NEW ORLEANS ANIMAL CRISIS IS FAR FROM OVER!!!!

[shireen]

Appended below is a press release from a couple of animal rescue groups that are still struggling to rescue animals on the streets of New Orleans. Do not believe state and local officials who claim that everything is under control. IT IS NOT UNDER CONTROL WHERE PETS ARE CONCERNED!!!

Please contact anyone of influence who can help get the word out, contact anyone who can get these rescuers the aid they need to help these poor animals. Tell the national animal rescue groups to stop wallowing in their millions of dollars and do SOMETHING! Suggestions:
- write newspaper editors
- email or call LA state officials (http://www.louisiana.gov/wps/portal/
- New Orleans officials (http://www.nocitycouncil.com/content/)
- Congress. Below is a list of members of Congress that I posted here a couple of days ago.
- Contact the big animal rescue groups like the Humane Society of the US and ASPCA and tell them to do SOMETHING! What the hell are they doing with the millions of $ they have raised? Saving it for an emergency?????!!!

MOST IMPORTANT: If you can volunteer to help Jane Garrison's group in New Orleans, please see this website for logistical details: http://www.AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com

----------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASE:
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=56547

State of Louisiana Blocks Animal Rescue While Thousands of Pets Face Starvation in New Orleans, Say Animal Rescue Groups

11/10/2005 1:19:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Claire Davis, 435-899-1231 or [email protected]

BOGALUSA, La., Nov. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Two animal rescue groups are issuing a call for the state of Louisiana to stop blocking attempts to save the thousands of sick, injured, and traumatized dogs and cats who still wander the streets of New Orleans.

The state has announced that the Hurricane Katrina rescue phase is over. Out-of-state veterinarians are banned from volunteering their services on behalf of the animals of greater New Orleans. Rescuers have been threatened with arrest if they attempt to give food and water to animals in Orleans Parish. Outside rescue groups are told they should turn all operations over to local authorities and leave the state.

Meanwhile, the pets who survived Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath are dying on the streets -- sometimes right next to food and water bowls that the handful of remaining rescuers couldn't fill in time.

AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com (http://www.animalrescueneworleans.com) and Alley Cat Allies (http://www.alleycat.org) are calling for the state to reverse its course and accept outside help in the form of veterinarians and more volunteers.

"We are literally seeing animals on the streets starving to death," says Jane Garrison, director of AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com, one of a handful of rescue organizations still in the city. "We need more volunteers to feed and water the thousands of traumatized animals still on the streets, we need to keep trapping animals so we can reunite them with their guardians, and we need a massive spay/neuter program."

Garrison coordinated the animal rescue program for six weeks as a volunteer for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Since HSUS pulled out October 1st, she has been running her own program. With a steadily dwindling force of volunteers, Garrison races against time trying to provide food and water at more than 2,000 sites in the New Orleans area, as well as fielding a constant stream of owner rescue requests.

"Many of these animals are people's companions who escaped their homes when doors and windows blew open. It would be completely unethical to allow them to die on the streets," she says.

The state claims that local authorities can handle the problem, but rescuers on the ground know this is not the case. One of the hardest hit areas, St. Bernard Parish, has no active animal control agency or functioning animal shelter. The Louisiana SPCA, in charge of animal control in Orleans Parish, does not have anywhere close to the staff, space, or resources required to address a problem of this magnitude.

As bad as the situation is now, in a few months it will be even worse. Despite the horrific conditions, the dogs and cats on the streets are still breeding, and rescuers are starting to see puppies and kittens born after Katrina. Statistics show that one unspayed female cat and her offspring can produce more than 59,000 cats in five years.

"If the state government doesn't allow us to feed, treat, and find homes for the thousands of animals struggling to survive now, it is in for rude awakening the beginning of next year," says Becky Robinson, national director of Alley Cat Allies (ACA). "The number of free-roaming cats and dogs will be devastating."

ACA, a national cat advocacy group now running a cat rescue operation from a base in Bogalusa, Louisiana, has plans for an immediate, large-scale spay/neuter program for the street cats of New Orleans. This program requires the services of about a dozen veterinarians experienced with high-volume surgery. Many out-of- state vets have offered their services, free of charge.

But the state of Louisiana is standing in the way. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, acting on advice from Assistant State Veterinarian Martha Littlefield, has refused to extend an executive order giving out-of-state veterinarians permission to practice in Louisiana. That order expired October 25. Any out-of- state vet practicing in the area now would do so at the risk of jail time and thousands of dollars in fines.

Despite the state's claims that local veterinarians can fulfill the need, ACA has been unable to find local vets who can provide consistent care for the cats housed at its temporary shelter, let alone enough to conduct the type of large-scale spay/neuter program that is so desperately needed.

"This nation's animal rescue community can help Louisiana meet this crisis if the state will simply acknowledge the problem still exists and allow us to work," Robinson says. "This is not only humane and ethical; it is in everyone's best interest."

For more information, please contact Claire Davis at 435-899- 1231 or [email protected], or visit http://www.alleycat.org and http://www.AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com.

http://www.usnewswire.com/
/© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/


---------------------------------------
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5299674&mesg_id=5299674

shireen (662 posts) Tue Nov-08-05 03:23 PM
Original message
NEW ORLEANS ANIMAL CRISIS - PLS. WRITE CONGRESS!!!

Edited on Tue Nov-08-05 03:25 PM by shireen

Note: Jane Garrison is one of the very few brave souls who has spent months in New Orleans trying to rescue abandoned pets. THIS CRISIS IS NOT OVER! Please ask Congress for help! The scope of this disaster is too large for a few volunteers to handle, and major animal welfare groups are not being helpful (but they're very good at fundraising!)

-----------------------------------

How to help Jane Garrison.

Many of us have given more than we can afford to donate to animals. Many of us cannot travel to NO to help Jane. What is left to do? We can contact our elected officials. This crisis is too overwhelming -- we need to put some serious pressure on government to help people like Jane.

The sponsor of the amendment to HR 3858 (Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2005), introduced on September 22 '05, is Tom Lantos. Primary co-sponsors are Shays, Oberstar, Young, and Frank. Since it was introduced, the list of co-sponsors has grown to 62 House members. Please start by writing/faxing/calling the sponsor and primary co-sponsors, then try to contact as many of the 62 co-sponsors, especially if they're your representatives.

Also, please write to Sen. John Ensign. His email webform is http://ensign.senate.gov/forms/email_form.cfm

PLEASE CROSS-POST this message as widely as possible to other groups. Our elected officials will respond if they start getting flooded with emails and phone calls from concerned citizens.

There are three things appended below.
1) a sample letter (please personalize your message so it does not look like a form letter)
2) a list of the sponsor and primary co-sponsors with contact information
3) a list of the 62 co-sponsors (you will need to look up their contact info on the www.house.gov )

_______________
SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear .....,

as a co-sponsor of the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2005, you may be interested to learn about the devastating consequences of leaving animals behind in a disaster area.

The disaster that struck New Orleans has exposed a lot of ugly facts about our society. One of those ugly facts is the treatment of our pets. The federal, state, and local governments have done little to help animals in the New Orleans area. The major animal rescue organizations are largely ignoring the current crisis. The work to save animal survivors in this largely deserted and devastated city is on the shoulders of a few people, all volunteers, who are struggling to fight a losing battle.

Appended below is a truly heart-breaking plea from one of the lead animal rescuers in New Orleans. Please read it -- it will give you a horrific glimpse into what is really happening to the remaining abandoned pets in New Orleans. Please help these animal rescuers get the government resources they need to save the innocent victims that our society has forgotten.

Thank you,
your name
& full contact information


From: Jane Garrison
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2005 20:46:27 -0500
To: Kinship Circle<[email protected] >
Subject: New Orleans urgent update 11/7

11/7 Very depressing day...Today we found 3 dead cats at 3 separate houses. These were cats who had only died in the past few days. Two of the cats were found dead on their front porches next to empty food and water bowls. The other was found dead on the back porch of a house where again, no food/water was available.

Why did these animals die? Because we do not have enough people to feed them. This is not a normal city on a normal day where animals can search through trash for scraps. This is a city where the majority of the residents have not returned so no trash is being generated. This is a city where there are no puddles for them to drink out of because it has not rained in over a month. This is a city where there are no residents who will feed them because very few people are actually living in New Orleans.

This is a city in a crisis. These animals have nothing but us to help them. I hate to say it but the animal community is failing these animals. Today we only had 24 people to put out food and water stations in a city that has thousands of animals on the streets. It is a tragedy that these animals made it through the hurricane, made it through the flood, made it through another hurricane and are dying because they don't have enough food and water.

Please don't think that someone else will go and help...because they won't and they're not. Please get in your car, get on a plane and come to New Orleans to help put food and water out for these animals. We currently have over three thousand locations in our database where we know animals are hiding under porches and under houses. I am begging you to please help. We will provide you with the list of locations and all the dog and cat food you will need. Just come... All the instructions you need are on Animalrescueneworleans.com. PLEASE don't let anymore animals die...

Jane Garrison
_______________

SPONSOR AND PRIMARY CO-SPONSORS OF
Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2005

Rep. Tom Lantos (CA, 12th Congressional District)
Sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Co-chair, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Website: http://lantos.house.gov/hor/ca12/home.htm
Email: (constituents only) http://lantos.house.gov/HoR/CA12/Contact+Tom /
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)
Staff Contact for this issue: Guido Zucconi x53531
NOTE: PLEASE CALL HIS OFFICE.

Rep. Christopher Shays (CT, 4th Congressional District)
Co-chair, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Website: http://www.house.gov/shays /
Email: http://www.house.gov/shays/contact/index.htm
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)
Fax: [phone]
Staff Contact for this issue: Kristy Crooks x55541

Congressman Don Young (AK, Congressman At Large)
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Website: http://donyoung.house.gov /
Email: http://donyoung.house.gov/opinions.htm
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)
Fax: [phone]

Congressman James Oberstar (MN, 8th Congressional District)
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Website: http://www.oberstar.house.gov /
Email: Constituents only, http://wwwc.house.gov/oberstar/zipauth.htm
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)
Fax: [phone]

Congressman Barney Frank (MA, 4th Congressional District)
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Website: http://www.house.gov/frank /
Email: Constituents only, http://www.house.gov/writerep /
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)
NOTE: PLEASE CALL HIS OFFICE.

Congressman Raul M. Grijalva (AZ - 7th Congressional District)
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Member, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Website: http://www.house.gov/grijalva /
Email: http://www.house.gov/grijalva/contact.html
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)
Fax: [phone]

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3rd Congressional District)
Co-sponsor, amendment to HR3858, Sept 22 '05
Member, Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus
Website: http://blumenauer.house.gov /
Email: http://blumenauer.house.gov/about/Contact.shtml
Phone: [phone] (Washington DC)
Fax: [phone]

_______________

HR 3858 amendment, Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2005
(links to legislation at Rep. Lantos' website, http://lantos.house.gov/hor/ca12/home.htm ).

List of 62 CO-SPONSORS

Rep Abercrombie, Neil
Rep Andrews, Robert E.
Rep Berkley, Shelley
Rep Bishop, Timothy H.
Rep Blumenauer, Earl
Rep Capps, Lois
Rep Case, Ed
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel
Rep Davis, Jo Ann
Rep Davis, Susan A.
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L.
Rep Engel, Eliot L.
Rep Evans, Lane
Rep Farr, Sam
Rep Filner, Bob
Rep Frank, Barney
Rep Goode, Virgil H., Jr.
Rep Gordon, Bart
Rep Grijalva, Raul M.
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D.
Rep Holt, Rush D.
Rep Inslee, Jay
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice
Rep Kaptur, Marcy
Rep Kildee, Dale E.
Rep Kilpatrick, Carolyn C.
Rep King, Peter T.
Rep Kline, John
Rep Lee, Barbara
Rep Lewis, John
Rep Lowey, Nita M.
Rep Lynch, Stephen F.
Rep Matheson, Jim
Rep McCollum, Betty
Rep McIntyre, Mike
Rep McNulty, Michael R.
Rep Menendez, Robert
Rep Miller, George
Rep Moran, James P.
Rep Nadler, Jerrold
Rep Napolitano, Grace F.
Rep Oberstar, James L.
Rep Olver, John W.
Rep Pastor, Ed
Rep Payne, Donald M.
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D.
Rep Schwarz, John J.H. "Joe"
Rep Shays, Christopher
Rep Sherman, Brad
Rep Snyder, Vic
Rep Spratt, John M., Jr.
Rep Tanner, John S.
Rep Thompson, Mike
Rep Tierney, John F.
Rep Udall, Mark
Rep Van Hollen, Chris
Rep Watson, Diane E.
Rep Waxman, Henry A.
Rep Wexler, Robert
Rep Wolf, Frank R.
Rep Wu, David
Rep Young, Don


_______________

[EFerrari]

1. Kicked and nominated.

Thanks, shireen!

[tatertop]

2. 24 trying to service 3000 cat and dog locations

[shireen]

3. it's crazy!

If i didn't have my pesky health issues, I'd be there in a heartbeat! And you'll love this .... the LA SPCA is in denial. A recent response from Laura Maloney (director/LA SPCA) regarding someone who contacted her about unrescued animals:

The info you're getting is incorrect. We are well-staffed and doing fine in New Orleans. We also have visiting Officers from across the country. We have finished our Katrina lists.

The stuff that is all over the internet is simply not true.

Sounds like callous irresponsible denial.

[tatertop]

4. I would expect more out of the LA SPCA. What a shame.

[Beaverhausen]

5. This needs one more vote for the greatest page

:hi:

[AgadorSparticus]

6. kicked and nominated.

This angers me beyond words.
:nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke:

[EFerrari]

7. We need a phone campaign to LA gov's office. LINK TO CONTACT

It sounds like they want witnesses out of the way.

:nuke:

I will ring up the L.A, catlady network this evening.

But, could we please get some action on this thread and make a few calls.

This is MURDER.

:nuke:

Contact page for Blanco:

http://www.gov.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&cpid=8

[egadsbrain]

8. I have 2 foster cats from NOLA

They were rescued before the HSUS pulled out. Both are doing great with their medical expenses covered by the ASPCA. I know a couple of cat people who are going down next week on their own. I don't understand why the big groups left so soon. Once again it's the grassroots people doing the dirtiest, saddest work, not expecting any reward.

[medeak]

9. On the other hand

attorney friend volunteered with FEMA for 4 weeks there...he called daily on sattelite phone and was very frustrated with the lack of help..

But one week he was put in charge of animal shelter...these were animals that had been claimed and were waiting for their owners to find a place to live.

daily and nightly he was faced with animal activists breaking in and taking the animals...meant well but they didn't realize these animals had homes.

Part of the problem is the lack of communication.

[Maddy McCall]

11. It DID happen. I was there.

I saw it happen. This happened at Lamar Dixon. I can't tell you how many people are still trying to find their animals...the animals are still alive, but they are in someone's home in Arizona.

Or they are being sold on a "nextdaypets" website for $400.

Like I said, I'll temper myself here, but I know a lot about what happened.

Was your friend at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales? I saw the big barn where animals that had owners had been left. There was only one person guarding the 200' long barn, and he was sitting in a chair at one entrance. The barn had 4 entrances.

Two chihuahuas were stolen while I was helping the owner look for them. They had just been walked--I saw them being walked. This elderly man was in tears when it became apparent that they were gone. The person who walked them had loaded them up and left.

I heard from other workers that some people were coming in from other states, volunteering, but in an organized attempt to steal purebred dogs to take back to their homestate, where they sold them. I do know this to be true, that yorkies from Lamar Dixon were sold on an internet site for $400. Despicable, isn't it.

[medeak]

14. perhaps that was what he was talking about

purebred dogs being stolen.. he was in a dog shelter in Baton Rouge. I understand your passion and am not arguing with you...but I know his frustration at keeping the place secure. edited to say he's a gay fed attorney who specializes in helping illegal aliens..the irony of him having to play a cop was too much.

Have lots of stories from him.. went into the bar in NO that never shut down....three weeks later the same folk were there having never taken a shower but the friendliest people you could imagine drinking warm beer. ;-)

[Maddy McCall]

10. I volunteered at Lamar Dixon in Gonzales, where animals were...

brought after being rescued from NOLA.

I'll keep most of what I think to myself, but I will say that the Human Society and ASPCA have BOTH lost my donations. Much more could have been done for these animals, by people who live in Louisiana, but the smart-ass, know-it-all elitist from the national organizations thought they knew best, and turned away offers of assistance.

The deaths of the remaining animals in NOLA--and the ones that were shipped across country to shelters where they were euthanized--are on THEIR shoulders.

The locals would have done much more--hell, they offered to do much more while I looked an and watched them be turned away--if HSUS and ASPCA would have shut the hell up and got out of the way. Those two organizations are shit, as far as I am now concerned.

And that's all I'm going to say on this topic.

