What about us?

[Old School Chic]

Thousands of animals have been left stranded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. :depressed

http://cdn-channels.netscape.com/gallery/i/k/katrina_pets/20050903LADM138.jpg

http://cdn-channels.netscape.com/gallery/i/k/katrina_pets/20050905LADM110.jpg

http://cdn-channels.netscape.com/gallery/i/k/katrina_pets/20050905LADM135.jpg

[Marklar MM]

Where are the chinese when you need em?

[batman2883]

they are looting too

[Vashner]

There is a special team that's collecting pet's right now. Also they got a lot out during the evacuation.

BOTTOM Line is no pet is worth a human life... so they had to focus on people as an established disaster recovery procedure.

[SWC Bonfire]

The feral cat problem will probably be kept under control.

[batman2883]

The dogs are the ones that are opening fire on the National Guardsmen

[Marklar MM]

BOTTOM Line is no pet is worth a human life.

Don't tell that to Fido, Kit, or Donovan McTurtle(Although Donny can swim)

[Old School Chic]

All I know Is that If I had a ranch or a farm... A lot of those animals will be taken care of.
I sure hope they all end up In good homes like Tank did. (Kori & LJ's dog)

[SWC Bonfire]

All I know Is that If I had a ranch or a farm... A lot of those animals will be taken care of.

"taken care of" :shootme ???

You are cruel.

[SWC Bonfire]

Thousands of animals have been left stranded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. :depressed

http://cdn-channels.netscape.com/gallery/i/k/katrina_pets/20050905LADM110.jpg



Whoever took this picture better have let that dog out to fend for itself...

[Marklar MM]

"taken care of" :shootme ???

You are cruel.

If I lived in Washington, I would gladly except all the horses. I could take care of them.

[polandprzem]

America can't handle this?

[Old School Chic]

"taken care of" :shootme ???

You are cruel.

You know what I meant.

Food, Water, a well deserved bath... A flea dip too. :spin

[SWC Bonfire]

You know what I meant.

Food, Water, a well deserved bath... A flea dip too. :spin

Well, you are very kind hearted. I'll take the first GSD they can come up with.:tu

[boutons]

washingtonpost.com

Plight of Stranded Animals Worsening Daily

By Karlyn Barker and Nia-Malika Henderson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, September 8, 2005; B04

Animal lovers here and across the country are mobilizing in an urgent effort to help thousands of pets and farm animals still stranded or left homeless by Hurricane Katrina and the floods that followed.

Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States, appealed yesterday for immediate federal, state and local assistance in the Gulf Coast area to save animals he said will die in the next few days if they aren't found, fed and sheltered.

"Animals are trapped by the thousands in their homes, and the clock is ticking," he said. "We need the government to help us, not with money but with rescuers. We need the Coast Guard, firemen and the National Guard. . . . We'll take care of the animals after they are pulled out."

Pacelle, noting that about 60 percent of households have pets, estimated that more than 50,000 animals might be in peril. His organization has received more than 2,000 calls from people who fled Katrina. Other organizations, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, also have been getting pleas for help. Many people left behind pets, especially cats, because they thought they would be gone only a couple of days.

Hundreds of animal welfare workers and volunteers, including some from the Washington region, are in Louisiana and Mississippi with mobile veterinary units, vans, boats, pet food and supplies, as well as holding pens for farm animals. The most crucial mission is the door-to-door rescue of the stranded pets, but officials said there also is a pressing need to ease the strain on crowded animal shelters and get pet food to those who have taken in stray animals until they can be reunited with their owners.

Locally, a team from the Washington Animal Rescue League returned from Louisiana early yesterday with a van full of 22 dogs. The animals, many of which were given up by their owners before and during the storm, are among hundreds that are being moved out of the Gulf Coast area to make room for other pets lost or left behind.

"If anyone is considering adopting an animal, please make a decision to do it now," urged Jennifer Brickman, the league's director of marketing. She said the van and league staff have returned to Louisiana to help with more animal rescues and veterinary services.

Several animal welfare groups are using their Web sites to help reunite owners with their pets -- and to solicit contributions to assist with their rescue efforts.

