My Work With
Animal Rescue New Orleans
www.animalrescueneworleans.com
but also by the tiny pushes of each honest worker."
~Helen Keller (1880-1968)~
November 9, 2005
I have been busy planning/coordinating a trip to New Orleans to help out with Animal Rescue New Orleans. Their website is www.animalrescueneworleans.com and they desperately need help through at least the end of November. They are still finding animals in NOLA daily, in abandoned houses, and there are thousands on the streets roaming free and seeking food. It's absolutely heartbreaking.
Anyone who knows me, knows that New Orleans is my favorite city in the world. I used to travel there 3 to 4 times a year and even contemplated moving there. When Katrina hit and totally devastated the city, I blocked out the week of Thanksgiving to go down and help out in any way I can. I originally contacted Habitat For Humanity, but after receiving an auto-response from them, have heard nothing since. A few weeks ago, I came across the Animal Rescue New Orleans site, and saw they still need help in many ways. I booked my trip and can't wait to get there.
Animal Rescue New Orleans needs volunteers for many things. They put out feeding stations for animals on the street, so they can survive until they are caught and taken to shelters. They respond to calls about strays or animals found in houses, and rescue them. They also actively search out strays to rescue. I am renting an SUV when I arrive in NOLA so I can haul supplies or haul animals to the shelters - whatever I can do to help. If you are within driving distance of NOLA and can take some time to help, it would really be appreciated. I'll be there Nov 19-26th. I can't think of a better way to spend my Thanksgiving Holiday than to help out the pets and people of my favorite city. This first Thanksgiving without Dad would just be too hard to spend it here at home, so I felt I should be using my time off to do some good. Please check their website www.animalrescueneworleans.com and help if you can! :-)
November 20, 2005
I traveled to New Orleans yesterday to help with animal rescue. I'm working with www.animalrescueneworleans.com
I arrived on Saturday, Nov 19th and picked up my rental SUV. Since I was already halfway out to the plantations, I headed West on I-10 towards Baton Rouge, so I could see how the plantations fared. My favorite plantation is Evergreen Plantation, followed by Laura Plantation and Oak Alley Plantation. You can Google the names to get their websites.
The thing that struck me when I reached the plantations is there was no tourists. Well, of course not - because most of the tourists come from New Orleans. Oak Alley, which is very popular, and usually has a full parking lot, with tour busses, cars, SUV's etc. was empty, save for 2 other cars. Same with Laura and Evergreen. Would have never guessed I was there at Noon on a Saturday. However, my reality check didn't REALLY kick in until I was headed into New Orleans, and I saw the suburb of Kenner from I-10. Seemed like every other roof was covered by a blue tarp, due to wind damage. I lost it, right there on the Interstate. Tears streaming down my face, and I wasn't even to NOLA yet.
I got to NOLA, and exited at Esplanade Avenue. On the "neutral ground" which separates the lanes of traffic on Esplanade, there were fridges, assorted damaged items and even vehicles sitting there waiting for pickup. I went to the apartment I am staying at and picked up the keys from Mr. Bill. The apartment is on Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter. It's on the 1100 block in the more residential section of the Quarter, but only a few blocks from where the bars and nightclubs begin. If you ever need a place to stay in NOLA, email me and I'll hook you up with Mr. Bill. Full furnished apartment, with two queen beds, and plenty of room. Big screen TV, DVD/VHS player, stereo, TV in the bedroom, full kitchen with dishwasher - you name it, it's got it!
I visited with Mr. Bill for a bit, then headed to Uptown to see my friends Leilah and Daniel, who own Westgate Gallery. Their 4,000 square foot 2 story, 17 room house (it's HUGE) suffered severe roof damage, but luckily no flooding. I visited with them awhile and then they took me on a tour of the Lakeview neighborhood, and Mid-City. Lakeview was absolutely devastated. The water marks om some of the buildings were ss high as 15-20 feet in some streets. There were 30 foot high piles of debris about 100 feet long on some of the neutral grounds. Very very sad. The two Chinese restaurants we used to eat at - Five Happiness on Carrollton and China Rose were both severely damaged. We ended up going to the Maple Street Cafe which was a nice place.
After I dropped Leilah and Daniel off, I went back to the apartment, and since it was early yet, I left around 6:30pm to walk around the Quarter. I spent about 3 hours walking around and came across some interesting Katrina t-shirts, some are unmentionable here -- and then I got everything ready for today.
Met the ARNO people at 7:30am at the corner of Magazine and Felicity Streets, and loaded up my SUV with supplies. Several 40 lb. bags of dog food, big bags of cat food, canned food to attract the animals, treats for people walking their dogs, and big containers of water. Also had big aluminum trays for food and water. There was a meeting assigning everyone to the various sections of the city, marked out on a grid. I was paired up with Kelly, from Minnesota, who has been here since Veterans Day, and will be going home Wednesday.
We set off for our section and from about 9am to 3:30pm we checked on about 25-30 feeding stations. Some had not been touched from the day before, and we noted that. Most others had a lot of food/water gone. These stations are set up on porches of abandoned houses, or underneath the house if there is an opening. The spot is noted on a map, and the address written down, so the next crew that is assigned that area knows where to find the stations. They try to keep the same crews going to the same areas since we can find the sites quicker and are more familiar with the area.
It's BAD down here. Entire neighborhoods are totally uninhabitable - EVER again. Entire - neighborhoods will have to be completely bulldozed. Dogs and cats are hiding under the houses. We saw about a dozen stray cats and 4 stray dogs. One dog was tied up behind a house with NO food and water. No owner in sight, and when we gave him a big can of dog food, he snarfed it down in about 30 seconds. We brought a big pan of water, and food and left it for him.
I didn't want to bring in any animals because I didn't want to take someone's pet. But, there was one cat we found in a neighborhood no one had come back to. It was totally deserted and the only cars around were the ones that were flooded out. Anyway, she had a severe neck wound, and was visibly pregnant. We debated what to do and decided between the neck wound and the fact that it looked like she was going to have kittens, that we'd bring her in. I pray we did the right thing. But with the neck wound, if it would have got infected and she died after the kittens were born, then they'd all die too. :-(
That's another major problem. It's been 2-1/2 months since Katrina, and now all the dogs and cats are having babies. That of course only adds to the problem. It's a very sad situation. And when those houses are bulldozed, if there are kittens/puppies under them, they'll die. :-(
You absolutely would not believe the devastation here. In Lakeview, the water was 10-20 feet deep and you can see the water marks on the houses. It was very hard to see. The good thing is - we ARE making a difference, and are keeping the animals alive either until the owners come back, or the professionals take them off the streets if needed.
Here are photos of the pregnant cat with the neck wound, and two of the stray dogs we saw today.
It was a very grueling day, but I can't wait to get back out again tomorrow! I know I'm making a difference in these animals' lives, and I feel teriffic about doing that for them! :-)
November 21, 2005
My second day with ARNO. Met again at 7:30am for our assignments. I returned once again to my section, which is named 27 on our grid. The boundaries of the section are Orleans Avenue, Moss Street, Florida St. and I-10. It is not far from the infamous "9th Ward" area of NOLA that was hardest hit. The area of my section closest to the 9th Ward is where I found the pregnant cat and the tied up dog yesterday. That area is totally uninhabited. Today I worked on my own in Section 27 because the gal I was partnered with yesterday did not want to do the same section over. I disagree completely - as since I did the section yesterday I am familiar with it, and familiar with the feed stations, so am able to cover more quickly. ARNO also suggests to keep taking the same section since it will be covered quickly and you can monitor which feeding stations are more active than others, and which are not active at all.
On my own, from 9am to 4:00pm I was able to hit 24 food/water stations. I saw more dogs today than cats. A pack of 3 dogs, a limping pit bull, a mangy red dog, a long-haired fluffy red dog (possibly a Chow?), and a black lab. Also saw 4 cats all at different stations. It's actually unusual for the animals to be seen at all during the day, because they're usually hiding, especially if there's workers in the area.
We have a total of about 45 stations on our list for Section 27. I would estimate Section 27 is 20 blocks long by 20 blocks wide. Some areas are slowly becoming inhabited, and we don't see as many animals there, but some of the food stations still show activity. We have a lot of stations in the area close to the 9th Ward and those show the most activity. That's also where we see most of the strays. I only took about 4 pictures today, as I was busy doing the food and water on my own. We take about 200 pounds of dog food, 150 pounds of cat food, plus canned food to put down as well, to attract the animals. We also must keep an eye out for working water spigots so we can refill our water containers. I carry 2 5 gallon containers plus about a dozen 1 gallon jugs.
I talked to several local residents today that I did see around, and they were mostly appreciative of the help with the animals. Some were suspicious of what I was doing there, but once they saw me carrying the bags of food, they were fine with everything. :-)
I think that's all of my report for today. Want to get to bed early tonight, as I only got about 6 hours sleep last night, after a very long day. More tomorrow night! :-)
November 22, 2005
Today was definitely CAT day! We saw a total of 13 cats, all at different stations, except for two that were together at a station. The two that were together were not far from a station that we bring food to, but when we saw them rooting through the garbage looking for food, we set a container of wet food out and they sure ate that quickly!
Also, we set up a new station and within 5 minutes, we had a visitor! :-)
Talked to several local residents today, and one old man was trying to feed the strays but had run out of food. We left him a big bag of dog food and cat food, and I'll check in with him tomorrow on my run to drop off more. We do that with another older man in a different location, too. We saw one dog today, and that's actually how we met the old man who we gave food. The dog ran across the street and the man was on his bicycle. We asked if there were any more strays in the area and that's when he mentioned he was trying to feed them but had run out of food. He had a water dish set up in his yard, and the food dish, but it was empty. He sure was grateful to have the food to feed the dogs and cats. :-) I am going to type up a grid with all the stations before I leave on Saturday so the next crew will know about the locals that we are helping out with pet food as well.
Kelly from MN joined me again today after she heard all about the activity I saw yesterday. After today I'll be on my own in Section 27. I actually prefer to work alone anyway. I made detailed notes after each stop and I could see she seemed to be getting frustrated with that. However, I know it will help the next crew that is reponsible for taking care of Section 27. All she gave me on Sunday was a list of the stations, but no notes indicating whether the station was on the porch, under the house, what color house, etc. so that it would be easier and quicker to find. I included all those on my notes, and we wizzed through the entire section today. Also since I loaded up my SUV last night with all the supplies after returning to the ARNO headquarters, all I had to do was pick up Kelly at 7:30 and leave. We were in Sec 27 an hour earlier than normal (8am instead of 9am) and finished our run by 2pm. That gave me time to take a run out to Lakeview.
Above is the picture of a Lakeview home. You can see the water line is well over the top of the door. The whole area was like that. The marina area was even worse. There's Joe's Crab Shack on the water there, and although the sign says "Eat At Joe's", no one will be eating there for a long time to come - if ever. The marina itself was devastated - boats everywhere.....
I will be on my own in Section 27 the rest of the week. Now I can start my shift at 6am when the curfew is lifted. There is a curfew in the city from 2am to 6am. So, if I start my shift at 6am I can cover the entire area by Noon or 2pm and then be able to take a look around the rest of the city tomorrow. Thursday I will definitely do my shift from about 6am to Noon or 1pm, as I am spending Thanksgiving with my friends Leilah and Daniel. :-)
More updates tomorrow night!
November 23, 2005
I had an early start this morning - 6am! Got to my stations very quickly as I'm only about a mile from the beginning of Section 27. I worked 7 hours straight today, checking all the food/water stations and setting up new ones where I saw animals. This has certainly been a humbling experience - seeing the plight of not only the people, but the animals as well. No one asked for this to happen, and I don't think anyone really realizes the extent of the damage, unless you've actually been here. It's one thing to see it on TV, or read about it in the paper, but it's another thing entirely to witness the destruction first hand. There is an EXCELLENT article in Time Magazine this week. I highly recommend checking it out:
http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101051128,00.html
This quote defines IT ALL:
"And now the money and the sympathy are drying up. People just don't understand. You have to see it, smell it, put on a white mask and a pair of plastic gloves, and walk into a world where nothing is salvageable, not even the mildewed wedding pictures."
Been there and done that - just this week. I'm still here doing that and will be here until Saturday Nov. 26th. And it's breaking my heart, to see this beautiful city in ruins, and the toll that it is taking on the people and animals.
Here are photos of two of the visitors to our feeding stations today. Leaving at 6am allows me to see many more animals as the workers aren't out and about yet and the animals are. Also, it got pretty warm this afternoon, in the upper 70's, so I barely saw any animals this afternoon. But the feeding stations I checked were all active and food/water was down from the previous day. There are about 3 stations out of 45 that have showed no activity since Sunday, so I will make a note of that so that those can be checked only once a week or so. That will give the volunteers more time to check other active stations. Yes, it's a lot of documentation, but it's important, because the more information the next crew has, the quicker they can find the stations and the more they can reach in a day!
Here are some images from the neighborhood I am working in:
It's absolutely heartbreaking to see. After only 4 days, I've become kind of immune to the destruction and focus on looking for animals and feeding stations. However, once in awhile, you come across images such as these, and it just tears your heart out:
The signs say R.I.P Miss Joy -- R.I.P Ms Izzy. I don't know the story behind this sign, and the water line does not look that high, but I am guessing the two ladies died in that house. :-( The other sign 914 TFW means the house was checked on 9/14 -- almost 2 weeks after Katrina and I've been told TFW is Total Flood Water, meaning the building was totally flooded.
This sign says "10/8 - 8 cats, 2 dogs, all DOA". This means someone did not get into this house until October 8th, about 5 weeks after Katrina. Those animals were left to fend for themselves, and probably died of starvation, as the water line on the house is not very high.
These images are just heart-wrenching to me and will be forever seared into my mind. I spoke with a gentleman tonight at the Clover Grill www.clovergrill.com who saw my t-shirt. On the front it says, "If I leave, they leave. In memory of Hurricane Katrina animals." On the back it says, Animal Rescue New Orleans. He said that he had about 6 - 8 feet of water in his house and he lost everything. He stayed 10 days in his attic and on his roof until he was finally rescued. He had a dog and several cats and would not leave them. The first few rescuers would not allow him to take his pets, and he would not leave them. Finally after 10 days, they allowed him to take them with. I can understand partially why officials don't want to deal with animals being rescued, but I can tell you this - if I were in his position, I would have done the same thing. My kids are my babies and I'd rather die than let something happen to them.
I took a walk around the Quarter tonight right before dark, and watched a beautiful sunset over the Mississippi River. Here's part of the reason I love NOLA so much:
I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving Holiday tomorrow. Please keep the people and pets of New Orleans, and the entire Gulf Coast in your thoughts and prayers. And if you can, please look at www.animalrescueneworleans.com and make a donation if you can. They ARE making a difference in the lives of these poor animals. I know, because I'm witnessing it first hand. God Bless you all! :-)
November 24, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving!! :-)
My Thanksgiving morning started very early. I was out of the house at 6am to check my food/water stations. I came across two dogs, and I set up a new station where they were. They stayed across the street in a small field, waiting for me to leave. Didn't get any photos of them utilizing the station, but here' what they look like:
I had some very interesting discoveries on my route today - namely 5 chickens crossing the road!!! Unfortunately, since there usually aren't chickens in the city, I fear they are cockfighting chickens. There were two roosters and three hens. I had no idea what to feed them since I didn't have any chicken feed with me, so I settled on cat food. First bag I picked up was of course POULTRY flavored! Ugh! I set that back down and chose fish flavored instead. They attacked the food with a vengeance, so I guess it suited them....
Right after the chickens, I spotted a black lab hiding under a house. I set a plate of wet food out on the sidewalk for him, and he went over to it, then turned around back towards the house and went back under it. I left the food plate there and set up a food station on the porch next door.
Here are a few shots of my vehicle - the first one sitting next to a flooded out Camaro, and the other, a photo of the sign I put up in the windows.
At one of my stations, I noticed some toys in the gutter. Teddy and Barney sitting there, alone and abandoned, waiting for their playmates to come home. Never thought seeing a stuffed animal could make me cry, but these did:
This is all for now - I may write more later when I return from Leilah and Daniel's. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :-)
November 25, 2005
I had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving with Leilah and Daniel and Leilah's Dad, Walter. GREAT food, great friends, great time!! :-) I also got to spend time with Leilah tonight, walking around the Quarter after my shift was over. Sure wish I wasn't going home tomorrow. Wish I had a million bucks so I could stay here and feed these animals every day! I know I'm making a difference in their lives, and they go to sleep with full tummies - at least for this week! :-) And God willing, www.animalrescueneworleans.com will be able to continue to get volunteers to come here and help. Tomorrow's going to be a very sad day for me - seeing some of these animals for the last time. The black lab that was hiding under the house yesterday came out to timidly greet me today when I pulled up. He was wagging his tail and was very happy to see me! :-) I gave him a can of wet food, and he snarfed that down in seconds. He ate several cans, before I said that's enough - I hope he won't get sick. But now he has plenty of dry food and clean water to drink, since I set that station up yesterday. Here's a pic of him, and also a pic of that red dog I saw the other day. I saw him again today:
Here are some photos of the cats that were at the feeding stations today:
And finally, here are some of the ducks and geese I fed today at the canal located on Moss, near the NOLA Museum of Art:
I'm going to sign off for now, and I'll try to update tomorrow night after I return home. :-)
November 26, 2005
Today was my final day in New Orleans. It was a very sad day for me. I hated to leave the animals behind that I have been caring for this past week. Here are two of my favorites: The black lab that lives under the green house. He came out again today to greet me on my final day. I haven't been able to get close to him, nor do I really want to, because I don't want him to bite or snap out of fear. But he definitely appreciates the food and makes it known by the tremendous tail wags! :-) The other favorite, whom I have not mentioned yet, is Mr. Tom. He's an orange Tomcat who lives on New Orleans Avenue and Miro, and is actually a local cat. The feeding station I feed him at is a few houses down from his owner's house. He is an outside cat and is free to roam. Unfortunately that's not good because he's not neutered, so he's making babies throughout the neighborhood. He's a friendly old guy and loves to have a belly rub! He was waiting for me at the feeding station this morning!
After I was done feeding Mr. Tom, I saw a really ratty, mangy dog come down the street. It looked like a cross between a Rottweiler and German Shepherd, or something. Here's a pic of him. He went across the street, and I saw a pack of 4 other dogs sitting there! I had no idea they were there! They were probably waiting for me to leave Tom's feeding station. They ran behind the house and I saw there was an open field behind it. I wasn't about to walk back there, so I pulled my SUV around the corner where I had a clear view of the field. They had ran across the field and sat under the back porch of the house. Here's the pack of 5 dogs:
Here's a couple other animals near my feeding stations. The tan dog I think is the same one who was running with the black dog a few days ago. I had set up a feeding station for them on the 24th. He was hanging out in the field right across from the feeding station today. He wagged his tail when he saw me putting more food out, but wouldn't come over. The cat is one of at least 4 or 5 I have seen at an apartment building. There were signs on the apartment that cats were found DOA inside, and several were running loose outside. There are still several there.
I HAD to get a photo of this sign before I left New Orleans. The sign is on St. Charles Avenue, and is right next to Emeril's Delmonico Restaurant.