[EFerrari]

12. PM me, Maddy. Because apart from Generic Other's auction

we've donated soley to the Humane Society for the furry ones -- thinking that they wouldn't get the attention they needed.

We were just about to send a few more bucks, too. :(

[shireen]

13. i've heard similar stories...

- people posing as animal rescuers to break into homes

- dog fighters stealing dogs from shelters or posing as pet transporters and getting animals directly from rescue groups! I cannot verify any of this information but have heard (anonymously) from some people who have documented these dog-fighter cases.

- shelters not posting Katrina animals on petfinder.com or petharbor.com.

- there's the Arkansas shelter fiasco -- animals taken in by an animal hoarder who claimed to be a shelter owner -- 400 dogs were found, many locked in crates in their own waste, exposed to the elements. SICK! See www.ericsdogblog.com for more info.

It's despicable, but the sad reality is that there are sick people out there who take advantage of chaos to victimize people and pets.

Maddy, thank you so much for volunteering at Lamar-Dixon. People like you are the true heroes in this sad sad story. You had to work in some very ugly conditions, not just working with suffering animals, but from what I've heard, under very bad management. And I agree with you, HSUS and ASPCA will never get a cent from me either. I am deeply disapointed with them and get really mad when I see them in photo-ops with members of Congress.

[justiceischeap]

18. While I was there

People from purebreed "rescue groups" would come to the intake line every night looking for their specific breed. We always lied to them because we didn't know who they were and why they seemed so intent on getting their hands on these rescued animals. Maybe some were legitimate but animals were stolen from Lamar-Dixon and we were not about to assist in this in any way.

I also have a different view of HSUS after my experience there.

[shireen]

19. interested to know more about HSUS experience

I have heard mostly negative things about the way HSUS handled the situation. If you have an experience to share that's positive, I'd be very interested in hearing it. It would help me personally, since I am feeling very discouraged about them.

Thanks for being there and helping the animals!

[justiceischeap]

24. Let's see, the most positive thing I can think of is...

They provided a party tent with air conditioning and cots for the volunteers to sleep in. Oh, and they handed out free HSUS t-shirts for the field rescue teams.

[shireen]

26. LOL! So that's how they spend their millons of donations $$$ n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

15. First hand descriptions of what is going on..

Eric's Dog Blog

This blog provides vivid descriptions directly from the operations of various rescue groups in New Orleans, LA and surrounding areas. We are working around the clock to save 50,000 to 100,000 pets that are in this disaster zone. Time is running out! But we are still pulling 1000s of animals out every day -- finding some alive in houses after 6 weeks. Be sure to check the archives for great stories. Read on!

(this is just one entry. There are many more....
http://ericsdogblog.blogspot.com/2005/11/special-guest-hero-marilyn-mcgee.html


This is a group that has done incredibly wonderful things in New Orleans!!
Pasado's Safe Haven is one of the
country's premiere animal sanctuaries dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of dogs, cats, and factory farm animals.
http://www.pasadosafehaven.org/index.html

Pasado's Safe Haven - Pasado sent rescue teams and assisted emergency shelters in Louisiana, they are also investigating the school shooting. Website includes information on their rescue efforts and other work. (Rated four stars in Charity Navigator.)
http://www.doghero.com/katrina2.html

[KamaAina]

17. And another, from those cool folks who blogged through the whole thing

more at:

http://www.tampabusiness.com/directnic/cat/

Gotta give a shoutout to the meow people down there. N.O. is the best cat town I've ever been in. I suppose, cats being survivors as you know, they'll end up with a large population of feral cats, like Hawai'i already has.

[shireen]

16. kick!

[roguevalley]

20. DAMN GOVERNOR! What the HELL is she THINKING!?!?!?!

Is Noah's wish still there? Are they credible?

[shireen]

21. Noah's wish -- good people.

I've not heard anything bad. Just good stuff.....

[pitohui]

29. she's thinking we have perfectly good louisiana licensed vets

the evacuation is over, we are not helpless babies waiting for "alley cat allies" to come from out of state & run our lives

we have excellent vets here, some world class, we no longer need the emergency vets from out of state

if yr job were being taken by someone from out of state or out of country, you'd be a bit peeved -- esp. if yr house had damage & you needed to earn some money

as far as noah's wish, agreed, never heard a bad word said against them, knock on wood

[shireen]

31. Then why the hell aren't you taking care of your animals?????!!! n/t

[pitohui]

33. my animals are doing just fine

like the man said in another thread, we don't care how you yankees do it

lies & exaggerations get you nowhere except discredited

[EFerrari]

22. Heads up and kick

:kick:

[shireen]

23. Alley Cats Letter campaign

Appended below is text about the letter campaign followed by the link to send the letter ...


