Urgent appeal for help for pets remaining in temporary staging areas in LA

[BrklynLiberal]

URGENTLY NEEDED: NEW FACILITIES AND TRANSPORT FOR REMAINING PETS IN TEMPORARY STAGING AREAS IN GONZALES AND RACELAND, LA

FYI and PLEASE FORWARD TO YOUR DISTRIBUTION LISTS.

I traveled w/ Prima twice to Raceland (referenced below) and had the opportunity to handle some of the dogs that had been labeled as aggressive, I concur completely w/ Pasado’s belief that these pups are deserving of good homes. So many pups being rescued, initial assessments had to be quick so any pup that growled/barked/snapped could be labeled as aggressive to ensure only experienced people handled them. Much of the behavior was actually fear based rather than aggressive. There are also cats to be placed.

PAWS of Austin (Prima) is making one more trip to Raceland (Tues-Thur) this week. http://pawsofaustin.org/

Here’s the link to Pasado for daily updates. https://www.pasadosafehaven.org/NEWS/NEWS.htm



Thanks for caring about the furry ones! Susan



-----Original Message-----
From: Cindy Taylor
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2005 10:50 AM
To: "Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@frontiernet.net
Subject: Pasado's Safe Haven - URGENTLY NEEDED: NEW FACILITIES AND TRANSPORT FOR REMAINING PETS IN TEMPORARY STAGING AREAS IN GONZALES AND RACELAND, LA



Hello Animal Lovers and Pasado Volunteers,

Here's the Latest Press Release from Pasado's Safe Haven. Susan Michaels, co-founder asked me to forward and cross post this message everywhere! Please feel free to pass on to family, friends and fellow animals lovers. Thanks so much for all you've done and continue to do!!!

For the animals,

Cindy Taylor

Volunteer, Pasado's Safe Haven



Pasado’s Safe Haven

Temporary Staging Area in Raceland, LA.

Contact: Kim [phone] Pasado’s

Alternate Contact (not affiliated with Pasado’s Safe Haven): Pia [phone] at Lamar Dixon



URGENTLY NEEDED: NEW FACILITIES AND TRANSPORT FOR REMAINING PETS IN TEMPORARY STAGING AREAS IN GONZALES AND RACELAND, LA



Raceland and Gonzales, LA At least 100 pets, mostly pit bulls, in the Lamar Dixon temporary staging area urgently need immediate transport and new facilities. Quarters at Lamar Dixon in Gonzales are slated to close Tuesday and Pasado’s temporary facilities plan to close as soon as possible. Many of these pets are hard to handle under their present living conditions. Pasado’s Safe Haven is dedicated to a strict no-kill approach, but there are no guarantees that other facilities will have the same standards.



“We’ve worked too hard for too long to deny these dogs the opportunity for a good home at this point,” says Mark Steinway, Pasado’s Safe Haven’s co-founder and humane investigator. “Everybody who can must step up at this point to see that these dogs have a chance to thrive.”



Many of these pets will need extra work, including training with experienced dog trainers and handlers, to rehabilitate them. However, all of the dogs initially identified as “aggressive” pets at Pasado’s have already improved behavior. (See Snarly’s story.)




STRESSFUL CONDITIONS: After the trauma of the hurricane, new stresses awaited these pets upon rescue. Their new quarters were crowded buildings teeming with other anxious pets, where they endured rushed care and handling by untrained volunteers. Some of these pets have become hard to handle, yet at Pasado’s staging area in Raceland, we have seen phenomenal successes when our “aggressive” dogs have had the attention of animal behaviorists who have, in turn, trained the volunteers. “They just went through a lot; every single one of them is placeable although there will be some that will require extra reassurance,” says animal behaviorist Prima Mosi of Protective Animal Welfare Services, who volunteered at Pasado’s staging area in Raceland.



“SNARLY’S” STORY: Take the case of # 1163, a skinny female pit bull. She spent her first two days in the shelter cowering in the back of the cage baring teeth to all who passed by. When she was pulled out to potty with a rabies pole her growls and screeches set the whole building’s dogs barking. On day three a volunteer sat by the cage, and without making eye contact, fed her wet food through the wire openings. On day four after only receiving food via hand feeding, you could look “Snarly” in the eye without a reaction. By day five she came out after careful noosing with a nylon lead and a food treat. On day seven she wagged her tail for the first time and hasn’t stopped since. This is the kind of time and treatment many of our “aggressive” pets need. Yet they may never get the chance if we don’t pull them out of their current facilities now.



Please help buy time for these dogs. Send the word out to all your pet contacts. We need to work together to find new facilities, transport, expert handlers, and foster and permanent homes.



CONTACTS:

Kim at Pasado’s: [phone]

Pia at Lamar Dixon: [phone]



Some of our volunteer animal behaviorists:

Prima Mosi with Protection of Animal Welfare Services: [phone]

Carol Christopherson with Florida Service Dogs: [phone]

Rhonda Steele of Pet Pawlor Inc. with Sarah Inc. [phone]



We are the only 4-Star rated animal charity in the Pacific Northwest and one of a select few in the country determined by Charity Navigator, the nation's premiere evaluator of charities.

[electropop]

1. Thank you for this story.

I hope these animals don't get unjustly treated, because they had a hard time dealing with life-threatening stress. That doesn't have anything to do with how they would behave in a normal life.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. I agree, and hope there are many others who feel the same.

[Dora]

3. kicked and recommended.

[Coventina]

4. Kicked and recommended as well

:kick: