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Got this from the Humane Society today: Dear Friend,
I am writing to you today because I know you care about homeless pets and quite honestly, we need YOUR help.
As many of you already know, on Thursday, August 28th, the Valley was hit with its worst monsoon of the year, and perhaps the worst in years. As a result, our Campus for Compassion, which sits at the base of South Mountain was devastated by the monsoon rains.
Our dog kennels were hit the hardest as the heavy rains brought with it a horrible combination of mud and sewage into all five dog adoption buildings. Some dog kennels had six inches of rain water, mud and sewage (I am happy to report that all dogs were and are fine.)
In addition, our administrative building suffered severe flooding (in some areas the flood waters measured 11 inches high). We have yet to learn of all of the damage to our Campus for Compassion, but one thing is for sure…..YOUR financial help is needed now more than ever before.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw
Last Thursday night around 11:15 PM, I received an urgent call from our Assistant Director of Shelter Operations informing me that the heavy rain water was causing flooding at our shelter. All available staff at the time were hard-at-work attempting to keep the rain water out of our kennels and keep our pets safe. They used all resources available to them, such as stacking 40 lb. bags of kitty litter around the perimeter of some buildings in an attempt to keep the water out, but the flood waters simply were too fast and too powerful.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I arrived shortly after midnight. I can only describe it as “surreal.” As I walked in, I saw two of our EAMTs (Emergency Animal Medical Technicians) literally pushing water with squeegee brooms through our lobby and out the front door. As I hurriedly made my way through the flooded lobby and adoption offices, I was deeply worried about what I would see in our outdoor dog kennels. It was a mess. Walkways were flooded so high that we couldn’t pass in some areas. Although we have water retaining areas and a drainage system, they were no match for the huge amount of rain we received. Water retaining areas were overflowing and water, along with raw sewage, was actually coming UP from the drains.
I went to each and every dog kennel to check on each one. The dogs, while wet, muddy and scared, were not hurt. The flood waters had gotten as high as six inches in some kennels and many of the dogs found refuge on the top of the raised beds in their kennels.
Not one building escaped the flood damage.
As I made my way through the rest of the shelter, I continued to be shocked at what I saw. Not one building on our entire campus escaped the flood. Our Margaret McAllister Brock Low-Cost Spay/Neuter & Wellness Clinic, a hospital that must remain a sterile environment – flooded. Our office areas – flooded. An outside wall of our administrative wing showed the water line at an astounding 11 inches! Virtually every office suffered severe damage. Anything that was on the floor and was not waterproof was ruined. This included boxes containing hundreds of reference books on dogs and cats, boxes of staff uniforms, and boxes of T-shirts that were to be used as premiums for Pet Telethon donations and, of course, many computers.
We called the media and asked the public for help. Within hours, more than 100 good Samaritans came down to help us mop up the water and mud, move boxes, hose walkways and bathe dogs. We thank MARS Petcare for graciously providing both volunteers and lunch for all of our volunteers.
Help provide HOPE to our animals in this difficult time
By now, most of the flood water has been removed, but our work is far from over. We continue to monitor the pets to ensure that no one suffers from gastrointestinal parasites; we have yet to determine the damage to the walls and floors as a result of the massive flooding; and we worry about the cost to remove any bacteria, be it raw sewage or other bacteria that pets, and people, were exposed to.
Already working on a shoestring budget, these are expenses we were not anticipating and we are calling on YOU, our friend, to help us. Your donation will help us get through this difficult time and help ensure that the homeless pets in our care receive the love, attention, and medical treatment they deserve. Thank you for caring.
Sincerely,
Tim Crum, Executive Director
P.S. We invite you to visit our website at www.azhumane.org to see video footage and a slideshow of the flooding. You can also make your donation online by simply clicking on the “Donate Now” button. Thank you. Here's more info on the situation: http://www.azhumane.org/artman2/publish/headlines/Campus_Devastated_by_Monsoon_Flood.shtmlAnd if you can donate, please go here: http://www.azhumane.org/artman2/publish/donate2/gendonate.shtml. I know many of us are strapped right now - I certainly am. But I gave a little bit and feel strongly that every dollar helps some. And please spread the word to anyone you know who might be able to help out. Thanks! :hi: |
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