html
While Big Fix Rig was in Chalmette last week, Friends of the Animal Shelter of St. Bernard assembled a wonderful crew of volunteers who pitched in every morning at 6:45am to provide support for our team of visiting technicians and Louisiana licensed veterinarians. On the first day, 34 surgeries were performed. Over the five day event, 163 cats and kittens were spayed or neutered. Friends of the Animal Shelter of St. Bernard did an excellent jobof promoting the event, and filled their surgery schedule in a matter of days. Spay/Louisiana's vouchers were distributed to dog owners, and to cat owners and feral caregivers who were not able to schedule an appointment for surgery on the Rig.
Big Fix Rig arrives in Chalmette, and is parked on the grounds of Chalmette High School. Volunteers and veterinarians ready for our first patients and their families to arrive.
Volunteers kept a close, caring eye on patients coming out of surgery. Immediately after surgery, patients are placed on "the beach" a cushiony-soft, easily accessible area, where they can be surrounded by blankets and heated rice bags that help keep them warm.
MORE photos of the Rig's arrival and first day of operation:
http://spaylouisiana.org/bigfixrig-stbernard.html
RIG’S NEXT STOP: ALGIERS, AT LOUISIANA SPCA
Volunteer candidates interested in helping in Algiers should visit:
http://www.la-spca.org/education/volunteer_edu.htm
More information: http://spaylouisiana.org/bigfixrig.html
SPAY/NEUTER ASSISTANCE VOUCHERS
Spay/Louisiana's first voucher for spay/neuter assistance was issued by St.
Bernard Parish ACO Tina Bernard, on June 22nd. Since then, over one hundred
vouchers have been issued, and more requests are waiting to be processed.
We're thrilled to see this program so well-received, and are working hard to clear the backlog of requests and to add participating veterinarians and voucher distribution partners.
Vouchers are available for hurricane-impacted and low-income households in St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Orleans or Jefferson Parishes. Vouchers may be used for spay or neuter surgery for owned cats and dogs or feral/stray cats. More information: http://spaylouisiana.org/voucherprogram.html
STATEWIDE SPAY/NEUTER REFERRALS
Through Spay/Louisiana's statewide referral program, we are often able
to help Louisiana pet owners find local humane organizations or
veterinarians that provide spay/neuter assistance. Pet owners may submit
requests for assistance online, and are provided with an emailed list of
spay/neuter assistance organizations and veterinarians in their area.
More information: http://spaylouisiana.org/referrals.html
A HIGH-QUALITY, HIGH-VOLUME FACILITY
The voucher program and Big Fix Rig visits are a good start, but even when
added to the important efforts of existing spay/neuter assistance program,
do not provide the sustained volume of surgeries needed to prevent pet
overpopulation in our community. In order to accomplish this goal,
Spay/Louisiana is proceeding with our plan open a high-volume, high-quality
regional spay/neuter facility in late 2006/early 2007. This regional
facility, with a proposed location in western Jefferson Parish, will serve
all or part of 25 parishes.
Send resume income requirements to:
Box 11149, Jefferson LA 70181
Compensation: competitive rate, depends on experience
Spay/Louisiana P. O. Box 11149, Jefferson Louisiana, 70181 504-FIX-PETS
5. Katrina Dog In Pittsburgh Could Die Soon
SOURCE: Saransley@aol.com
REPLY TO: Shirl Ransley - 412-519-6541, Saransley@aol.com
In October, 2005, my husband and I went to New Orleans, and worked the
"trenches" getting animals out of abandoned homes, out from under houses,
running the streets, in rafters, ...you get the idea. We worked closely with
Best Friends in Tylertown, MS, and the Louisiana Humane Society, and the
holding areas at Winn Dixie, working with Cassandra.
When leaving New Orleans, after a few weeks, we were encouraged to bring back "homeless" animals to Pittsburgh, with hopes of finding their original owners via internet groups. We brought back many animals, all of which have been adopted. We do have a boxer mix that now lives happily in our home.
There is a sweet chocolate Lab/Dobie (maybe)/chow (maybe)...mix in Pittsburgh. The "no-kill" shelter that I took the dog to initially (their request) is about to euthanize him. I call him "Jackson"...as in General Jackson. He is sweet, loves people, is starving for direction from a "master".
Jackson survived the hurricane, the levy break, then heartworm...the heartworm treatment nearly killed him, then a rare venereal disease that nearly claimed his life. After 5 months of rest and rehab at a local "doggie spa"...he was sent back to the "no kill" shelter, as he was ready for adoption. He is altered and up to date on shots, and perfectly healthy now.
He has been "black listed" there. He is basically going cage crazy, and his only issues are that he lunges at the cage if a child walks past. If the child is accompanied by an adult, he doesn't do this. When he is on a leash, he doesn't lunge at children.
