[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: [KatrinaAnimalReliefLA] Report from International Fund for Animal Welfare...
- From: Crossroadsgsd@xxxxxxx
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 11:32:41 EDT
Just came in.....
Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue Report #7: 9/12/05
IFAW helped rescue more than 100 animals over the weekend, including seven
dogs and
three cats from a flooded animal clinic.
Over the weekend the team found out some distressing news: the Lamar Dixon
Center in
Gonzales, our holding center for rescued animals, is full to overflowing
with rescued pets.
The authorities and NGOs face a dilemma: in order to take in more dogs it is
necessary to
move some dogs out to other facilities. However, the further from the
disaster site these
dogs travel, the more difficult it becomes for owners to locate their
beloved pet.
The Louisiana SPCA has been given the legal responsibility for these dogs
and are
grappling with this problem. Some 50 dogs were sent to Houston on the
evening of 11
September, and another 50 are being prepared to travel on Monday 12th
September.
Special Ops Water Rescue
In the meantime, Sunday, 11 September was a 'stand down' day. Because of the
congestion, no more dogs could be admitted to the Lamar Dixon centre. Ground
teams
concentrated on providing food and water to dogs awaiting rescue.
That didn't stop the IFAW animal rescue team, however. Under the direction
of the
Louisiana State Veterinary authority, the IFAW boat team was asked to go
into New Orleans
to perform a potentially dangerous rescue at an animal clinic where animals
were still
alive. The first floor of the facility was underwater, with the animals
stranded on the
second floor.
Upon arrival, we discovered that half of the animals there had tragically
drowned.
Thankfully, we were able to save three cats and seven dogs just in time.
Humane Train eases the burden
In order to help relieve the overcrowding in Gonzales, IFAW has deployed its
"Humane
Train" from the IFAW-sponsored Wild Animal Orphanage in Texas to relocate
200 animals
from Lamar Dixon to the Houston SPCA. The Humane Train consists of two air
conditioned
transport vehicles used with great success in the New Jersey tiger rescue.
This vehicle will
be standing by to move dogs as soon as they are released for transport. In
the meantime
the air-conditioned interior of the trucks can be used to increase the area
available for
assessment and processing of dogs.
IFAW is also providing a $25,000 grant to the Louisiana State University vet
school in
Baton Rouge, the site of the other main temporary shelter in Louisiana.
IFAW ER Disaster
Relief Manager Anand Ramanathan is visiting the facility today to provide a
check and also
to assess the other needs of that facility, and further ways in which IFAW
can help.
The challenge of reuniting lost pets
Every effort is being made to reunite hurricane rescue animals with their
owners, but it is a
massive challenge. Every animal rescued must be photographed so that it can
be placed
on the Petfinder.com database of unclaimed pets. If you or someone you know
is missing
a pet from one of the hurricane disaster areas, please fill out the Missing
Pet Registry form
on this website and then visit www.petfinder.com to search for your pet.
All dogs must pass an official public health inspection, be vaccinated,
microchipped and
photographed before being moved. This makes the process of moving dogs out
frustratingly slow. The possibility of rescued pets and owners being unable
to reunite
because of hurried procedures, however, is unacceptable. IFAW will cover any
costs
associated with the necessary transport of pets back to their owners who may
have been
relocated.
© IFAW/Stewart Cook
© 2005 International Fund for Animal Welfare
PO Box 193 â?¢ 411 Main Street Yarmouth Port, MA 02675
Cathleen Bennett
_www.crossroadsgsd.com_ (http://www.crossroadsgsd.com/)
We have puppies
============================================================================
POST is Copyrighted 2005. All material remains the property of the original
author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind
are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the
Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx
VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://www.showgsd.org
============================================================================
Other related posts:
- » [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: [KatrinaAnimalReliefLA] Report from International Fund for Animal Welfare...