Louisiana: Let Out-of-State Vets In To Help The Animals In Need!

Louisiana has announced that the Hurricane Katrina rescue phase is over. Out-of-state veterinarians are banned from volunteering their services on behalf of the animals of greater New Orleans. Rescuers have been threatened with arrest if they attempt to give food and water to animals in Orleans Parish. Outside rescue groups are told they should turn all operations over to local authorities and leave the state. Alley Cat Allies is calling for the Louisiana to reverse its course and accept outside help in the form of veterinarians and more volunteers.

The state claims that local authorities can handle the problem, but rescuers on the ground know this is not the case. One of the hardest hit areas, St. Bernard Parish, has no active animal control agency or functioning animal shelter. The Louisiana SPCA, in charge of animal control in Orleans Parish, does not have anywhere close to the staff, space, or resources required to address a problem of this magnitude.

As bad as the situation is now, in a few months it will be even worse. Despite the horrific conditions, the dogs and cats on the streets are still breeding, and rescuers are starting to see puppies and kittens born after Katrina. Statistics show that one unspayed female cat and her offspring can produce more than 59,000 cats in five years.

Take Action today to let the State know that things are not back to normal and out-of-state animal rescue volunteer help is still necessary.



http://action.alleycat.org/c.mmL3KgN3LzH/b.806667/k.9ED9/Action_Center/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=mmL3KgN3LzH&b=806667

[shireen]

25. LATEST BS! *** PLEASE READ ***

Someone's been trying to get help by contacting wildlife and fisheries professors at Louisiana State University, to get the word out that volunteers are needed to help to feed the animals. He got a message from one of them saying, "We have been informed by Martha Littlefield (assistant state veterinarian) that this is a bogus situation and request."

I am totally dumbfounded. Jane Garrison and her people are credible. They are not making this up.

What should we do?

[pitohui]

28. i won't name names

but i've heard the same from some folks at lsu & i think they know whereof they speak

there had to come a day when louisiana licensed vets returned & did the work, we never intended to become dependent on outsiders forever, we are not a colony

god forgive me & hope my friends involved w. feral cats don't read this, but we don't need "alley cat allies" in this state, we need the damn ferals depopulated

pets not rescued by now, after two hurricanes & a prolonged drought, are, if you are being real, dead

[shireen]

30. don't agree

but i've heard the same from some folks at lsu & i think they know whereof they speak

They don't -- the situation has been explained to them, and they are now onboard with the rescue efforts.

there had to come a day when louisiana licensed vets returned & did the work, we never intended to become dependent on outsiders forever, we are not a colony

ACA is having trouble getting them to help with spay & neuter work. Besides, they need to be paid, there needs to be a source of funding for this. BTW, I am not too impressed with these vets -- most animals found have been heartworm positive and not spayed/neutered. It makes me wonder what these vets are doing to promote responsible pet-keeping. Apparently, not much.

god forgive me & hope my friends involved w. feral cats don't read this, but we don't need "alley cat allies" in this state, we need the damn ferals depopulated

"Depopulating" sounds like taking a gun and shooting them dead. These cats didn't choose to be feral -- they were dumped by people. As a society, we are responsible for these animals, and if the cats are able to lead some kind of decent life as feral cats, then they deserve to live out their lives. Alley Cats Allies is doing a lot to humanely decrease the feral cat population with spay & neuter programs. New Orleans needs them. Desperately.

pets not rescued by now, after two hurricanes & a prolonged drought, are, if you are being real, dead

That is such ignorant BS! Yes, some are dead. They died horribly. But several thousand are still alive. Dog packs are found in every wooded area. Most are starving, doing what they need to do to stay alive like hunting smaller dogs and cats. Some are feeding on dead animals. A few are being fed by kind residents but that's very few. Just a few days ago, an Akita was reunited with her human thanks to a man who had been feeding her -- he befriended her, got close enough to read the rabies tab, and was able to track down her owner. These animals on the streets, or in shelters and foster homes all over the country, are peoples' pets. Many have humans who are desperately looking for them. It's a long shot but we MUST try our best to reunite them.

