Katrina Pet Rescue - the Survivors

Search and Rescue 

Spending two weeks in New Orleans has given me a first hand view of what can happen to our nonhuman companions. in an emergency. During the evacuation, these friends where left behind. Many reports have people forced out at gun point by the armed forces. In some cases those that refused to leave without their pets were told that their pets would be shot. Some were told to tie their pets to the stairs on the second floor and someone would be back to feed them. This was true, some one came back to feed them. They left the food on the front porch. Needless to say the animal starved.

On October 1, 2005 the official animal search and rescue for pets ended. No more pet were supposed to remain alive. I arrived October 3rd. We, a group of rough volunteers that split off of HSUS where finding 40+ animals alive a day my first week. We were finding animals hiding under beds, in attics, locked in bathrooms and in storage sheds. Many were too weak to bark or move. Others survived by eating what ever was left in the house, and eventually surviving on bugs. Many drank from stagnant water left in bath tubs after the flood.  

Our teams canvassed New Orleans with lists of addresses that had been reported as having pets left in them. The rescue was not limited to dogs and cats, but to any pet, including birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and any other critter loved by a family.  For many it was too late, but others are still found alive. Others that are found alive died during transport to one of the groups providing emergency medical care to these pets.   At the same time feed and water stations were set up through out the city for the animals that had made it out. Most of these were no longer critical animals and just needed fresh water and food. Those with serious injury or malnutrition were taken to Day after day to vets to get the care they needed.