United Animal Nations (EARS)
Leadership team will arrive in both New Orleans, Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi to assess the situation and help determine next steps. 800 trained people have told us they are willing and able to respond when EARS is deployed. EARS is coordinating response efforts with the ASPCA, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Colorado-based Code 3 Associates and Best Friends Animal Society. We are also thankful to our friends at Petfinder.com, who have offered their assistance. As of this time, we are not mobilizing the deployment of volunteers, but that could change within the next 24 hours. It is still very early in this effort and we will only send volunteers in once it is safe to deploy.
SHELTER INFORMATION: In Lafayette, Louisiana, Lafayette Parish Animal Control is operating an animal shelter where evacuees can bring their pets. Official report that the shelter has food, water, crates, cages, bedding and newspaper, but that pet owners are responsible for providing care to their own animals. The shelter is at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette, Louisiana, right next to the Cajundome. Please call Lafayette Parish Animal Control at (337) 291-5644 for more information. NOTE: Starting later today we will begin posting a downloadable/printable list of all temporary animal shelters that we hear about in the affected areas.
Animal Evacuation and Recovery Plan for New Orleans BATON ROUGE— The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA/SPCA), the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association (LVMA) the Louisiana Animal Control Association (LACA), and the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) are managing animal evacuations and recovery plans for New Orleans pets and displaced animals.
PETS TRAVELING WITH OWNERS The LVMA is currently accepting pets at the Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette, LSU in Shreveport, the Monroe Civic Center for small animals and the Ike Hamilton Center for large animals in Monroe, the Farmer's Market in Alexandria, and the LSU Agriculture Center/Parker Coliseum in Baton Rouge. Owners must be housed in a Red Cross shelter; owners are responsible for caring for their animals, including feeding and cleaning. Animals will be accepted 24 hours a day. Veterinarians will be on hand to handle any medical needs.
While owners are responsible for the feeding and cleaning of their pets at the Parker Coliseum in Baton Rouge, the SVM, along with volunteers from the Baton Rouge Veterinary Medical Association, will provide veterinary care. If for some reason, an owner is unable to care for a pet sheltered in the Parker Coliseum (e.g., the owner is housed in a special needs shelter), SVM student volunteers will provide primary care, such as feeding and cleaning. The East Baton Rouge Animal Control Center will be taking stray animals.
The Parker Coliseum will be staffed 24 hours a day by a supervising veterinarian and student volunteers from the School of Veterinary Medicine. Pets in the Coliseum will be given physical exams and Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccinations. If a pet requires medical attention and veterinary monitoring, it will be sent to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine's Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
PEOPLE WITH PETS WHO ARE CURRENTLY EVACUATING NEW ORLEANS The LA/SPCA will transport animals from pick-up points in New Orleans to the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. The pick-up points have not yet been determined and are being coordinated with the agency charged with transporting people from New Orleans to other areas.
The Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 9039 St. Landry Rd., Gonzales, La., will serve as the primary staging area. Once the shelter is full, animals will be moved to temporary shelters in other areas of Louisiana and Texas.
The LA/SPCA Dorothy Dorsett Mobile Veterinary Center will be at the Lamar-Dixon Center to treat incoming animals as needed.
CONFINED PETS STILL IN DISASTER AREA Beginning on September 1, residents who left pets in their homes may call a hot line to leave information about the number of animals, species, and their confined location. As soon as the hotline number is obtained, we will advise the media. WE CANNOT ENTER NEW ORLEANS UNTIL APPROVAL IS GRANTED BY STATE OFFICIALS.
DONATIONS Financial donations are being accepted to fund the animals' care through the Dr. Walter J. Ernst, Jr. Veterinary Memorial Foundation at the LVMA at 1-800-928-LVMA.
A regional donation center is being established. Our needs include:
large air kennels and metal cages leashes disposable bowls canned cat and dog food disposable litter pans spray bleach paper towels sheets towels locks hoses bottled water trash cans trash bags pooper scoopers cat litter extension cords fans.
The most urgent needs are kennels and monetary donations. The media will be advised of the address once determined. At least 175 animals are currently en route to Baton Rouge.
For more information or to make donations of the materials listed above, please call the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine at 225-578-9900; www.vetmed.lsu.edu or the LVMA at 1-800-928-LVMA; www.lvma.org.
Noah’s Wish
The team reached Slidell, Louisiana, yesterday. Today they will begin to provide assistance for animals in the devastated area. They hear stories of animals from almost everyone they run into. Many of these are about animals left behind. The Noah’s Wish team is staying in Hammond, at the home of one of their volunteers.
They are anticipating thousands of cats and dogs will be going into Slidell. Animal Control was completely destroyed. The Mayor has set Animal Control and Noah’s wish in a warehouse with a large back lot. They will be setting up runs, kennels, etc. They need everything ASAP.
The Humane Society of the United States
HSUS animal response units are in Jackson, Mississippi, and on the western edge of the impact area, coordinating with other rescue efforts and ready to move into the worst-hit regions to respond to the hundreds of pleas for help from pet owners. The HSUS disaster teams are recommending that people with stranded pets continue trying to contact their local authorities.
More than 30 experienced HSUS rescue staff and volunteers trained in animal rescue from 12 states are coordinating with state officials, federal agencies, and other rescue organizations to start evacuating animals out of the most-affected areas. They'll also begin establishing pet-friendly shelters and delivering supplies, resources and medical assistance.
With the call from Louisiana's Governor to fully evacuate New Orleans, HSUS prepped teams to move into Baton Rouge, as soon as access permits, to coordinate pet-friendly sheltering for evacuees with the Louisiana SPCA.