The first sign says "Don't try, I am sleeping inside with a big dog, an ugly woman, two shotguns and a claw hammer." Then it goes on about Carnival coming back, and ends with the proverbial, "Throw me something, Mister!" If you've ever been to Mardi Gras, you'd know what that phrase means! Then, on 9/4 he had an update: "9/4/05 Still here. Woman left Fri. Cooking a pot of dog gumbo. Welcome back y'all"
November 27, 2005
Now that I'm home and have had time to collect my thoughts - get ready for my RANT! I've kept quiet about this issue all week, but I'm about to let it fly now! Shortly before I left for New Orleans, someone on a NOLA board posted that Laura Maloney, executive director of the LA SPCA told a reporter for the Times-Picayune that they were on top of everything, and that reports of stray animals on the street and dogs running in packs were untrue. Well, I'm here to tell you, that lady is totally full of BS! I was THERE! I SAW them! I DOCUMENTED the animals on the street, both with photos and written logs! I saw about 50 animals just in my small 20 x 20 block area. And those are the ones who actually came outside. Doesn't count how many are hiding under the buildings. There is a lot of cleanup going on, and lots of workers around in some areas, and I STILL saw lots of animals. If that lady is saying help is no longer needed, she is sadly out of touch with REALITY. Before I traveled to New Orleans, I called the reporter at the T-P and left him a voicemail stating that his article caused me to question my trip, and if it wasn't for the reassurances from Animal Rescue New Orleans that help is DESPERATELY still needed, I didn't cancel my trip. I told him that he was doing a great disservice to the people and animals in New Orleans by printing that article without fully checking out the other side of the story. He should meet with the ARNO people at 7:30am any morning at the corner of Magazine and Felicity Street at the empty Star Hair building and go on a food/water run and see for himself. Especially in Section 27, the section I was working in from November 20th to 26th.
It really infuriates me that these animals are still out there, suffering, and the LA SPCA has the gall to say "everything's under control". Typical of the government agencies in LA, as we all have seen with Katrina. From the city officials to the state officials, no one wants to take the responsibility for anything. I guess it's just better to sweep it all under the carpet and hope it will go away. Well, it is NOT going to go away. I'm going to print out the photos from my journey and send copies to the LA SPCA and the Times-Picayune. I want to see a follow-up article stating that there ARE animals still on the street and help is still needed. Here's the T-P article from November 12th:
http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/library-89/113182080484280.xml?nola
The headline says "LA SPCA on top of animal rescue. Wandering packs of strays not true". Well, what the hell were the pack of three dogs I saw at Castiglione & Crete on Sunday, the different pack of 3 dogs and limping pit bull I saw on Monday at Dumaine & Derbigny, and the pack of 5 dogs I saw yesterday at New Orleans and Tonti??? Dogs out for a walk???????? Damn that makes me mad!!!!!!!!!!! PLUS all the countless single dogs and cats running around that I have seen this past week. I have pictures of or have spotted and documented approximately 50 animals this past week. Like I said, those are the ones I SAW -- think of how may I HAVEN'T seen that are out there. It's been 3 months after Katrina. Those animals have been running loose for three months and are now, for the most part, feral. You're only going to see a small portion of those really out there.
My second rant (that I'm not sure I should get into) is the fact that so many people stayed in the city during Hurricane Katrina. The news media is going on that the poor people stayed because they had no transportation out of the city. Well, I'm here to tell you that the worst hit and poorest-looking area that I was working in (bounded by Industry/Florida/Claiborne/Broad) was littered with literally THOUSANDS of flooded out cars. Those people COULD HAVE left, but for whatever reason, chose not to. Some yards had 3 or 4 flooded out cars in them. I don't know why they stayed. In those areas, there's no one left to ask. But I'm telling you I saw literally hundreds of flooded out cars lining each street in those areas. From what I've been gathering, people just chose to stay because they didn't believe the warnings, or didn't think their area would flood. They were sadly mistaken. This is a city where they hold Hurricane parties! I don't know... if someone knows the answer to this, please tell me. I've heard rumors of why they stayed, but I want more verification of that before even attempting to open that can of worms.
I do not regret going down there for a second. It was a very eye-opening experience and I am thankful that I was able to go and help for a week. I sure gave my cat lots of hugs and pats when I got home. What was very heartbreaking is when I'd see an animal down there that looked like him. Thank God my boy didn't have to go through what those animals are going through.
New Orleans of August 28, 2005 and prior is no more. The city may rebuild and come back, but it will never be the same as it was. I still love her, and am already trying to figure out how to get down there in January or February for a long weekend, if help is still needed. www.animalrescueneworleans.com says help is needed through December and into January. At that time they will reassess their needs and give further updates. They have had several updates on their website since I have been down there. They have also started publishing on their site the number of rescued animals, since that T-P article came out. I wasn't the only one who questioned whether help was really needed or not after reading the article. I'm glad to say I did not listen to the LA SPCA and the T-P and went down anyway. Why in the world would they NOT want people to help????? For the life of me, I can't understand it. I just can't. Laura Maloney from the LA SPCA should go on one of ARNO's food and water runs. Especially in Section 27 where I was. Maybe that would give her a dose of REALITY.
November 28, 2005
While I was in NOLA, I was on www.animalrescueneworleans.com and came across a link to a PBS Video - Katrina Animal Rescue. It features the leader of Animal Rescue New Orleans, Jane Garrison. I went back to the site today to order the video. Here is the link:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/katrina/index.html
Here is a snippet Jane's profile on the PBS website:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/katrina/rescuers.html
Jane Garrison plays a critical role in rescuing stranded animals in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Jane coordinates the search and rescue teams that have saved over 9,000 animals....... Since the filming of the documentary, Jane has not stopped rescuing animals in New Orleans. Even when the state and local authorities insisted on October 1 that rescue efforts should end, Jane rescued an additional 600 animals. She has also developed and instituted a citywide feeding program that drops food and water all over the New Orleans area to help the animals freed from their houses when doors and windows were blown out. Jane is also coordinating teams of volunteers who are humanely trapping these terrified animals and reuniting them with their displaced families. Jane is determined to see that a situation like what happened in New Orleans never happens again. Her motto, "If I leave, they leave," represents the need for laws to change to allow animals to be included during evacuations.
