Hurricane Katrina

[babsmindy]

SRSC would like to donate money to one of the organizations helping the animals, and there are many. We have checked on the ASSPCA of Houston which are taking in many of the animals, http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hurricane_shelters
http://www.la-spca.org,
another, http://www.uan.org/ears/action_report.html, http://www.noahswish.org/Hurricane%20Katrina.htm.

I would like some input on this and also would the Nationa Rescue like to make a donation to one of these groups or a group of their choice.


Barbara :cry:

[Janet White]

Hey Barbara,

We're talking about that now. Jim's been looking into a bunch of different organizations that are helping the animals. Broke my heart the other night to hear on the news that it's "eerie at night with the dogs howling in homes where they've been left." Tremendous amount of work ahead -- animals are just one aspect and it's good to know who's doing what.

Anyone else that has links, info, etc. Please feel free to share. :D

[Janet White]

Just received this press release from the AKC:

We are receiving many calls from individuals and clubs wanting to know more information about our relief efforts and how to help the canine victims of Hurricane Katrina. Below please find our latest press release.

Lisa Peterson
Director of Club Communications
American Kennel Club
260 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
p: 212-696-8360
f: 212-696-8345

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 6, 2005
Contact: Daisy Okas
Phone: 212-696-8343

AKC and AKC/CAR SEND FIRST RELIEF SHIPMENT TO GULF STATES AND LAUNCH WEB-BASED DONATION EXCHANGE

- 100 Percent of Donated Dollars Goes To The Dogs -

New York, NY - The American Kennel Club (AKC®) and affiliated organization AKC Companion Animal Recovery continue relief efforts with a shipment of bowls, crates and exercise pens to the Louisiana State University Veterinary School staging area in Baton Rouge in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. For people wanting to volunteer much needed equipment, housing and personal resources, such as foster homes and offers of transporting dogs, AKC has set up a web-based donation exchange on its website at www.akc.org

"As is our tradition, AKC will take whatever steps are necessary to do what is in the best interests of helping dogs in need," said AKC Chairman Ron Menaker.

"AKC® and AKC/CAR want concerned animal lovers to know that 100 percent of donated funds go directly to helping animals with no funds used for administrative purposes," said AKC President and CEO Dennis B. Sprung. "The AKC family is a vast network of clubs, club members and individuals from around the country who have opened their hearts to helping dogs that have been lost, displaced or injured by Hurricane Katrina. As an organization we will continue to send whatever supplies are needed to help in our relief mission."

In addition, AKC launched a donations exchange database on its website www.akc.org with "Need Help?" or "Want to help?" buttons on its home page. People can list resources, equipment, and transportation offers to those canine victims and their owners in the devastation in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and in Texas and Florida where relief efforts are underway. So far, we have an outpouring of relief from many people including a homeowner with a spare bedroom for a family with pets to offers of fostering dogs with medical needs to driving animals to a shelter. Those in need of such assistance can search the database by state.

AKC is a "club of clubs" with nearly 5,000 member, licensed, and affiliated clubs with thousands of volunteers across the country ready to help the dogs affected by the disaster. While donations are paramount on everyone's mind now, relief efforts will continue for weeks and months. AKC clubs are coming forward donating portions of their proceeds from dog shows, and collecting funds at their AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day events at the grassroots level.

As always, since the terror struck dogs and their owners just over a week ago, AKC continues to work with its club delegates, presidents and secretaries and with the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Louisiana State University Veterinary School, the Houston Kennel Club and the Florida Association of Kennel Clubs to provide aid where it is needed most.

We continue to post updates to our website. Clubs, shelters, or individuals in need of assistance can check the AKC website home page or contact us at seekhelp@akc.org or 1-800-252-7894.

Contributions made to the AKC/CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund are used to immediately purchase needed equipment and supplies and deliver them directly to contact centers. If you wish to make a fully tax-deductible donation, you may send it to the AKC/CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund at the address below or visit the AKC website at www.akc.org


AKC/CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund
Attn: Ms. Kim Luong
c/o American Kennel Club
260 Madison Avenue - 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016-2401

AKC/CAR is a permanent charitable fund which provides resources, support and other assistance to not-for-profit animal shelters and similar not-for-profit organizations providing care for domestic animals orphaned or displaced as a result of natural or civil disasters.

###

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), founded in 1884, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of purebred dogs. The AKC maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world, oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States, and along with its nearly 5,000 licensed and member clubs, educates the general public about responsible dog ownership. More than 16,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog trials. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Companion Animal Recovery and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org

AKC® is a registered trademark of the American Kennel Club.