He is selective as to what dogs he likes, although I have seen him play with
other dogs, and sleep on the couch of our humane agent with her dogs. My
opinion is that this "no kill" shelter caused most of his behavioral
"issues"..he has been caged for 9 months now. I am the rescuer, and not
permitted to take him out, even for a ride in the car, because they don't
want him leaving the premises. They have "issues" about lawsuits if he gets
loose and lost, and the children issues that Jackson has. If they would read
the dog’s language, they would see that he is just protecting his cage when
in it..it is a territorial thing. And he doesn't like some dogs...I have
dogs living in my house that came from this same shelter, with the same
"labeling"...and they live and sleep together on the same bed! This shelter
LIVES by the Sue Sternberg method of temperament testing, which I believe
the staff members would fail if tested themselves! :) (So would I)
The humane agent, nor I, can take him, as we each are at our household limits. I am holding the "no-kill" shelter at bay, by placing ads in the New Orleans newspapers seeking his owners, and have ladies that live there posting posters of him in the area where he was found.
This dog is NOT dangerous...he just wants a family, preferably with no kids. He is begging for a human to give him direction. I have attempted to get him back to New Orleans, but no one can take him in. I will arrange his transportation.
He is about 40 pounds, has a curled tail, brown body and face, with gold markings on the face resembling that of a red doberman. He is about 4 years old. I can't bear to see this animal die because some "power tripper" at the "no kill" shelter gave him a temperament test, and didn't like her results. He IS NOT VICIOUS.
Note: I have resigned as a volunteer at this shelter for all but ER rescues and confiscations of hoarders. I used to be a HUGE, vital part of their volunteer core. It is the only reason that I am being given the consideration to look for a place for him ho to. Can you help this guy?
REPLY TO: Shirl Ransley - 412-519-6541, Saransley@aol.com The shelter is Animal Friends in Pittsburgh, PA. - Phone: 412-566-2103 Kathleen Beaver is the director.
6. Animal Disaster Training In Louisiana – Good Overview
SOURCE: Pam Leavy <tundraleap@msn.com>
Pam Leavy <tundraleap@msn.com> writes, 7/18: I've received numerous emails asking about training for volunteers in future Louisiana disasters. This is the information I've compiled from state planning authorities. First, join a humane/shelter organization, if you do not already belong to one. It is much more time and labor efficient for authorities to accept help from an organization, who has pre-qualified, trained volunteers, rather than accept help on a one by one basis. During a disaster, time is critical.
JOIN: (very important step)
LSART, Louisiana State Animal Response Team (application attached)
SIGN UP WITH ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, AS DISASTER RESPONSE VOLUNTEERS:
(These organizations may require additional training and vaccinations.)
HSUS: http://tinyurl.com/r9p3q
UAN (EARS): http://www.uan.org/
Code 3: http://www.code3associates.org/
TRAINING:
Training required for evacuation shelter workers are ICS 100 and 200,
however, it is my understanding that this training will not be required
until 2007. Take the courses anyway. All of courses listed below are
available online at: http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS:
For volunteering at evacuation shelters:
ICS 100, also referred to as IS 100 - Intro to Incident Command System
ICS 200, also referred to as IS 200 - Basic Incident Command System
For volunteering at response shelters:
All of the above, plus
NIMS 700, also referred to as IS 700 - National Incident Management System
I'd recommend also taking NIMS 800, also referred to as IS 800 - National Response Plan
For volunteering in the field, rescues:
All of the above, plus
IS 10 - Animals in Disaster Module A
IS 11 - Animals in Disaster Module B
For water rescue:
All of the above, plus
additional technical water rescue training, refer to Code 3 training requirements
VACCINATIONS REQUIRED/RECOMMENDED:
(refer to HSUS, UAN, and Code 3 requirements)
Tetanus
Hepatitis A & B
Rabies pre-exposure
*******************************************************************
ANOTHER EXTENSIVE RESOURCE:
MUTTSHACK ANIMAL RESCUE CERTIFICATES Through FEMA
http://www.muttshack.org/Animal_Rescue_Certification_Prospectus.htm
7. FOUND: Chance, Katrina Survivor Shiba Inu Mix
ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT CHANCE, CONTACT:
PETFINDER’S PUBLIC CONTACT INFORMATION - 920-499-7475
PET DETAIL:
TYPE: Found / STATUS: Open
PETFINDER SYSTEM I.D.: PF63254
Date Posted: 2006-07-21
Disaster: KATRINA
LAST SEEN:
New Orleans Area? We are not sure where this pretty girl was orignally rescued from, but she ended up in Hattiesburg, MS and is now in Ohio.
DESCRIPTION:
Shiba Inu Mix
Age (YRS): 1
Color(s): red white
Size: M
Markings: Curly tail
Sex: F
This pretty Katrina dog looks to be mix of Shiba Inu and possibly Chow or
Basenji. She is a red color with some white and has a curly tail. She is
heartwork negative.
PHOTO:
http://disaster.petfinder.com/emergency/rescue/reportDetail.cgi?id=63254
IF YOU RECOGNIZE CHANCE OR WANT TO INQUIRE ABOUT HER, CONTACT:
PETFINDER’S PUBLIC CONTACT INFORMATION
920-499-7475
SOURCE: http://disaster.petfinder.com/emergency/rescue/reportDetail.cgi?id=63254
8. FOUND: Orange Cat In Lakeview (Orleans Parish)
ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CAT, CONTACT:
PETFINDER’S PUBLIC CONTACT INFORMATION - 920-499-7475
PET DETAIL:
TYPE: Found / STATUS: Open
PETFINDER SYSTEM I.D.: PF63243
Date Posted: 2006-07-20
Disaster: KATRINA
LAST SEEN:
She was trapped in the 200 block of 28th Street in Lakeview, LA - a suburb of New Orleans (Orleans Parish). This location is between Pontchartrain and Fleur de Lis.