Here's how you can help:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/katrina/help.html
Of course, the FIRST thing they list is to become a volunteer with www.animalrescueneworleans.com :-)
Here is a Katrina Pet Resources Page:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/katrina/resources.html
Nov 28 Update:
I just saw a segment on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 program about Animal Rescue New Orleans! They interviewed Holly Quaglia, who is one of the coordinators of ARNO. She is the person who was handing out the Feeding Station assignments at the 7:30am meetings every day. Holly stressed that there are still MANY animals in need of food and rescue. They also interviewed Laura Maloney of the LA SPCA who once again insisted everything is "under control". That woman needs a SERIOUS reality check. I wonder if she's ever went out into Section 27 at 6am to see the animals? I think not. Here is the email I wrote to Ms. Maloney this morning:
Dear Ms. Maloney,
On November 16th, three days before my trip to New Orleans to help with Animal Rescue New Orleans, I read an article in the Times-Picayune dated November 12th by Bruce Eggler, where you stated the reports of roaming packs of strays were "untrue" and that the LA SPCA had everything under control and no outside help was needed.
I live in Illinois, and the day after Katrina, I set aside the week of Thanksgiving to come down to NOLA to help in any way I could. In late October, I discovered ARNO's website and made plans to work with them, and booked my trip.
The article in the T-P almost made me cancel my trip. Why spend over $1,000 on airfare, SUV rental and accommodations if my help isn't needed? I emailed ARNO and received a reply that they DID still require help and once I arrived I would see for myself.
Well, I continued with my trip, and helped ARNO from November 20 - 26 by checking feeding stations in Section 27. That section is bounded by Moss/Florida Ave/Claiborne and Orleans Avenue.
I must say, Ms. Maloney, that I find it incredible to believe that you said the reports of roaming packs of strays were untrue. I would like you to take a look at my website, where I have kept both a written and photographic journal of my trip. The photos there are only a small portion of what I took. I'm also attaching the Section 27 Feeding Station list that I typed up on Thanksgiving night, and have updated. Perhaps you will see that there ARE still animals out there. I hope and pray that you will have the Times-Picayune update that article with the correct and true facts. I left a message for Mr. Eggler before leaving for New Orleans. I told him he was doing a real disservice to the people and pets of New Orleans by printing that article without showing both sides of the story.
I strongly urge both you and anyone from the Times-Picayune to visit the ARNO site at the corner of Magazine and Felicity Streets at the old Star Hair & Nails building at 7:30am any day of the week to participate in their food and water runs. Especially to Section 27, which is where I was all last week. You will see for yourself that there are animals still in need of help. Thank you.
My Website: www.geocities.com/nola_rescue
============================
I also cc'd the reporter at the Times-Picayune and the editors as well. I do hope they will consider doing a follow-up story, and they will consider spending a day with the ARNO volunteers to see the REAL story.
December 1, 2005
The CNN Anderson Cooper 360 transcript is up from the November 28th show. Here is a link:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0511/28/acd.01.html
Here are pertinent snippets related to the condition of the neighborhoods, and interviews with Holly Quaglia of Animal Rescue New Orleans and Laura Maloney of the LA SPCA. You can view the full transcript of the two hour show at the CNN link above.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. I'm Anderson Cooper, live in New Orleans, a city which is still reeling from three months ago, from Hurricane Katrina. It is the three-month anniversary of the storm striking.
And, if you thought the city was back on the feet, think again. Take a look at this, a car just completely destroyed. You see this block after block, completely covered in sand, one of the many cars. You can go down any street in this neighborhood here in New Orleans, and you will find the scenes just like this.
Here in New Orleans, certain things floor you, not the least of which is a neighborhood just like this. This is a neighborhood probably about 10 minutes or so from -- from downtown, from Bourbon Street. And if you have seen the scenes on Bourbon Street, you see people out drinking, it looks like life has returned to normal.
But then you come to a place like here and you realize there is no life. Life has not returned to normal. I mean, take a look at this home here. The possessions are still laying all around. You can still -- I mean, you can just walk right up and see right into this person's house. There's a piano. There's the piano. It looks like there was a little bar by the kitchen.
And -- and it is block after block here in New Orleans of this kind of scenes. You know, you -- you would think, three months after this storm hit -- watch your step there -- three months after this storm hit, you would think these areas had -- would at least start to have been rebuilt. They really haven't. Some of the roads have been cleared, but this is pretty exactly like it was just three months ago.
And it has made a lot of people here angry, angry at the pace of rebuilding, angry that some people are even saying the city should not rebuilt -- be rebuilt.
-----------------------------------------
COOPER: Coming up next on 360, more on the fight to save the animals left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. Three months later, if you believe it, the pet rescues go on here. We'll take you on one today.
COOPER: And welcome back. We are live in New Orleans. Terri Crisp and the people at Noah's Wish are hardly alone in saving the homeless pets. More than 18,000 people registered with the ASPCA to volunteer to help here and since the hurricane, the organization says some 15,000 dogs, cats and other animals have been rescued in the Gulf region. CNN's Randi Kaye went in -- was just back from one animal rescue operation that happened not far from here. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDFENT (voice-over): This pit bull mix spent seven weeks locked in a bathroom. Her owners evacuated when Katrina hit and left her behind. Animal rescue volunteers found her and named her Bubbles.
HOLLY QUAGLIA, ANIMAL RESCUE NEW ORLEANS: I couldn't bear being home seeing that there was still animals needing to be rescued and not being able to do anything.
KAYE: Holly Quaglia quit her job in Virginia to join the independent rescue group that found the stranded pit bull. Animal Rescue New Orleans.
QUAGLIA: There is no denying that there are still hundreds upon thousands that are needing rescue. That families are still looking for and why we're here to make sure to bring the families back together again.
KAYE (on camera): Three months after the storm, how many dogs and cats really need to be rescued is a bone of contention between out of state volunteer groups and the Louisiana SPCA. It's estimated 250,000 dogs and cats may have been left behind by their owners; 15,000 of them have been rescued including this little one from underneath a house. Thousands more likely died. But that would still leave as many as 200,000 pets unaccounted for.(voice-over): Pets like Smoky the cat.
KAYE: But Laura Maloni (ph) says even with so many animals missing, the SPCA has a problem under control.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're hearing thousands of starving animals but we're not seeing thousands of starving animals. [Dayna's Note: I believe that was Laura Maloney, executive director of the LA SPCA]
KAYE: Still, Quaglia's group claims it knows of 3,000 locations where animals have been reported hiding under porches and homes.
QUAGLIA: These are not imaginary animals that we're off the streets. These are animals with collars and tags. These are peoples' family members and they have every right to get their animal back as part of the family.
QUAGLIA: Maloney says volunteers mean well but have been criticized for breaking into abandoning homes to rescue animals and for not having proper training.