WE ARE NOT GIVING UP ON THE ABANDONED ANIMALS IN NEW ORLEANS!

[pitohui]

32. yes most dogs will be heartworm positive in louisiana if not on medication

not sure how that is the vet's fault, if you lived in certain areas of the world & didn't take malaria medicine, you would have malaria sooner or later, this is a heartworm area, you wanna blame the vets because we had two hurricanes & people were given mandatory orders to evacuate without their animals that is just crazy unfair

we have some world class vets, agreed, they don't work for nothing nor should they be asked to any more than you work at YOUR job for nothing

depopulated means humanely killed, euthanized, however, you like to put it, probably not a shotgun to the head, but if there are still roaming dog packs (they seem to have disappeared here thankfully) yes they need to be dealt with immediately

the choice is simple for me, the children or the roaming wild dogs, there really isn't a choice

i wouldn't work with "alley cat allies" either, what they do is unethical, feral cats should be destroyed, we are a migration route, our wild birds and the nation's wild birds are at stake

unless you are willing to HOUSE the abandoned animals -- and clearly you are not if you are allied w. feral cat groups -- then you are an enemy of our wildlife and, um no, we don't need you here, we don't want you here, go create more feral pest animals in YOUR OWN HOME thank you very much

by your argument it sounds like because you saved one akita we've got to condemn hundreds of migrating birds to being pounced upon by feral cats

that is completely wrong-headed & immoral

go back where you came from

the feral fetishists will never get a conscience or sufficient empathy to understand that wild birds and other small wildlife also have feelings so just go away, GO

[shireen]

34. how to be wrong-headed and immoral

not sure how that is the vet's fault, if you lived in certain areas of the world & didn't take malaria medicine, you would have malaria sooner or later, this is a heartworm area, you wanna blame the vets because we had two hurricanes & people were given mandatory orders to evacuate without their animals that is just crazy unfair

Heartworms can only be detected 6-7 months after the larvae enters a dog. Therefore, these animals were heartworm positive before Katrina hit, which indicates a poor level of veterinary care before the hurricane. There could be many reasons pet owners did not medicate their animals: they didn't know, could not afford it, or did not care. Since most people keep pets because they love them, I have to wonder how much effort veterinarians and/or local animal rescue groups have put into launching public information campaigns and assistance for pet owners.

we have some world class vets, agreed, they don't work for nothing nor should they be asked to any more than you work at YOUR job for nothing

I am not saying they should work for nothing -- they should be funded by the state of Louisiana or one of the major animal rescue groups.


depopulated means humanely killed, euthanized, however, you like to put it, probably not a shotgun to the head, but if there are still roaming dog packs (they seem to have disappeared here thankfully) yes they need to be dealt with immediately

Well, you're indicating that the only way to deal with them "immediately" would be to shoot them.

These dogs are PETS. Some may be beyond saving due to severe aggression, and those cases need to be evaluated by experts before the dogs are PTS. But many of these dogs can and should be rescued -- from what I've heard, they revert to a more docile behavior after capture. Therefore, there is good reason to trap these dogs, and the faster it is done, the better their chances of being reunited with their humans or being adopted.

the choice is simple for me, the children or the roaming wild dogs, there really isn't a choice

I hope parents have the common sense not to let their kids roam free in the current environment, especially at dusk when most animals come out.

These are NOT wild dogs -- most are abandoned pets that are struggling to survive. They pose little risk to people. If they do approach people, it's quite possible that they're simply seeking food because they've been conditioned to DEPEND on people. The only dangerous dogs would be fighter pit bulls, if any -- but that is not a reason to destroy all dogs. The solution is simply to trap these dogs as quickly as possible so they may be evaluated and treated appropriately.

i wouldn't work with "alley cat allies" either, what they do is unethical, feral cats should be destroyed, we are a migration route, our wild birds and the nation's wild birds are at stake

I have to admit I have mixed feelings about feral cats. but am not convinced that killing them all is the solution. Aggressively thinning the population of feral cats over time seems like a humane compromise to this difficult situation.

unless you are willing to HOUSE the abandoned animals -- and clearly you are not if you are allied w. feral cat groups -- then you are an enemy of our wildlife and, um no, we don't need you here, we don't want you here, go create more feral pest animals in YOUR OWN HOME thank you very much

This statement makes no sense. No one wants feral animals. No one wants to see unwanted animals discarded to shelters where they will be eventually put to sleep. No one wants to see wildlife decimated by feral animals either. We should be solving each of these problem, but generally not one at the expense of the other. What we need to do is promote spay and neuter programs to significantly decrease animal populations, pets and feral animals -- that is the best way to help wildlife in the long-term.