DESCRIPTION:
Cat, Domestic Short Hair - orange and white
Age (YRS): 2
Color(s): tabby/tiger
Size: S
Sex: spayed female
This beautiful girl is an orange and white domestic shorthair. She is pretty
scared but does not appear to be feral. She was not ear-tipped when she was
trapped but she has a small one now. Since being trapped, the contact has
spent time with her and says that she is very friendly and without "issues."
PHOTO:
http://disaster.petfinder.com/emergency/rescue/reportDetail.cgi?id=63243
IF YOU RECOGNIZE THIS CAT OR WANT TO INQUIRE ABOUT HER, CONTACT:
PETFINDER’S PUBLIC CONTACT INFORMATION
920-499-7475
9. Pet Evacuation Volunteers Sought
SOURCE: Lilla Whitehead <lilandneal@hotmail.com>, <sandra@spaymart.org>
From: Yahoo News Alerts, Via: The Shreveport Times, Shreveport, Louisiana
For more information about volunteering with pet evacuations:
http://lsart.evetsites.net
For information about pet-friendly hotels, check out:
http://www.bringyourpet.com
http://www.petswelcome.com,
http://www.pets-allowed-hotels.com
By John Hill, jhillbr@gannett.com * BATON ROUGE — Seven weeks into hurricane season, animal groups are looking for volunteers who will help with pet evacuations in the event of an emergency.
A new state law puts dogs and cats officially in emergency response planning, but volunteers are still needed throughout the state to assist, said Rebecca Adcock of the LSU School of Veterinary Science, a coordinator of the State Animal Response Team.
"With the help of the Red Cross, we are identifying locations where we can have pet-friendly shelters," Adcock said.
Mega shelters for dogs and cats have been selected: the State Fair Grounds in Shreveport and the coliseum in Alexandria, she said.
Dr. Renee Porrier, a Lafayette vet, is coordinating volunteer efforts.
Volunteers to work at shelters can sign up online at the Louisiana State Animal Response Team's Web site, http://www.lsart.evetsites.net Adcock said.
The state emergency plan triggers the pet evacuation efforts 120 hours before landfall of a hurricane, said Ashley Rodrigue, communication director for the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
The state's emergency team that deals with evacuating animals has been teleconferencing and holding subcommittee meetings daily to finish plans mandated by a bill by Sen. Clo Fontenot, R-Livingston, that Blanco signed into law last month.
"One of the first things we will do is public announcements saying, 'OK, folks, this is what you need to do for your pets,'" Rodrigue said.
The best thing animal owners could do is to have a microchip implanted into their animal by a vet. Similar to giving the animal a shot, a vet inserts a tiny microchip just under the animal's skin.
The microchip company keeps electronic files on owners, including current addresses and phone numbers, so the owner can be found even if the pet has lost its collar.
At a minimum, the pet should have a well-fitting collar with the name, address and phone number of the owner. "It is very important," Rodrigue said. "We want people to permanently identify their animals. That includes microchips, tattoos and branding. We really encourage that because it stays with the animal."
Actual pet evacuations for those owners that need assistance will begin around 50 hours before a hurricane is expected to make landfall. The exact locations of pet shelters will not be announced until the storm tracks.
SART is working to locate shelters near human shelters. "The message that is
most important to get out to the people of Louisiana is don't leave your
pets at home," Adcock said. "Taking responsibility for your pet is
critical."
10. No Fido Or Fluffy Left Behind
SOURCE: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/US/07/17/bc.na.gen.us.petevacuat.ap/
Louisiana develops animal evacuation plans for hurricanes
July 18, 2006, BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (AP) — A statewide plan to evacuate
pets during hurricanes is being worked out by state and local officials, who
are required to map the procedures under a new law enacted to avoid the
problems that erupted after Hurricane Katrina struck.
The law applies to cats, dogs and other domesticated animals.
"I am greatly worried about the evacuation of pets from New Orleans," said Laura Maloney, executive director of the Louisiana branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "We have many unfilled needs. We have lots of shortages."
The law was prompted by pet evacuation problems during and after Katrina that resulted in the deaths or abandonment of thousands of cats and dogs. In some cases, pet owners endangered their own lives by refusing to abandon their animals.
The law requires the governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and their local counterparts to devise humane ways to evacuate and shelter cats and dogs during hurricanes. Service animals such as guide dogs are supposed to be evacuated with their owners. Household pets in carriers and cages will be allowed on public transportation if they do not endanger people.
State and local emergency officials are supposed to find animal shelters and draft regulations as well as set up an identification system so pets can be reunited with their owners should they become separated during storms.
Maloney said that, unlike last year before Katrina struck, pet owners will know where to find evacuation shelters.
State agriculture officials have asked operators of animal shelters, humane societies, veterinary offices, kennels, grooming facilities and other sites to provide copies of their evacuation plans by July 31 so they can be made public.