LAURA MALONEY, LOUISIANA SPCA: Animals were aggressive like a volunteer put a fighting pit bull into a fence with two other dogs and that dog promptly killed the other two.
KAYE: Still, Holly Quaglia and her team plan to stay until as she puts, the SPCA really has control of the city.
QUAGLIA: The fact of the matter is there's still a problem and there's a solution. And that's getting these animals off the streets.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Did you say some 200,000 animals may still be out there? I find that impossible to believe.
KAYE: We did too, and we checked and every organization that we checked with actually gave us the same numbers because it is hard to believe but they do actually estimate that maybe 250,000 pets left behind by owners here in New Orleans and given how many may have been died in the storm and how many actually might have been rescued they're thinking about 200,000 unaccounted for.
COOPER: And people can go to petfinder.com.
KAYE: Yep. Petharbor.com or petfinder.com and look for pets they lost or adopt some that have been lost.
COOPER: Thanks very much, Randi. Amazing to think so many animals out there.
Here is a link to Anderson Cooper's show website:
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/
The show airs 10pm to Midnight ET Monday through Friday. I understand that Anderson has been vigilant in keeping the nation and world aware of what's going on in New Orleans, and I applaud him for that. Too many people have forgotten about NOLA or have become "Katrina-weary".
I know, that as long as I live, I will NEVER forget those animals. I won't forget the look on the face of that black lab the second day I visited him, and he came out from under the house, with his tail wagging furiously! :-) I talked to him continually so he'd remember my voice. I just hope he is picked up soon by someone at ARNO.
I can tell you that they DO have a database of over 3,000 locations of where stray animals are hiding. They are going to as many as they can, but given the fact that Best Friends in MS can only take so many animals, they are having to just continue feeding animals for now and only pick up the most extreme cases. Such a sad situation - I wish they could find room for all the animals that are currently on the street.
There was also an EXCELLENT article on the ARNO volunteers in the San Francisco Chronicle. Here is a link:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/29/DDGSUFU2A074.DTL
December 6, 2005
Last night, I was able to upload all 189 photos from my New Orleans trip to my Yahoo Photos page. Here is the link:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dayna24gordon/album?.dir=96ee&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dayna24gordon/my_photos
After I uploaded them, I put it in slide-show mode, and it was pretty moving, seeing all the photos again, one after the other. It is incredible to me that THREE MONTHS after Katrina, I still saw all those cars just sitting there - NOTHING had been done. I read yesterday that 40% of New Orleans is still without power. The mayor is trying to get the residents to come back, but frankly, what is there to come back to? Only a handful of gas stations are open in the city, limited numbers of food stores -- even WalMart isn't back open yet.
The one thing that really hit me, while driving down Canal Street was all the electronics and Jewelry stores that were boarded up. Can you say LOOTERS? I knew you could. While people were dying, and others were trying to be rescued, people were taking stereos, DVD players, TV's and jewelry. That just makes me physically ill. I know that some people took food and water to survive, and I don't have a problem with that at all. But to break into an electronics store for a DVD player or computer, or a jewelry store for a diamond ring or watch, that is just beyond my comprehension.
Another thing I saw on Canal Street is that the Popeye's Chicken by the Saenger looks to be opening soon, but they're looking for help. Starting wages are $9.00 per hour. Burger King on St. Charles Avenue is offering a signing bonus of $6,000 if you work at BK in NOLA for 1 year. Amazing..... There are tons of jobs, but few places to live. I heard stories while I was there about landlords gouging people on rent, and that some rents are doubling and tripling. Even some of the hotels are taking advantage. I used to pay $69 a night at the Chateau on Chartres, with FREE parking. They wanted $109 a night plus $10.00 parking. I told them I was coming down as a volunteer, and the guy told me they had a hotel full of volunteers and they were all paying $119 a night with parking, and that was the cheapest rate in the Quarter. I called around and found out he was right. Hotels that used to charge $79 or $89 a night were now charging $129 to $159 a night. Unbelievable. Well, I guess they have to make up for the time they were closed, I guess....
Update on the black lab who lives under the green house on St. Ann Street. They have set a trap out for him. So far they've caught a cat in the trap. Hopefully they'll get him soon. With some kindness and attention, I think he would be back to his old self in no time. He seemed like a great dog, just very scared. I feel so bad for all the animals still out there. Hopefully ARNO and their volunteers can continue bringing them in and reuniting them with their owners. :-)
December 7, 2005
I have come across several interesting videos and articles. Please take a moment to view and read them:
Katrina Animal Tribute Video
Set to "I Will Remember You"
www.forpitssake.org/katrina.html
Katrina Video of St. Bernard Parish
Set to "Louisiana 1927" by Aaron Neville
http://southcypressspeedway.com/images/video/Katrina.wmv
Interview with Jane Garrison of Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO)
http://www.satyamag.com/nov05/garrison.html
More Dog Days In New Orleans
(Interview with Jane Garrison by Maureen Ryan
of the Chicago Tribune, November 13, 2005)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/arts/chi-0511130167nov13,1,5478435.story
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress
can be determined by the way its animals are treated."
~Mahatma Ghandi (1869-1948)~
December 12, 2005
I received an email from a woman who saw my journal and photo album. She thinks one of the dogs I took a photo of may belong to a lady who is desperately searching for her pet. I gave her the location of where I took the photo, and told her to check with ARNO to see if they have trapped any dogs in that area since November 26th. The dog in question is the mangy black and brown dog I took a photo of on Nov. 26th. It ran across the street and joined a pack of 4 other dogs. This was at 2219 New Orleans Street, between Tonti and Miro. I hope that this dog can be caught and reunited with its owner. What a great Christmas present that would be!!! :-) I urge you all to please spread the word about this journal and my photo album. It would really be wonderful if we could reunite some animals with their owners. :-)
I found out that the black and brown dog's home is only .2 (two-tenths) of a mile from where I saw him. So, it really sounds like this could be the same animal! I'm praying that ARNO has picked him up already, and he can be reunited quickly with his family! Wow, that would be the greatest Christmas present ever, for me! :-)
December 14, 2005
I want to share two links of photo albums with you, which were taken by Veni Harlan:
Katrina Creatures: http://veni.smugmug.com/gallery/780837
NOLA Post Hurricane: http://veni.smugmug.com/gallery/905634
I read today that Gray Line Tours are starting up Hurricane Katrina Tours in New Orleans. They will be driving through portions of Lakeview, and will also be discussing the history of the city, and why it was built where it was, and other tidbits about the hurricane. It is appearing to be causing a lot of contention because many people feel it is wrong to make money off this disaster. I tend to agree, but I am torn on the issue. As one of the the articles I read today stated, these types of disasters do bring in tourism - look at all the people who visited the WTC site in NYC post 9/11. Here is one of the articles I read, from nola.com:
http://www.nola.com/business/t-p/index.ssf?/base/money-0/1134113852319820.xml
The link to the tour is:
http://www.graylineneworleans.com/katrina.shtml
It appears the tour is scheduled to run from January 4th through February 27th. Cost is $35.00 and $3.00 of that will be donated to a Katrina charity. I'd be interested to hear your feedback on how you feel about such a tour.