AKC Companion Animal Recovery, an affiliate of the American Kennel Club and a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization is the largest non-profit recovery service provider in North America. Established in 1995 as a public service to help pet owners reunite with their lost animals via identification and live operators, the organization has enrolled over 3,000,000 companion animals and recovered over 280,000 lost pets.

[krazydog]

Is there a way to let the groups doing the physical rescue of dogs know that NSR is here and willing to help with any Samoyeds that may be found?

Perhaps NSR could email some of the groups with a clear subject line like "Can Take in Samoyed Dogs"--I'm sure they're getting overwhelmed with emails, so a very clear subject line might help it stand out.

Beverley

[Janet White]

I believe Jim's been on this for awhile. :D I know he's been in touch with many of the organizations that can be found on the link on NSR's home page.

Direct link is here: http://www.samoyedrescue.org/temp/KatrinaDisaster.html

Jim, can you give an update on this?

[krazydog]

Here's something that BADRAP is doing (I believe it stands for Bay Area Dog-owners Responsible About Pitbulls):

*********this was sent to me by another rescue organization local to the bay area************

Buy this design (link below) on a tshirt for the normal price, or for
$50 or $100 and we'll send 100% of the proceeds to the LA-SPCA for their
efforts in rescue, reunification and rebuilding. We'll publish the tally
on our collections after a month so you can see what pit bull people
donated.

The Store: www.cafepress.com/badrapstore/813532
<http://www.cafepress.com/badrapstore/813532>

[Jim Becklund]

Hi All,
Dang, this has been a busy time for those who are set up to help Rescue pets during the aftermath of Katrina.
I think it is important that the focus of the donations are to groups who have the infrastructure to get the job done quickly. Thanks to Pam Puckett, the NSR website has links to reputable groups who have that structure or who are already down in the area. They are the ones that need our individual monetary support. Please, however, do your research and make sure you are comfortable with the groups you donate to.
I personally feel that any funbdraising NSR does will be more "after the fact" since the funds we may collect will go to these groups already in place. "Third party" efforts take time and the need is now.
Keep an eye out for any local stuff being done. I have heard reports that kids are doing Lemonade sales with the proceeds going to the AKC relief effort.
As to possible Sammies in need--I have been informing and monitoring lists in Texas (who are the main rescue efforts taking dogs in) for the past week. If a Sammies is in need, they will know and in turn I will know.
The Texas Mal people (brother Nordic breed rescue) and the National Mal Club are soo on top of this who thing no Nordic breed dog will be uncared for.
Best,

[krazydog]

Just for clarification, the email I sent about BADRAP was sent as an example of what some groups are doing, not a suggestion to donate through them.

Good to hear that we have contacts out there to make sure the Sammies are covered, should any come in.

Bev

[Jim Becklund]

Hey Bev,
Since I'm on a few BSL lists I can personally vouch for the credibility of BADRAP. They are a very good group who support responsible pet ownership.
I, of course, always encourage anyone to investigate and make their own judgements.
Best,

[Janet White]

Here's info from the front lines that was forwarded to me:

Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2005 10:54 PM

Subject: LSU Animal Shelter-2

Second day, as the song says, much like the first. People turning in animals slowed down a bit and people still reuniting. Today I redirected a delivery truck with pallet of dog and cat food. Got him to go around the coliseum to a barn area and got some LSU Ag people to drive a forklift to unload the food. Another deliver came with boxes of things (don't know what) from addresses across the country. Found places for that, along with some small crates. Then got detailed into the Command Post working under the head of the computer section. As you may well know, all the data has to be entered and cross referenced and charts filed. The head of this section has been there daysssss....he kept telling me he had to go home then got called for another problem to fix. There was a mattress propped up against the wall. I paid no heed. Later when I was looking for some records and was on that side of the room, some poor worker had crashed on a pallet on the floor, behind this mattress and was dead to the world. She didn't get up all the time I was there. One person from Animal Control was taking calls from people reporting there were animals stranded still in New Orleans. The military people were tossing food to them, anything they could get including their own rations. We wanted to get food down to them for the animals. People came in reporting other animals stranded. The military and Coast Guard are doing great jobs rescuing them. Some people called fast food places to donate lunches for the workers, more logistics plans had to be made as additional fencing was going to be put up, purchase the fencing and gates at a next to nothing price. Check with the University and the Fire Marshall...I chuckled.