After Katrina, some pet owners risked their lives when they weren't allowed
to evacuate with their pets. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.
11. Landmark Trial Begins July 31:
Kern County California Charged With Failure to Comply
With The Vincent And Hayden Laws
SOURCE: http://network.bestfriends.org/news/postdetail.aspx?gu=animallawcoalition&gu=animallawcoalition&np=6140
July 19, 2006 / by Laura Allen — Trial to begin July 31, 2006 in Bakersfield, CA in the case of Lock v. Kern County, California. This is a landmark case to try to obtain a permanent injunction requiring Kern County Animal Control to comply with California’s Vincent Law and Hayden Law.
The Vincent Law, found at Cal. Food & Agr. Code §§30503, 31751.3, requires public shelters and animal control agencies, humane societies and not-for-profit animal rescue groups in counties with populations in excess of 100,000 to spay/neuter shelter animals before selling or giving them away.
If a veterinarian certifies for health reasons the animal should not be spayed/neutered at that time, the shelter, agency or rescue group must obtain a deposit from an adoptee or purchaser. The deposit is refunded if the animal is spayed/neutered within 30 days. The law also sets up a spay/neuter fund. A copy of this law is in Animal Law Coalition’s Resources section.
The Hayden Law consists of a number of amendments to various laws. These amendments are designed to reduce shelter euthanasia rates throughout the state, encourage owner redemption and adoptions and improve the treatment of animals. In passing this law, the state proposed to end the euthanasia of adoptable and treatable animals by 2010. Civil Code § 1834.4. CA Food & Agr. Code §17005, CA Penal Code §599d
To that end under the law shelters are generally required to hold dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, pot-bellied pigs, birds, lizards, snakes, turtles, or tortoises for 6 business days before euthanizing them. A smaller shelter that has made the animals available by appointment or one that has been open for redemption or adoption one evening or one weekend day, is only required to hold them for 4 business days. CA Food & Agr. Code §§ 31108, 31752, 31753.
The Hayden Law also mandates that instead of killing stray animals, public shelters or agencies must release them to any 501c(3) non-profit group that requests them. CA Food & Agr. Code §31752
Shelters must also take steps to verify whether a cat is actually feral or simply frightened. If a cat is determined by a standard protocol to be feral, it may be euthanized after 3 days unless there is a request from a 501c(3) non-profit group to take it. CA Food & Agr. Code §31752.5.
Under the Hayden Law shelters are required to assist owners in finding or placing lost animals by: (1) allowing people the ability to list the animals they have lost or found on "Lost and Found" lists maintained by the pound or shelter; (2) referring them to animals listed that may be the animals the owners or finders have lost or found; (3) providing people with the telephone numbers and addresses of other pounds and shelters in the same vicinity, (4) advising as to means of publishing and disseminating information regarding lost animals, and (5) providing the telephone numbers and addresses of volunteer groups that may be of assistance in locating lost animals. CA Food & Agr. Code §32001
Recordkeeping is also an important component of the Hayden Law. The records must include (a) the date the animal was taken up, medically treated, euthanized, or impounded; (b) the circumstances under which the animal was taken up, medically treated, euthanized, or impounded; (c) the names of the personnel who took up, medically treated, euthanized, or impounded the animal; (d) a description of any medical treatment provided to the animal and the name of the veterinarian of record, and (e) the final disposition of the animal, including the name of the person who euthanized the animal or the name and address of the adopting party. These records must be maintained for three years after the last date of the animal's impoundment. CA Food & Agr. Code §32003
Other provisions of the Hayden Law require humane care and treatment of animals held by shelters including necessary veterinary care. A complete copy of all of the provisions of Hayden law can be found in Animal Law Coalition’s Resources section.
Patricia Lock filed her case in 2004, claiming Kern County Animal Control violates the Vincent Law and the Hayden Law in several respects.
Lock claims animals are not held for the requisite 4 business days and instead are routinely euthanized immediately. She claims cats thought to be feral are not held for the statutory period or tested to determine if they are indeed feral; these cats are simply euthanized immediately. Animals deemed to be sick are, according to her Complaint, euthanized rather than treated. The county’s shelters, according to Lock, do not have the sick animal examined by a veterinarian prior to euthanizing it. Lock says nursing animals are euthanized.
In the Complaint Lock charges cats are not euthanized at all but killed with a painful drug, Euthanol-6. The drug is for dogs and causes pain to cats. Also, the shelters purportedly do not have personnel trained to administer this drug. Yet it is allegedly used anyway to kill animals.
The Complaint charges 501c(3) non-profit groups are not given the opportunity as required by the law to take animals before they are killed by the shelter.
The Complaint alleges people are denied the opportunity to find out if their pet is at one of the counties’ two shelters. It is alleged in no sense does the county comply with requirements to assist people in locating lost animals.
Also, the County allegedly does not spay/neuter animals before releasing them. Their shelters also do not always require proof of ownership before just releasing animals to someone. See CA Food & Agr. Code §§ 31108.5 and 31752.2
The county is charged under state law with the proper care and humane treatment of all strays. Yet, the county’s shelters purportedly allow animals to be dropped off after hours in bins. Sometimes a cat is put in a bin with a large dog and is killed. Also, the county has at times limited the numbers of animals it will take care of at its 2 publicly funded shelters and the 2 under contract. Indeed, it is alleged the county sold needed shelter space to the City of Bakersfield.