This part of the article I do totally agree with:
"What made me change was the fact that many people from other states in Washington just were not supportive of the rebuilding effort until they came down here themselves and saw what happened," Hoffman said. "It was very hard and gut-wrenching for me, but we decided it would be a good thing do to. You've got to see it and believe it."
Greg Hoffman, vice president and general manager of Gray Line New Orleans, who also lost his house in Lakeview. He initially thought any kind of Katrina tour would be in poor taste.
As I said in my November 23rd journal entry, you really do have to experience it for yourself to realize the magnitude of the disaster. NOTHING on TV or the Internet or in newspapers prepared me for what I experienced down there. It's one thing to see it on TV, but something else entirely to experience the sights, smells (sometimes horrendous, sickening smells), and even the eerie silence of a totally empty, abandoned, destroyed neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon. THAT's when it hits you. Then the reality of the situation becomes totally overwhelming.
December 20, 2005
Please visit www.animalrescueneworleans.com regarding their relocation! They have expanded their operation and relocated to the former Celebration Station building at 5959 Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie. Complete information on the move is on their site. They are still asking for volunteers through January. I am hoping to be able to book a trip to go back in January or February if possible to help out again.
Also, there is a 2006 Animal Rescue New Orleans Calendar that is available for sale. You can purchase it here:
http://www.lulu.com/content/197461
Here is the link to the Animal Rescue New Orleans T-Shirts:
http://www.animalrescueneworleans.com/t-shirts.html
They also accept monetary donations, as well as supplies. The list of needed supplies is located on their website.
December 21, 2005
I'm going back to New Orleans!! I leave January 11th and will be there through January 15th! I got a great deal with United Airlines ($208), Priceline.com for an SUV ($195 total including tax for 5 days) and I got another special rate for the apartment from Mr. Bill. God Bless You, Mr. Bill! :-)
When I saw yesterday that ARNO needs help through January, I figured I'd check the airfares. They've come down $100 from what I paid in November, and with the great deal from Priceline.com on the SUV, and the apartment, I couldn't resist. Can't wait to get back down there, and see which animals are still there. I hope I will be able to cover Section 27 again!
December 24, 2005
Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy holiday season! Really looking forward to spending Christmas with family tomorrow and Monday, and traveling to New York City on Tuesday to spend the rest of the holidays with some very good friends! That's what the holidays are all about! :-)
January 16, 2006
I was back in New Orleans from January 11 through 15th, helping Animal Rescue New Orleans again. Here is a photo album of my latest trip:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dayna24gordon/album?.dir=/b614&.src=ph
My first day in New Orleans, January 11th, I stopped off at ARNO, hoping to pick up my supplies and do an afternoon Food/Water run. However, the new coordinator there didn't want me to do a partial day, so I returned in the evening for their 6pm meeting. They are now located out in Metairie at 5959 Veterans Boulevard, at the former Celebration Station amusement complex. ARNO has GREATLY expanded their operation, and are now housing animals on-site. I am estimating they are housing 50 to 100 dogs and cats - and they are erecting more dog runs daily.
Since I had about 6 hours to kill before the meeting, I decided to scout out the 9th Ward area after dropping my things off at the apartment. Although I mentioned that part of my Section 27 that I covered in November was very near the 9th Ward, and it was the hardest hit area, NOTHING prepared me for what I actually saw in the 9th Ward. There were blocks that were completely flattened. It looked more like tornado carnage than from a hurricane. Something splintered those houses into matchsticks. Unbelievable carnage.
I also stopped by several of the feeding stations that I serviced regularly in November, and was greatly saddened to see that many of them had no food at all. When I had briefly talked to Cadi, the new F/W Coordinator earlier at ARNO, she mentioned that they had barely any volunteers to cover the 650 square miles of area. That day, they only had a handful of teams out, and it was that way every single day. It's so tragic, that we have been able to sustain these animals thus far, only to have the volunteers dwindle now.
What is really heartbreaking to me, is at several stations, I encountered the SAME animals that I saw in November. The tortoiseshell cat at 935 Roman, the gray cat at 1911 St. Ann and the orange and white cat at 3401 Lopez were all there in both November and January. These poor animals have been on the streets for FIVE MONTHS! The gray cat has grown since November, and I think she may be pregnant. I spent about 1/2 hour on my final day trying to get close to her, so I could check to see if I could feel the babies. If yes, then I would bring her in. Unfortunately she wouldn't let me any closer to her than a few feet.
The dog I am pictured with in the photo album was a rescue. However, she's not a Katrina dog. I found her running with another dog, who ran away from me when I got out of the car. This other dog that is pictured was rooting through a discarded white styrofoam carryout container and so I quickly set out some wet food, which she snarfed up immediately. I set out a bag of dry food, and a water pan, and she started eating. She had on a collar, and a Rabies Vaccination tag. I got close to her, and she let me look at the tag. I wrote down the Vaccination number, and the telephone number on the tag. I called and spoke with a woman at Animal Control. She looked up the information from the tag number, and gave me the name, address and phone number of the registered owner, and said the dog's name was Lucy. I checked the map and saw the address was about a mile away. I put a leash on the dog and got her in the car. We drove to the address, and when we turned down that street, boy did she ever perk up and get excited!!!
I knocked on the door, and no one answered. I called the cell phone number that animal control had given me, and it said something to the affect that "this cellular customer is not available" - so I figured either her phone was out of order, or maybe she had not set up voicemail. I knocked on a few neighbors doors, but no one answered. After a few more tries, I finally got someone to answer the door. This was at 8am on Sunday morning. The lady who answered had only lived in the area a week, and didn't know anyone. I knocked on another door, and the lady said she had also recently moved in, but the lady next door had lived there 30 years or more. That lady didn't answer, so I left a note on her door, saying I was looking for the dog's owner, and left my phone number. I also left a note on the door of the residence the dog belonged to.