Lightheartedly, it looks like a show that is going to be held but it was all impromptu and the show chairman was the last one to find out...everyone arrived, needed crating space, wanted to register, trying to categorize the entries (only no money) food for the workers, ID's for everyone and everything. Maybe I am just tired and this is not making sense...and maybe time for a smile or laugh. A worker asked about the paperwork for the Min Pin puppies from yesterday. I told her where I saw the big wire crate of four of them yesterday before I left. I expect the little one was still in triage. I never did go to check on her but she sure had a much better chance at life after she arrived that she had before. Don't know if I told you that all the dogs have neck bands with ID number matching their paperwork and their location and name. So each of these puppies had an ID and #1, #2 etc.

I would imagine cats do also although I haven't worked with any cats.

I had talked with AKC, New York and was told pans, dog food, wire crates, wire ex-pens and crates were all on the way. They have been so responsive.

Had another call from them to return this afternoon but got home too late to call. Altho when I returned a call last Thursday at 5:45 EST, I thought I would just leave a message, Daphna Strauss from Communications in NY answered the phone. Bless her.

Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, LA , 30 miles south of Baton Rouge is taking just strays and horses. They are in desperate need of people with experience in handling stray dogs that of course are traumatized. Being it is farther from Baton Rouge and off the campus away from Vet School, they do not have as many volunteers. I do not know how many animals they have housed along with refugees.

Thanks to everyone who has contacted me and to all those helping in these times. LSU has a few animals that were given for adoption but not processing many of these. They have peoples pets that have been separated from them. We have animals that were boarded in four vet hospitals in New Orleans area that had to be evacuated. All those records have to be contained separately.

The will be sheltering most of these animals for a good while how long is not even being considered at this time. Rescue and care is foremost. We had a new vet on duty today, he was from Kansas. Our bird vet is from Hammond, LA and seems to be on duty all the time. He takes care of the birds and checks some other animals as they come in.

Permission granted to cross post.

Gloria Mitcham Geringer #5157

[Janet White]

Subject: LSU Animal Shelter


I did not go to the Shelter yesterday, I answered emails and telephone calls regarding the dogs at home and had to get some things straight here. However, I was back there today. More organization, new vets on the scene, several USPHS officers in uniforms and fatigues. Everyone still very busy. Volunteers walking dogs, making their notations on the records on the dog crates. What I failed to mention in the first post was that every animal gets a polaroid photo taken and it is put with their records. This gets expensive too...do the math !

Today we are still receiving dogs. The building seemed inundated with cats....the population seemed to explode...or maybe it seems that way cause I am a dog person.

I had received a concerned call from Robin Stansell at AKC. He stated that many crates, I think he said 1000, had been sent by AKC. Is this not phenomenal ! Be Proud Dog People, the System is working ! He also said AKC had sent two representatives at LSU Parker Coliseum and two at the Lamar Dixon facility in Gonzales. AKC is there for us in any support we may need. The pharmaceutical companies have sent medicine.

I used one of the crates today in a warm story. A man brought a good
looking bulldog in to be kept for a few weeks. He was from New Orleans and was staying near Baton Rouge somewhere but his work called him to a location in St. Louis and he would be back in a couple of weeks for her. He had bred this bitch (Maggie) a couple of weeks ago. As the dog was being checked in by a volunteer, I could not take my eyes off her. I got her kennel collar ( strip with her name, crate number and case number ) on and the man was trying to get the rabies tag on her regular collar. I got a kennel lead and it was much easier for him to get the tags on once off the dog. The worker said she would probably put her in the barn. My ears lit up !!! I don't think so, was in my mind. So the man took the dog in the lobby to have the vet check her. This was one of the new vets.. I asked her if we could get space in the "brachycephalic room" for her. The vet was unaware of such a place. So off I went t! o the air conditioned room. I had not been in there before but knew where it was. Pretty full with dogs and birds. I told that vet in there we had a bulldog and could we get her in....she said they were really full but try triage area....well I knew what they would say. I went back to the lobby. The man said, oh that is OK she can go in the barn. I told him, "She is NOT going in the barn. You stay here and let me handle this. Do not move !" I went back and said that it wasn't going to work in triage and asked if she and the volunteer would come out and take a look at this dog. Got them suckered right into that. I figured if they saw her, they would find a spot. They went out and saw her and the volunteer said, we will find her a spot. I got one of those brand new large wire crates, nice new floor and hauled it back up front. Gave it to the volunteer and left the man and dog with her. Needless to say he had tears in his eyes when I left them and he hugged me and thanked me.!
I checked in on "Maggie" as I was leaving this evening. She was sound asleep with fresh paper in her crate, a bowl of food and a bowl of water.