Early in the case on November 10, 2004 the judge entered a temporary restraining order requiring the county to comply with the applicable laws. Nathan Winograd, former director of operations at the San Francisco SPCA and the Tompkins County, New York animal shelter, and a noted consultant to shelters across the country, offered testimony on behalf of the plaintiff.
For its part, the county claims it has spent $600,000 to $800,000 to comply with the Vincent and Hayden laws. The county argues the state has never reimbursed it for these expenditures. The county’s attorney, however, admitted in Court that no request for reimbursement had ever been made to the state. It is not clear the county has actually spent anything to comply with these laws.
According to Kate Neiswender attorney for Patricia Lock, "This is a case of on-going abuse and failure to follow … laws at the Animal Shelters in Kern County." Neiswender said, "They are killing 50 to 75 animals every day. These figures are the direct result of the shelters refusing to work with rescue groups, keeping stray animals behind locked doors, and refusing to spay and neuter.
"It's as if the[] [county is] deliberately making it difficult for people to adopt an animal, or to find their lost animals, or for rescue groups to do their jobs. Most of these animals are killed without even having had a chance at being adopted - or even seen.
"People believe when they take an animal to the shelter, the animal has at least a fighting chance of finding a new home. What they don't know is that the animal comes through the front door with the owner, but is taken immediately out the back door to be killed.
"And to add to the problem, a recent study showed that 25 percent of purported owners bringing dogs and cats to shelters, were, in fact, not the owners, but ex-wives or neighbors out for revenge. That's why the law was changed to make sure there was proof of ownership. That isn't being done at the [county]… shelters.”
At the same time, Neiswender claims, although "drop bins" have been eliminated at almost all shelters throughout of the state, they still exist in Kern County.
She explained, "The drop bins were originally designed for emergencies. But they have been turned into a blood sport. A cat is put into the bin and an aggressive dog thrown in with her. When the bin is opened the next morning there is often a dead cat, or pieces of a cat...yet the drop bin remains.
"We feel these shelter people, for lack of leadership or lack of conscience, claim they are not allowed to call, for example, the Golden Retriever Rescue when a Golden Retriever puppy is impounded. And, many, many times they have refused to adopt to rescue groups.
"In good conscience, I don't think we should let this go on."
12. Campbell’s Story
SOURCE: veni harlan, borzoirule@cox.net
forwarded, with permission to reprint, from Mariko Nakanishi <zzcat@pacbell.net>
Veni Harlan / July 2006
Nearly a year later, Campbell, the Double Yellow-Headed Amazon parrot is reunited with his owner.
We took in this lovely boy to foster, along with about 65 other birds, when Rita approached and all the animals at the Gonzales shelter had to be evacuated (again). Unlike some, this guy still had his papers. (So many were lost or "eaten.") He'd been picked up September 12, 2005 (two weeks post Katrina) from the Louis Armstrong Elementary school and was tagged LA-SPCA #320. No street was indicated but I learned this school was on St. Claude Avenue in the 9th Ward. Was he a school pet? Was this a drop off point? Or did someone attempt to steal the bird and then tire of the heavy burden leaving him on the curb? We'll never know.
Dr. Rich, whose avian practice in Metairie had been destroyed, cared for all our birds and deciphered his band: GSBC LA 96 1467. This meant the parrot was bred by a member of the Gulf South Bird Club and was 9 years old. Unfortunately, the club members were just as dispersed and unreachable as everyone else. The parrot was underweight and wormy but otherwise, in good condition.
Like most Yellow Heads, this fellow, who we dubbed "Satchmo" after Louis Armstrong, was vocally gifted. He sang, called the other bird's names, greeted visitors with a warm hello, and generally kept everyone very entertained. His original cage, though small and in poor condition, contained many toys telling us he was well loved.
Late last year, I received a call from Cheryl Sanchez looking for her parrot. She even sounded like Satchmo and I was delighted to confirm we did indeed have her parrot and that he was safe and sound. I could hear muffled crying on the phone. "My baby's name is Campbell." She explained how a young relative used the computers at the Houston shelter to find her bird on Petfinder. With no transportation or clear plan, I suggested she allow Campbell to remain with us until she was settled. Over the next few months Cheryl would call from Houston to check on her bird. When her daughter and son-in-law moved back to New Orleans, Cheryl phoned to say they'd be able to pick Campbell up. That day came and went. We later learned that Cheryl's daughter woke to find her husband dead in the bed. The daughter was rushed to an emergency clinic and was diagnosed with permanent brain damage. The couple had been repairing their home and were poisoned as they slept by carbon monoxide.
Several months went by before I heard from Cheryl again. Then, "I now have a FEMA trailer on my property!" she told me happily. "My baby can come home!"
After months of caring for and living with this wonderful parrot, Mom had naturally become very attached to him. With only the help of her housekeeper, Aida, she had cared for all the birds and had also assumed the costs of feed, supplies, and additional cages (most were in poor condition, broken, or inappropriate). "We really need to get Campbell a better cage to go home in" she told me worriedly. I wrote HSUS and to my delight, Disaster Resource Manager, Joan Willoughby, responded and agreed to cover up to $400 to outfit Campbell. Our new friend, Ronny, owner of Country Boy Cages in Denham Springs, generously provided everything we needed-a nice big cage with perches, rope, ceramic bowls, and 2 bags of food, all within the budget. (Ronny had also donated toys and discounted feed for all our feathered wards.)
Campbell would go home to live in style and comfort. My brother Hansel loaded the cage and off we went in a driving rain, back to New Orleans with Campbell. The downpour of course was ominous and brought back memories of Katrina. Would Campbell be safe back in a place still so vulnerable? We could only hope.
The weather cleared as we entered the battered city. In the distance a dim rainbow arched across the Vieux Carre. We took the Claiborne exit into the 9th Ward and slowly traveled through a surreal landscape of debris, abandoned cars, tumbled buildings, and empty homes. But there were also hopeful sights...people repairing a window, cleaning the yard, or visiting on a front step. We found the neighborhood, a block from the Pauline Street Warf, to be standing but quite deserted. Cheryl stood in the street to flag us down. We all hugged and then opened the back doors of the car. Campbell, upon seeing his mom, simply went crazy. He fluffed and cooed and was just so incredibly excited and happy. Though he'd been animated in Baton Rouge, we had never seen him act this way. Clearly, the parrot was beyond elated to see his mom. If we had any reservations, they vanished there on that lonely street watching this owner and her parrot delight in the vision of one another.
Cheryl, a deeply spiritual woman in her late 50s, believed God had saved herself and Campbell. The parrot had been a gift from her daughter after the death of Cheryl's husband in 1999. The pair had bonded and in Cheryl's mind, the spirit of her late husband was embodied in this parrot.
Why did this owner and others remain in New Orleans when everyone was warned to leave? Faith in God's protection. Ignorance of the consequences. A lack of transportation or the resources to stay elsewhere. A very late notice from the major to get out. The strong desire to remain with family members and pets. There were many possible reasons.
The Lower 9th Ward is a predominately African American neighborhood composed of mainly middle to low income families, many of whom have lived there for generations. Although challenged with the problems of most inner city communities, there are a number of organizations, churches and individuals in the area who are addressing these problems and holding on to the family-oriented atmosphere characteristic of this section. The Holy Cross neighborhood where Cheryl lives, is wedged between the levees of the Industrial Canal and the Mississippi River. Originally sugar cane fields and vegetable gardens, the crops provided major sources of employment. In the late 1800s, poor African Americans and immigrant laborers from Ireland, Germany and Italy desperate for homes but unable to afford housing in other areas of the city risked flooding and disease to move to Holy Cross. In the 1870s, several African American benevolent associations and mutual-aid societies organized to assist scores of struggling freedmen into the area. Most homes are shotguns, but Creole cottages, side halls, bungalows, and occasional brick Italianate structures can also be found here. The neighborhood is rich with small businesses, barber and beauty shops, corner stores, eateries, day care centers, as well as public schools and many churches. It has a resilient history of survival and activism.
One of Cheryl's daughters lived around the corner in a sturdy home that was one of the highest in the neighborhood. She had Campbell brought there and along with 9 other relatives, rode out the storm. They believed, as did many, that the city had been spared. But on August 30th, around 7 a.m., the storm surge reached the Industrial Canal, collapsed the floodwalls, and released a wall of water into the Lower 9th Ward. Homes and cars were tossed around like toys. With the collapse of other levees, 80 percent of the city became submerged. Watching the waters suddenly rise, Cheryl and her family scrambled to the 2nd floor, lifting Campbell's cage to the attic. Someone remembered the hammer and busted a hole in the roof. (Residents had been urged to keep hammers in their attics since Hurricane Betsy.) Then they waited. The group was somewhat prepared, if you can call it that. They had food and water to last them a couple of days but the view from the roof was terrifying. All around them stranded neighbors called out to one another. Cheryl and her family knew the sudden flood meant many would die, particularly the infirmed and immobile. She prayed and believed that she, her family, and Campbell would be saved.
Rescue boats eventually came but could only take a few of their group. They passed, choosing to stay together. The next day, another boat came that could transport all of them. Rescuers made assurances that Campbell would be rescued as well. (During the first week, the U.S. Coast Guard saved 15,665 people, which is more than three times the number of lives they saved in all of 2004.) Probably the most famous Lower Ninth Ward resident, Antoine Domino, Jr., known as Fats Domino, the rock-and-roll legend, was also plucked from the water by rescuers.