Many people who were trapped in their homes by Katrina said they chose to stay rather than leave without beloved pets. Animal rescue workers said yesterday that they are trying to find more shelters that will allow the people and pets to remain together.

"Some of these people will live on the streets and won't go to a shelter if they have to be separated from their pets," said Laura Bevan, the Humane Society's southeast regional director. "I respect that, because I wouldn't either."

In the District, Gregg A. Pane, the city's health director, said the makeshift shelter at the D.C. Armory "handled all comers, and that includes pets." Among the evacuees who arrived there Tuesday, he said, were three dogs, named Lucy, Ethel and Arthur; a kitten named Calli; and a parakeet named Peaches.

"We bent the rules a little, and the small, well-behaved animals were allowed to stay with their owners," Pane said. The evacuees "have been through a lot. . . . Many of them don't have ID or anything, but they managed to rescue their animals."

The animals brought to the armory are kept in cages and examined by veterinarians. Arthur, a large dog, had an eye infection and was too excitable to stay with his owner, Pane said. He is at the city's animal shelter, where his owner can visit.

In Louisiana, pet-friendly shelters are in short supply, said Joelle Rupert, who runs Animal Aid for Vermilion Area, a refuge in Abbeville, about 150 miles west of New Orleans.

"If there would have been something that was people/pet friendly, a lot of people would have left" before Katrina struck, she said. "They didn't want to get separated from pets. They are like members of the family."

Rupert said that pet owners have been turned away from motels and that a small Baptist church is the only place in Vermilion Parish offering shelter to families with pets. She said she is providing pet supplies to those who have managed to find housing.

In Natchitoches, a town about 275 miles northwest of New Orleans, the animal shelter was filled yesterday, making it harder to find room for newly found strays.

"I know one of the vets just took in five parakeets," said Tammy Hamm, the shelter's supervisor. "The owner . . . doesn't know how long she's going to be out of a home."

Two 8-month-old Shih Tzus arrived yesterday, brought in by a woman who said her husband refused a boat ride out of his New Orleans home because he couldn't bring his dogs with him. The shelter has taken in 15 pets, mostly dogs that are very attached to their owners.

"All of them have been in good condition," Hamm said. "But they are upset, withdrawn, and they are not eating. They are as traumatized as the people are."
© 2005 The Washington Post Company

[SpursWoman]

If I lived in Washington, I would gladly except all the horses. I could take care of them.


:lmao

[Jimcs50]

I donated to Noah's Wish, they are a non profit organization that cares for just these types of animals.

http://www.noahswish.org/

[TOP-CHERRY]

That's sad. :depressed

[polandprzem]

That's sad. :depressed
Do you have an imagination how many sad things happening in this world in one hour?

This world is cruel.

And who decides the most? People of course

[TOP-CHERRY]

Do you have an imagination how many sad things happening in this world in one hour?

This world is cruel.

And who decides the most? People of course
Yeah. But seeing as this thread is specifically talking about animals being left behind, my response is just about that.

Everyone knows there are far more cruel things going on in this world. The fact that I think animals being abandoned is sad, does not mean I don't know there are other more serious things going on.

I don't know what your point was. And I sure didn't understand what you were trying to say in your last line.

[polandprzem]

No ofence TOP CHERRY

I know that this thing is sad. I also care about the animals.


I was trying to say (in the last line) more or less that people should organize this world better...
that's all

[SWC Bonfire]

I was trying to say (in the last line) more or less that people should organize this world better...
that's all

Like don't live in a hole near the edge of the Gulf of Mexico?

[TOP-CHERRY]

No ofence TOP CHERRY

I know that this thing is sad. I also care about the animals.


I was trying to say (in the last line) more or less that people should organize this world better...
that's all
Yeah, I agree.

[polandprzem]

Like don't live in a hole near the edge of the Gulf of Mexico?
It's not that

[Clandestino]

here is the new dog we got at the pound. my big lab is jealous, but she will get over it soon enough... not a hurricane dog, but still needed rescuing...


http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/7343/newdog3du.jpg

[TOP-CHERRY]

:tu

He's a gorgeous dog.

[Old School Chic]

Cute Pup!

