The Dogs of New Orleans--the tragedy continues, please help

[BJW]

<snip> "You won't see many animals during the day, because they're scared and traumatized, but they come out at night," said Garrison. "They're everywhere, and they're starving." <snip>

M$M has covered very little of the ongoing horror of death by starvation and disease of NOLA's left-behind pets.

Here is a link to the only M$M article I've seen in a looooong time:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/29/DDGSUFU2A074.DTL

There is an URGENT need for people to go to NOLA and help rescue these animals. If you think you can help, please contact animalrescueneworleans.com

[merh]

1. I don't understand why folks on this board are neglecting the

truly needed in our nation. If they neglect these issues, what chance to we have that congress will pay attention to the needs?

:cry:

[BJW]

2. The articles estimates well over 100K animals dead but

there's thousands more still hanging on.

What's worse is that the LA govt. won't allow any more out-of-state vets in to do formal rescue work, so the animal rescuers are operating "underground" without state support.

According to the article the LA officials have inexplicably declared the animal crisis "over" but the facts on the ground tell a completely different story.

The crisis is still going on and the animal rescuers need more people to help out

[jilln]

10. I went to help in October, and it was surreal...

We were wearing face masks and rubber boots and breaking into houses to look for animals while city residents (in the areas that were least touched) were going about their daily lives, even JOGGING. I realize they needed a little normalcy but maybe they could have helped too, reducing the need for people from out of state to go save their animals for them?

The LA officials changed rules on us nearly every day, in an apparent effort to show they were in control, although obviously they couldn't handle the situation.

[BJW]

14. Had you been to NOLA before?

I grew up there, back in the 60's and 70's. I don't quite know what to call the attitude towards stray animals that does seem more prevalent in the south--it's simple neglgect, I guess (to be polite).

I vividly recall going with my mother to look for our family's dog when he'd get out of our backyard. Now we lived in a lower middle-class, blue collar neighborhood. Every time he was gone for more than a day, when we found him, he was with a large pack of feral dogs.

He was a wholly different creature when he was with a dog pack, and was reluctant to break away and come back to us. Many of these pack dogs were very thin, ill, and had various injuries, and they were aggresssive. I recall that my mother used to call the NOLA animal control, but I don't recall ever seeing them in our neighborhood breaking up the feral dog packs.

Our neighbors didn't seem very concerned about it, that there were packs of sick, feral and hungry dogs roaming around our neighborhood, but every once in a while somebody would end up shooting some of them if they came onto their property. My Mother would cry about these dogs and rail against their fate.

Since moving back North I've NEVER yet seen a roaming dog pack and I seriously doubt that citizens would EVER allow this to happen. It's just not okay...

Thank you for helping our animal friends.

[jilln]

15. yes, twice...

The first time I thought it was the worst place I had ever been. The second time was better.

From what I hear, things were even worse in mississippi, the rescuers couldn't tell which dogs had "owners" and which didn't because apparently no one keeps their dogs in fences or puts collars on them...
Every so often I see a pack of feral dogs where I live (Dallas) but they generally seem inoffensive and not in terrible shape. But I hear in west Dallas it's much different.

[Danmel]

3. That is so sad

I imagine pretty soon they'll have packs of feral animals roaming around, adding to the danger. The whole thing is just beyond comprehension. (must be intelligent design, eh?)

[funkybutt]

4. Thank God for these people!

I see Animal Rescue people driving around helping the scared and sick animals of the city. I saw a dog the other day while driving around. Female who appeared to be nursing. When I drove by, she made eye contact with me. I was so haunted by her hopeful glance, that I went back later to try to find her. Unfortunatly, she wasn't around. She didn't seem to be starving though. And she was in a pretty populated area, so hopefully, she's okay.

[lonestarnot]

5. Poor things! How very sad...

:cry:

[niyad]

6. it is appalling that people were made to leave their pets behind. when I

lived on the gulf coast, I knew every motel within 200 miles that took pets--there was NO WAY I would have ever considered leaving them behind.

[Skittles]

7. this policy needs to be changed

it is inhumane to make people leave their pets - I try to imagine it and there is just no way, no way....I have my pet carrier and my cat would go with me....when I adopted him from the pound I told him I would always take care of him

[meow2u3]

8. How would they feel if they had to leave their kids behind

to fend for themselves? By not making a common-sense exception for natural--or man-made--disasters, this is exactly what conservative government policies do to evacuees with pets.

I think rich conservatives should be taught a lesson by being forced to relocate to a barren area--and leave their kids behind to fend for themselves just so ultrarich parents can get an idea of what poor families go through every day.

[BJW]

9. The PETS bill is still pending in the House--eom

[RepublicanElephant]

11. kick n/t

:kick:

[Dirty Hippie]

12. My daughter is in NO doing volunteer work

She is with the group Common Cause Collective assisting with the cleanup in the 9th ward area.

She says there are dogs everywhere running in packs and that the ASPCA is placing food all over the area to feed the animals.

But the problem is that they are fast becoming wild and unapproachable.

I know that are rescuing those that they can save. There is an adoption booth this Saturday for rescued Katrina animals at my local PetSmart.

It is all very sad.

[BJW]

13. You must be pleased to have raised a child

who cares so much and take action.

I am EXTREMELY disturbed by the state's decision to declare the animal crisis "over" It's not a shame here to need help and to ask for it and expect it to come, but to pretend that you don't need help to the point where you threaten out of state vets and others who are helping you with arrest...I just don't know what the hell they are thinking here

[hopeisaplace]

16. this is so horrible

and sad..to think these animals had loving families and now they are alone is heart breaking..Katrina and New Orleans seem like a mountain that people say isn't really there. So upsetting.


edit: spelling

[BJW]

17. agreed. We really need to keep all Katrina issues kicked!

Most people realize that the state kicked out the "formal" animal rescue groups for no reason at all and there's thousands of animals that are still there, in desperate need. Thank God for the animal rescue underground!

[classysassy]

18. The dogs in Washington

The dogs on capital hill,the whitehouse and the pentagon(pentagoons),should help the poor dogs of NOLA,just send 1% of the money they recieve from bribes and other shady deals.