Along with hundreds of others, Cheryl's group walked through knee-high water to the Jackson Barracks, headquarters of the Louisiana National Guard since World War II. Though the base was flooded, there were several multi-level buildings. But the officers drew guns and would not allow them in. Cheryl and hundreds of wet, homeless, panicked, and desperate people gathered in a fog of disbelief and fear. They drudged on to a dry levee and then walked for several miles in darkness to a place they were told had waiting buses. Cheryl's brother, who had joined the group, could not manage the trip. His invalid wife, Rosetta, had drowned and the experience, grief, heat, and exhaustion had overcome him. He sat on the levee wanting to die. Cheryl's voice trembled in the telling of this. When no waiting buses were found, the family slept on the ground until transportation finally came. The family was taken to the Southern University gymnasium where they remained for a month. Afterwards, they were housed in the Houston Astrodome and still later, in a FEMA subsidized Houston apartment. In late June, FEMA installed a small, but tidy trailer behind Cheryl's home.
The city of New Orleans and the Army Corps of Engineers have inspected more than 120,000 homes, classifying each based on the level of damage. The Lower 9th Ward had the highest concentration of homes that were tagged "red" because they were structurally unstable. The Holy Cross section fared a little better.
Someone had gotten Campbell to the Louis Armstrong Elemetary School five blocks away. A fortuitous act by an unknown do-gooder or thief; or in Chery's words…"A glorious miracle of God's angels." Cheryl believed in miracles and knew Campbell would come back to her. Interestingly, the Louis Armstrong Elementary school (originally McDonogh #19) made history in 1960 when it became one of the first deep-South schools to open its all-white doors to black children. And now, in a different way, it made history in Cheryl's life.
The new cage "just" fit through the trailer door. The parrot easily fit back into Cheryl's life. Though she has no insurance, her home is fixable and Campbell will soon return to his screened-in front porch from where he'll joyfully call out to passerbys in true Amazon fashion.
Cheryl mentioned a gospel song that spoke to her faith during the ordeal of Katrina. She believes she and Campbell are going to make it…that they'll be all right. And as Cheryl proved, sometimes believing a thing can make it true.
He's An On-Time God
Lead: He's an on time God, Yes he is Oh.........
Choir: On time God...... Yes he is
Lead: Job said
Choir: He may not come when you want him
Lead: But He'll
Choir: Be there right on time
Lead: I'll tell ya he's an
Choir: On time God, yes he is
Lead: You can ask the children of Israel, trapped at the red sea, by that mean old Pharoah, and his army. They had water all around them, and Pharoah on their track. From out of nowhere, God stepped in and cut a highway, just like that, now let me tell you he's an...
Choir: On time God...... Yes he is
Lead: You can ask the five thousand, hungry souls he fed, on the banks of the river, with two fish and five loaves of bread, what a miracle, he performed for the multitude, Oh what he did, way back then he'll do today for me and you.
Choir: On time God...... Yes he is
Lead: He's on time
Choir: On Time
###
If you'd like to send a note to Cheryl and Campbell, mail to:
Ms. Cheryl Sanchez
6040 Burgundy Street
New Orleans, LA 70117
SPECIAL THANKS to all of Campbell's "angels": Mom, Dr. Rich, the LA-SPCA, HSUS, Country Boy Cages, Claire Rogers, Hansel Harlan, and all those who helped, and continue to help, pets like Campbell who were impacted by this disaster.
- veni harlan
Hans loading Campbell.
Campbell buckles up.
Cheryl, partner Mark, and Mom with Campbell in front of their trailer (far right).
Campbell and Cheryl's happy reunion.
13. A Culture War Erupts As Many Keep Foster Pets
SOURCE: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/15047173.htm
Forwarded by Marnie Reeder, starbright60@webtv.net
Animal care varies by region. Katrina exiles neglected, some say.
By Kathy Boccella / Inquirer Staff Writerj
Sheila Combs lost nearly everything in Hurricane Katrina: her home, her
possessions, her job and - what really broke her heart - her 2-year-old
mutt, Rocket.
Combs assumed that the chow-Finnish Spitz mix had died after she, her mother and her 9-year-old son were evacuated from New Orleans to the Houston Astrodome.
So it seemed to be a miracle last month when a volunteer group seeking to reunite Katrina pets with their masters discovered Rocket alive and flourishing in Doylestown. Except that the pooch isn't Rocket anymore - he's Rusty. And his new owners have no intention of giving him back.
The resulting tug-of-war is among dozens of cases nationwide in which allegations of class bias have been raised by Katrina survivors attempting to reclaim beloved pets from the Good Samaritans who took them in.
"It's almost entirely a movement of animals from poor blacks to middle-class whites," said Steven Wise, a Florida animal-rights lawyer involved in several custody battles.
People who first considered themselves foster caregivers now say some Katrina pet lovers don't deserve their animals back. In what has been called a cultural misunderstanding, they cite neglect - including failure to have animals spayed or neutered and not getting rabies and heartworm prevention - as evidence of unfit care.
"We're trying to do what's best for the dog," said Philip G. Kircher, lawyer for Lynn and Joseph Welsh, a psychotherapist and a doctor, who took in Rocket around Thanksgiving.
The Welshes declined to be interviewed and Kircher would not detail their concerns.
"They think the dog would be better off with them because they're richer," said Kathleen P. Makowski, lawyer for Combs, a program manager at a nonprofit organization who lived in the Lakeview district of New Orleans.
Rocket's case is not unique. In January, a judge ruled that a Great Dane adopted by a Somerset County, N.J., family should rejoin his Louisiana owner.