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/7343/newdog3du.jpg

I'm sure the poor animals on the pics I posted earlier hate the fact that they are stranded In such a nasty environment. What I don't understand Is why some crazy people In NOLA are still wanting to stay even though the city smells like shit!

[NZHayden]

yeah their was a story about ppl having to leave their pets, its real sad cause pets are like children to some ppl

[bigzak25]

i should have bought some alpo to contribute when i went to costco...:cry

[SWC Bonfire]

Well, you are very kind hearted. I'll take the first GSD they can come up with.:tu

I just got a reply from a German shepherd rescue in Austin about adopting a GSD from Katrina; I have a fair-sized ranch, but they seem to have issues with adopting dogs to people in the country.

I think they think that I am going to feed the dog gunpowder, poke it with sticks and use it for hog hunting or something. :lol

[SWC Bonfire]

Here is the response I got from the Austin German Shepherd Rescue in regards to adopting a dog that WOULD HAVE BEEN EUTHANIZED due to Katrina and Rita:



Hello <SWC Bonfire>,
Per our adoption requirements (http://www.austingermanshepherdrescue.org/before_adopt.htm, Companionship) we do not adopt to homes where there the dog would be left out of doors at night or most of the time. The AGSDR board has denied your application based on the statements made during your home visit phone interview.
We encourage you to visit your local shelters and human society in hopes of finding a dog that fits in to your home.
_______
Adoption Coordinator
Austin German Shepherd Rescue

Here is my response, a "Jane, you ignorant slut"-like retort:


Hello Joyce,

I really don't know how to respond to your email; I will just say thank you for your time and the work you do with rescuing dogs.

That said, a German shepherd dog is most happy out in the country, not cooped up indoors. I haven't had a dog in the past few years because I moved around to various cities, and I was responsible enough not to leave a dog alone all day in an apartment or little tract home (like the majority of you probably live in) just because I wanted a dog. I had the best interests of the dog in mind, not just my selfish desire to have one. I even waited until I was in my current home almost a year before I thought I was settled down and organized enough to devote serious time to a GSD. I can't really understand why a German SHEPHERD dog would rather live in an apartment than go for a run down to the river, or go riding in the pickup to check cows, but I guess your dogs are more cultivated and refined than those faithful and loving companions I am used to.

In conclusion, I think that your organization is nuts, the vet office thinks you're nuts (I know them quite well and my family is among of their best customers), and that you have done your level-best to ensure that the stereotype that most people have of Austinites has been propagated.

Good luck in finding tiny city dwellings for your dogs,

<SWC Bonfire>

[SpursWoman]

I can't believe they wouldn't let you take the dog ... did you just send that? Has she replied?

[SWC Bonfire]

Yeah, I just sent it. I should have added, "I have trees in my yard bigger than your house" or possibly something more insulting, like "Well, I can tell you're not from Texas..." :lol

Won't let dogs outside the house...what a bunch of PETA morons. Every dog I've had in my lifetime lived about as wonderful a life as could be expected for a dog. Baxter Black had a good saying for country dogs - "Everyday is Saturday for a dog".

Then again, he also said "No one loves a wet dog".

[samikeyp]

Leave it to Bonfire to find a way to get Longhorn smack in there! :lol

Seriously though, I liked your response. That is crazy. I get little yip-yip dogs indoors but big dogs? that is just stupid. You are right....big dogs like that do much better to be outdoors.

[SWC Bonfire]

Leave it to Bonfire to find a way to get Longhorn smack in there!

I always find ways to run Austin smack. I work just south of Austin and the crazy nutjobs are moving into that area now, not just north of town. Not exactly my kind of people. :lol

[samikeyp]

so then Austin smack is separate from Longhorn smack. Ok...got it now! :lol

[SWC Bonfire]

so then Austin smack is separate from Longhorn smack. Ok...got it now! :lol

Yes, that's also independent of my Dallas/Metroplex smack. :tu

[CosmicCowboy]

I heard that Jourdanton is opening a "shelter" for hurricane dogs at their sewage treatment plant...

[Slomo]

Yeah, I just sent it. I should have added, "I have trees in my yard bigger than your house" or possibly something more insulting, like "Well, I can tell you're not from Texas..." :lol

Won't let dogs outside the house...what a bunch of PETA morons. Every dog I've had in my lifetime lived about as wonderful a life as could be expected for a dog. Baxter Black had a good saying for country dogs - "Everyday is Saturday for a dog".