The next lady was looking for a Boxer and a Am Staff that should be kenneled together. The owner was one of the people who had been on an overpass a couple of days waiting for rescue with her dogs. The lady told me the owner had been taken to LSU Field House to be treated as she had been very sunburned. She ended up being sent to a hospital in Chicago and was to be released to her sister. She had given this lady the descriptions and phone numbers. She was trying to locate the dogs. I thought I had that one solved as I had seen a boxer with a terrier like dog. (The descriptions you get might not be the same as the standards as we know them.) But this was not the right dogs. We search every crate and stall in the barn. We did not find them. She left me a card with the description including admirable scars and her phone number.

Then the newpaper people from France came in. He wanted to see/cover what was happening here. When I told him that a couple of days ago we had over 800 animals, he really doubted me. That was as we were looking at the floor in the coliseum. These dogs are NOT packed in there. Then we went to the barn and he said Oh I can see now. I told him you haven't even begun to see the cat area. I told him of the support we had gotten from the American Kennel Club. Told him of the process which all of you now know. He was also impressed that even in our 95 degree heat and many fans blowing, that there is no odor. They recorded my report and the barking of the dogs and meowing of the cats. Then left.

Then a girl came to pick up her friends cat. The friend was from New Orleans, the cat was here and the girls lived about 120 miles west of here. She knew exactly where the cat was however the cat did not know her and was really stressed. "Will bite" was on the cage. There is an area outside where all the crates that are donated are being washed and cleaned by a crew of young people. What a job ! I got a crate for him but getting him in it was a major undertaking. There are many sets of stainless crates, like in animal hospitals, and he was in one of them. Had to get a "cat" vet, got the crate into a bathroom where it was quieter. Then had to get a vet tech to help with gloves and towel. This fellow was ready for battle. Bottom line, he lost the battle and is now reunited with his owner. This manuever took about an hour. I would imagine the volunteers were happy to see him on his way out !

An elderly lady has been on the volunteer sign in desk from early til late. She told me the first day that she would stay and help and that she was from New Orleans. She had no where to stay and was sleeping in her car. The first few nights it was in the low 70's at night. Lots of mosquitoes. Now we are in the high 60's at night. There has been no breeze. She wasn't behind the desk late today but in a metal chair on the side and on the phone. One of the volunteers said she "fades in and out" and sometimes she is fine but other times they have a hard time with her. They feel that she might have been in a care facility and that maybe someone is looking for her.

We still had many dogs come in today. I was told yesterday was a good day for animals checking out but check out was slow today.

The four Min Pins are doing great. The little one I hear is still in triage.

Southern dew as prespiration is called in the South, is no longer. Everyone sweats. Everyone is busy. Rumor has it that they are going to try to get the dogs in the barn into the coliseum. And that they were going to put down astro turf. Got the rumor from a worker who is there 10 hours or more a day. So don't quote that. It is very dry and dusty in the rows of the barn.They hose is down lightly to keep the dust down. An old friend working there everyday told me there is an area in the back where they are washing dogs. She had a man from California send in two of those portable tubs. And they are doing some grooming. Groomers just can't quit. They have gathered up clippers and are busy. One man is from New Orleans and has lost everything. No house no job. So he told her he wanted to groom dogs. Tonight she was taking him home to watch football on the tv with her family and dogs.

I will not go to LSU Saturday and Sunday. They have many volunteers signed in, people that want to help but also work. I will go back on Monday when they go back to work.

Thanks to everyone's support however it is being given. Your support and prayers for these people are most helpful. Again, LSU is not releasing any animals for foster care or adoption, only the ones given specifically for adoption. They have a long list of people who want to foster and/or adopt. The veterinarian in charge at the LSU Animal Shelter said again today, not yet.

Gloria Mitcham Geringer #5157

[Jim Becklund]

Thanks for posting these Janet. I've only been forwarding on the most important stuff that involves the most responsible rescuers down in LA., AL., MS. and Fl.
The Texas people have been taking in strays from the Katrina "hit area." I've been monitoring Houston and San Antonio Animal Care and Control where most dogs are going.
Over All things seem to be getting better :D .

[krazydog]

There are animals going to other areas also. I know someone who is making a trip out to Best Friends in Utah, to bring supplies and pick up Katrina animals from there to bring to the San Francisco Bay Area.

A Bay Area Humane Society has also made a trip down to the Gulf Coast to pick up animals. They're bringing them back to shelters and rescue groups in our area.

I've been letting people know that if they encounter any Samoyeds they can bring up to our area, SFSR is available to help.

I imagine shelters in other areas of the country are taking in Katrina animals as well.

Beverley

[Jim Becklund]

I also got word last night that there are dogs being airlifted to California and to the east coast (South Carolina I think).