An 86-year-old Katrina victim has sued to reclaim his 25-pound white poodle, Bandit, from a woman in the Pittsburgh area. "Please help me get my dog back," said Malvin Cavalier, Bandit's owner, who now lives in Houston. "I really miss my dog. I don't know why this lady won't give him. She's wrong, dead wrong."
Army Lt. Jay Johnson, who was in Iraq when the hurricane hit, has filed suit against the SPCA of Texas to retrieve his shih tzu, Missy, whom he left with relatives in New Orleans. And Linda Charles, 41, is suing to recover her German shepherd, Precious, from the Humane Society of North Texas.
"It's aggravating that people took not only our dog, but lots of people's dogs, and they're doing what they want with them," said Charles, of New Orleans, who now resides in Baton Rouge, La.
After the storm, many who fled left provisions for their pets and expected to return in a few days. When they didn't, the Humane Society of America and others collected the animals and shipped them to kennels around the country.
Rescue workers left spray-painted notes on houses and posted information on Internet sites, such as Petfinder.com, to help owners locate their animals. But by the time Katrina survivors were resettled and ready to search, many pets had found new homes.
Some groups set Dec. 31 as the deadline for owners to retrieve animals. After that, they were considered eligible for permanent homes.
But under Louisiana law, residents have three years to claim lost property, said Mimi Hunley, a member of the Louisiana Attorney General's Office who is helping mediate pet disputes. And pets are property, Hunley said. "It really is that simple."
Wise, who is involved in the Charles and Johnson cases, said it's hard to understand why the animals aren't being turned over. "These people lost everything," Wise said of the hurricane victims. "The only thing they have is their family, and these dogs are their family."
The SPCA of Texas and Humane Society of North Texas declined to comment on the cases. Cavalier, a retired sheet-metal worker, said he left food and water for Bandit, his dog of 10 years, when he evacuated New Orleans' Ninth Ward the day before Katrina hit. He never thought the levee would break, he said. "I was just praying to Almighty God that he would survive," he said.
Bandit passed through many hands before reaching Pittsburgh, according to an April 27 complaint filed in Pennsylvania Common Pleas Court against Lisa Fox, who is believed to have the dog.
Cavalier's son hunted down the poodle in October. Stealth Rescue, a Canadian animal-welfare group, negotiated with Voices for Animals - which it said had sheltered Bandit. Stealth Rescue even arranged to fly him home.
According to the complaint, someone connected to Voices - which is not being sued - suggested that Cavalier "abandoned" the dog and was an "undeserving owner." Now Fox and Bandit cannot be located.
"Isn't that cruel?" said Sandra Bauer of Stealth Rescue. "Malvin even built a doghouse and put the animal's name on it in brass letters."
Candice Zawoiski of Voices denies that the group ever had custody of Bandit. But she has acknowledged that groups are struggling over what to do with animals they suspect "suffered serious long-term neglect" before Katrina.
Some, such as Rose Reith, also of Doylestown, who took in 9-year-old Mojo, are happy to send their foster dogs home. Reith hunted for Mojo's owner on the Internet and plans to drive the Benji look-alike to New Orleans next month for a reunion with Kimberly McNeil.
"She told her youngest son, whose birthday is a few weeks before, that he's getting a special birthday present," said Reith, a crossing guard who owns a dog and four cats.
For McNeil and her family, who are still struggling, Mojo's return is bittersweet. "I love my dog and I'm happy to have him back, but right now I have no place to live," said McNeil, a mother of three who is temporarily living in Houston.
Many see attempts to deny Katrina victims their animals as further proof that New Orleans' poor have suffered disproportionately since the hurricane.
Standards of care differ by region, said Becky Adcock of the Louisiana State University veterinary school. What is acceptable in the rural South may not be in the urban Northeast. Some out-of-state volunteers were horrified that many dogs in the area had fleas, but poor families can't afford expensive treatments, she said.
And not being spayed or neutered isn't a sign of abuse, Adcock said. What's most important for Katrina animals is "to be with their pack, their family who loves them."
Negligence was not an issue with Rocket, who had a fenced-in yard, was neutered, and wore a rabies-vaccination tag, said Makowski, Sheila Combs' lawyer. Rocket was in a pack of hounds sent to Molly's Country Kennels in Lansdale, then to Holiday House Pet Resort in Doylestown, said Anita Wolleson of Wilmington. Wolleson is with Stealth Volunteers, whose members scour the Internet matching owners and pets.
After learning from the group that Rocket was alive, Combs contacted Lynn Welsh first by e-mail, then phone, Wolleson said. At some point, Wolleson said, "Lynn decides she's not giving the dog back." Now lawyers say the case could go to trial. To play it safe, Combs has not yet told her son that she has found Rocket.
Kircher, Welsh's lawyer, called his client a "decent, warm" person who also owns a rescued Greyhound. "They're not doing this to steal anybody's dog. They're doing what they think is appropriate," he said.
Makowski wonders what that really means. It's "the same rationale I hear all the time [in these cases]: 'The dog is better off with us,' " she said. "If this was a child adoption, would a wealthy family get a child instead of its biological parents?"
Contact staff writer Kathy Boccella at kboccella@phillynews.com or 610-313-8123
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