Then again, he also said "No one loves a wet dog". I used to have dogs until my daughter was born and we found out she's very allergic to dogs. My dogs were ALWAYS outside. Actually they were taught that they could not enter the house past the doorway (the porch was OK though).

I always had a big well maintained dog house in my rather large garden/yard (one of those houses where there's a partition so that the dog actually has 2 rooms :lol - it's an old trick for the colder days). The weather (winter) over here is much harsher than in Texas and all my dogs were a picture of good health, never a serious problem. Of course we did not keep pooddles and other similar, more indoor type of dogs - but that's called being a responsible dog owner. German Shepperd dogs LOVE to be outdoors and that lady and her organization is full of shit.

I liked your answer and I thought you've shown a lot of self restrain - my letter would have been much more difficult to publish on a forum frequented by minors :)

[SWC Bonfire]

Thanks, Slomo... I had to write several drafts of that letter to get it down to PG-13 status. :tu

[2Blonde]

That lady is so full of crap. :rolleyes

I have 2 GSDs. They are indoor dogs but that is only because I can stay home full time with them and have the ability to let them in and out all day long so that they can get plenty of outdoor exercise. Granted they hate the afternoon Texas heat, I am sure from your posts that you aren't going to throw your dog outside in the 100 degree weather without water and shelter. If it were me, I would trust you with a GSD.

[ObiwanGinobili]

That letter was pure genius!!!
really, dog rescue/adoption places are getting wuite ridicules with there requirements!

WE were denied a dog fro mthe ASPCA 2 years ago. they wouldn;t let us have a dog because our previous dog had died of unnatural casues.
(my DH lived waaayyyy out in the country on 5 acres... meanwhile some loser neighbor shot his dog liek it was a wild pic or something. .22 straight into the heart. And rocky was on on Emo's parents property. He couldn;t get off if he tried (they had the electric dog fence) so whoever it was maliciously came up to the fence and shot the dog. fucking kickers)
they pissed me off.... anyway. we ended up gettign a puppy from some puppy mill thru the paper.

[fraga]

Where are the chinese when you need em?
:lmao

[FromWayDowntown]

Great response, Bonfire. I recently adopted a Brittney Spaniel (I named him "Barkley" because he opens his big mouth a lot but never really says anything) and I find myself feeling bad that he's inside most of the day. Most dogs prefer to be outside and doing "dog" things, not sleeping in the house.

And the point here is to adopt a dog to save it from euthanasia; as between having to live outside and being euthanized, I suspect the dogs would take the outside option, even if they are accustomed to an indoor lifestyle.

What a ridiculous decision.

[tlongII]

Did they visit your home Bonfire?

[SWC Bonfire]

Well, the dogs live in foster homes while they await adoption, but make no mistake - these dogs were from shelters and would have been euthanized had they or someone else not taken them. If they want to keep them for themselves and don't want to let them go (for a quite large fee, btw) to responsible owners, they shouldn't masquarade as an adoption service.

And yeah, Brittany Spaniels have a LOT of energy to expend, FWD. Not a trail they don't want to go down. :lol

[SWC Bonfire]

Did they visit your home Bonfire?

No - but only because I live farther away from Austin. That is why they conducted a "phone interview".

My home is probably on more land than all of their own houses plus their previous adoptees houses put together, with 100+ year old oak, cedar & walnut trees - and that's just in my yard. :lol

[FromWayDowntown]

And yeah, Brittany Spaniels have a LOT of energy to expend, FWD. Not a trail they don't want to go down. :lol

You're telling me. Our nightly walk has become more of an opportunity for my dog to leisurely drag along his owner.

[ObiwanGinobili]

No - but only because I live farther away from Austin. That is why they conducted a "phone interview".

My home is probably on more land than all of their own houses plus their previous adoptees houses put together, with 100+ year old oak, cedar & walnut trees - and that's just in my yard. :lol

that sounds like pure dog heaven. heck.. even I'm drooling at the prospect.
those folks are freakin morons.