Many animal rescuers have commented that most of the rescued animals from New Orleans are *not* spay/neutered. That raises serious concerns about pet-keeping in New Orleans. And again, it makes me wonder about the level of pet-keeping education provided by animal control officers and veterinarians.

by your argument it sounds like because you saved one akita we've got to condemn hundreds of migrating birds to being pounced upon by feral cats

No it's not. I mentioned the Akita as an example of why we need to keep rescuing the dogs and cats. These animals are pets with owners who are desperately looking for them. These animals are *family* to many people. As far as migrating birds are concerned, the casualties will be low if we can get most of the cats trapped in the next few months before cat breeding gets out of control.

that is completely wrong-headed & immoral

go back where you came from

the feral fetishists will never get a conscience or sufficient empathy to understand that wild birds and other small wildlife also have feelings so just go away, GO

Conscience and empathy for wildlife? Like the decimated wetlands along your coastline and the massive dead zone where the Gulf meets the Mississippi? These problems are orders of magnitude more serious than a few birds getting picked off over the next few months by feral cats.

We agree that the goal is to eliminate feral cats and dogs. But we disagree on how it should be done. Killing them is not the solution. Educating pet-owners and controlling the animals' reproduction is the only way to keep pet populations in check over the long-run. It will take time time to accomplish, and there will be unfortunate wildlife casualties along the way -- but it is a reachable goal, and in the end, pets and wildlife will benefit. It does not have to be a choice, one or the other.

Most of us involved in animal rescue would love nothing better than to "GO", to return to our normal everyday lives. But if we do, what will become of the abandoned pets left behind? Oh yes ... they'll be "dealt with immediately". Your attitude towards pets is quite repulsive; I hope that attitude is not the norm in your state.

[shireen]

27. MEDIA CONTACTs

Pls. write to media, tell them about the BS going on at NOLA!

List of major media with wide reach

MAJOR TV NEW

CBS 60 minutes: [email protected]

CBS 48 Hours: [email protected] Phone: [phone]

CBS Evening News: [email protected]

CBS Early Show: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml , click on "feedback" at bottom of page.


NBC/Dateline: [email protected]

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams: [email protected]


ABC 20/20: [email protected]

ABC Primetime: [email protected]

ABC World News Now: [email protected]

Good Morning America: http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html?cat=Good%20Morning%20America


MSNBC Imus in the Morning - host Don Imus: [email protected]

MSNBC Connected Coast to Coast - address to Ron Reagan, he loves dogs: [email protected]

MSNBC Countdown with Keith Olbermann: [email protected]

MSNBC Scarborough Country - Joe Scarborough: [email protected]

MSNBC The Situation with Tucker Carlson: [email protected]

(Full contact list at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3303518/ )


Fox At Large with Geraldo Rivera: [email protected]

Fox Report with Shepard Smith: [email protected]

(Note: I am not familiar with FOX to know suitable shows to contact, other show contacts listed at http://www.foxnews.com/story/
0,2933,77538,00.html . Rivera and Smith did good reporting from NOLA and would probably be interested in this story.)



CNN 360: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?10

CNN News Tips: http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form11.html


Local TV channels: http://newslink.org/stattele.html



MAJOR PRINT

People Magazine: [email protected]

New York Times: [email protected] , [email protected] 1-888-NYT-NEWS

Washington Post: [email protected]

Los Angeles Times : [email protected] [phone]. Fax: [phone].

Chicago Tribune: news tip form: http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/site/chi-email-newstips,0,847674.customform
press releases for National/foreign desk: 312-222-2550

Houston Chronicle: [email protected]

Other national newspapers: http://newslink.org/metnews.html (at the newspapers website, do a search for "contact" -- it's a quick
way to find email addresses or mail forms.)

[BrklynLiberal]

35. kick..because these poor furbabies STILL need help!!

At this point, these living creatures cannot afford to be particular where the help comes from.