If you’ve been reading my blog, it is quite obvious that I am horrified by stories of all the people who have died, suffered or lost everything from the hurricane. And even more horrified and angry by the incompetence shown at several government levels, and the fact that a nitwit such as Michael Brown was given the job of FEMA director.
But the additional tragedy is the loss and suffering of so many animals.
Many of the people who have refused to evacuate are doing so because they don’t want to abandon their pets. In most cases, people rescued by air or boat were ordered to leave their pets behind, even when the home was about to be flooded, or the animal had no food or water. This, despite the fact that animal rescue groups were willing to wait at shelters to take pets from incoming evacuees and care for them until the owners could reclaim them. There have even been stories of people fleeing from their rescuers because they did not want to be forced to leave their pets behind.
Many people refused to even take refuge in shelters, because they couldn’t take their pets with them. Why this policy exists is beyond me. What are people supposed to do, just throw their pets into the street? Leave them in flooded homes to drown or die of starvation? I know that I would never leave my cats behind. Never.
I cannot fathom the reason for this cruel beyond cruel policy. There is absolutely no reason for it. What, are pets going to spread germs if they come into a shelter? Hardly. People rarely catch diseases from pets (unless you’ve got a rabid dog and that is quite rare in the US), and are far more likely to catch an illness from another human. Are pets going to make a mess in the shelter? No, just lay down rules that owners must clean up after them. But don’t they present a danger to other people crowded into the shelter? No, again, sorry. Most people do not own vicious pets. Again, you lay down rules. Dogs must be leashed at all times. Cats must be in carriers, and if taken out, must wear a harness and leash. If a dog has a temper, then it needs to be muzzled. If the shelter is large enough, you can even separate those with dogs from everyone else.
Bottom line, this prevailing policy sucks big time and needs to be changed. And the situation is even more poignant in the case of hurricane Katrina, largely because of the worst of the flooding in NO could have been prevented (read some of my previous entries on this), as well as the resulting chaos.
Just as with the human aspect, the rescue effort involving animals stalled for several days, delayed by red tape and confusion. For the first few days, rescue groups were not allowed into the area–why, I don’t know. Why shouldn’t animal rescuers be allowed to save lives? Animal rescue groups are getting thousands of calls from frantic pet owners, begging for their pets to be rescued. So why did those in charge have such a fat burr up their ass? How could animal rescuers, using their own funding and equipment, get in the way of other activities?
So What Can You Do?
Plenty. First, call the LA governor’s office. There is a live person answering the phone, believe it or not, and tell her that 1) evacuees need to be allowed to bring pets with them to shelters and 2) that the folks going around collecting bodies should be picking up pets left behind.
866-310-7617
Add your name to this petition, which asks the mayor to include animals in his plan for forced evacuations
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/840979272
Call FEMA — they are supposedly weighing some kind of decision regarding pet evacuations
202-646-3900
The military is taking calls at these numbers. Again, there is a live person answering the phone, and they are very supportive and polite. 404- 469-7281 FAX 404 469-3406. Please ask them nicely to pick up animals and then turn them over to animal rescue groups.
And donate, volunteer, or both. Please….
Good organizations are:
Best Friends
Noah’s Wish
Louisiana Veterinary Association
Humane Society Blasts Officials
This was from a few days ago, on the Katrina blog, highlighting the stupidity of those in charge.
12:28 P.M. – BEAUMONT, TX (AP): The president of the Humane Society of Southeast Texas is blasting officials for not doing enough to take care of the pets of hurricane victims.
Cindy Meyers says the society is offering to temporarily take care of the pets while the evacuees find a new home.
She says it’s important that animals are taken care of in evacuations and adds that it’s “inexcusable” that pets are being separated from their owners.
She says “pets are family members and they need to be cared for just as the people do.” She says the animals are one of the last things the people have and it breaks her heart when they have to hand them over.