I took the dog to ARNO and filled out an intake sheet for her. I returned to the area I was feeding, and decided to drive back by that street to see if any other neighbors had showed up. A man I stopped said he knew the owner and that she had moved a week earlier. He took me up the street to the landlord's house, and the landlord gave me another number for her. I got in touch with her, and informed her I found her dog. Apparently she had just moved into a new house and the dog dug a hole under the fence. She was extremely glad that I found her. She was on her way to Metairie to shop, so I gave her the address of ARNO in Metairie, where I had taken Lucy. I was very happy to reunite them! :-)
January 30, 2006
1/30/06--ARNO UPDATE: New Location & Future Plans
http://www.AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com
UNTIL FEB. 15: Animal Rescue New Orleans will carry out its final stretch of hurricane rescue. We are currently interviewing/training locals to oversee a resident-run program.
AFTER FEB. 15: It has always been ARNO's goal to leave New Orleans with a strong program in place. We bring months of hard work and strategy to resident volunteers who will continue ARNO's work for animals.
To accommodate storage needs and focus on our food/water program, ARNO will no longer operate from Celebration Station in Metairie.*
NEW ARNO LOCATION:
271 Plauche St., Metairie, Louisiana 70123
Cross street: Edwards (off of Jefferson Highway)
Opens Tuesday afternoon, January 31, 2006
Request map from [email protected] or [email protected]
*ARNO will no longer dispatch volunteers for Celebration Station/Best Friends.
You must contact Best Friends directly. http://network.bestfriends.org/
http://www.bestfriends.org/HF/VL.cfm
HOW TO VOLUNTEER FOR ARNO FOOD/WATER PROGRAM
BEFORE FEB. 15: ARNO will accept volunteers whose arrive/depart dates fall between now and FEB. 15.
AFTER FEB. 15: RESIDENT FEEDING PROGRAM, staffed by local volunteers involved in hurricane rescue, will accept resident and out-of-town volunteers. We will let everyone on our email list know who new local coordinators are, for volunteer opportunities beyond February 15.
Please visit www.animalrescueneworleans.com for full details.
February 10, 2006
IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM JANE GARRISON
PLEASE READ ENTIRE LETTER
February 10, 2006
Dear Animal Rescue New Orleans Friend:
You may know that I (along with David Meyer and Pia Salk) started Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) on October 1, 2005 as Lamar Dixon was closing. We could not imagine ending the rescue operation when we were still finding so many animals alive in homes and on the streets. So despite arrest threats, we (along with amazing volunteers) continued rescuing animals. The following are some of the incredible victories we saw:
* From October 1 to the end of the year we rescued over 2,000 animals. These were forgotten victims who would have died if ARNO had not stuck around to help. These are animals like Bubbles (photos attached) who was trapped in a bathroom for 7 weeks. When we rescued Bubbles she was too weak to even lift her head or stand. Today, Bubbles is a beautiful, healthy dog!
* ARNO worked through the list of houses where we knew animals were trapped--until we cleared the entire list of over 5,000 houses.
* We worked tirelessly to keep pets, who escaped from homes when doors and windows blew open, alive on the streets. Because most of the city was unpopulated (and still is) we set up feeding stations all over the New Orleans area. To date we have 2800 active feeding stations over 650 sq. miles.
* In January we teamed up with Best Friends to make an even greater impact.
Best Friends created Celebration Station to handle sheltering, adoptions and export of animals. ARNO was responsible for trapping and rescuing.
* In January alone, we trapped 300 dogs, over 200 puppies and 610 cats!
* We�ve helped reunite hundreds of animals with their families, thanks to our amazing reunion team (9 cats reunited with their people in just the past 2 weeks)!
Needless to say, ARNO has made monumental strides in New Orleans over the past few months.
Sadly, there is a still lot of work to be done. Thousands of animals are still on the streets in search of our feeding stations. Dogs and cats are breeding faster than we can trap them. Some cruel people have retuned to New Orleans and shot or poisoned animals. Now we face a new problem: The boarding up of buildings where animals have found shelter. Plus: The bulldozing of buildings and trailer parks where animals live. Clearly, ARNO is still needed in the New Orleans area.
IMAGINE... What might happen if ARNO stopped helping New Orleans Animals? How many more kittens and puppies would be born? How many animals would starve to death without refilled food/water stations? How many would die locked inside boarded-up homes? How many would perish if bulldozers demolish trailer parks before we can trap them? WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN.
EXCITING NEWS
On February 1, 2006, we held a meeting in New Orleans to find residents to lead ARNO (since no current leaders live in New Orleans). Nearly 200 people showed up! Despite losing homes, vehicles and jobs, they came committed to helping animals. These people are heroes!
On FEBRUARY 15, 2006 Animal Rescue New Orleans will shift to a locally run organization with new resident leadership. While overwhelming tasks lay before them, they plan to continue a food/water program for animals on the streets, rescue dogs/cats, and TNR (trap-neuther-return) feral cat colonies to curb the overpopulation crisis.
The resident-run ARNO is committed to building a future for New Orleans animals' better than the past that preceded the hurricanes.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Local ARNO coordinators already have to deal with personal stress in the aftermath of the storms. Let�s make running ARNO as easy as possible for them! Please show your support be becoming an OFFICIAL MEMBER OF ARNO.
My goal is to alleviate financial pressure for many months so local leaders can focus on helping animals in need. Will you please send a donation to show the new locally run ARNO that we support them? Just imagine losing everything--your animals (in many cases), your home, your car and your job �and then rescuing homeless animals while rebuilding your own life). It is a daunting task. PLEASE help them help the animals.
Send a donation to:
Animal Rescue New Orleans
1219 Coliseum Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Thank you so much for all of your support.
For the animals,
Jane Garrison, Co-Founder, Animal Rescue New Orleans
[email protected]
PS Please be sure to watch ARNO's progress at
http://www.AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Look for an UPDATE with local ARNO leaders� contact information and volunteer instructions at www.animalrescueneworleans.com
April 10, 2006
AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com still needs your help - both with volunteers and with donations. You can now make donations via PayPal - very quick and easy!
Please visit
http://www.animalrescueneworleans.com
for more information on their current location and how you can help!
April 11, 2006
Here are photos of the cats that I saw at the same feeding stations both in November 2005 and January 2006. They still haunt me today. I pray they were trapped and taken to shelters.
Orange/White Cat at 3401 Lopez in November and then in January:
Tortoiseshell Cat at 935 Roman in November and then in January:
Grey Cat at 1911 St. Ann in November and then in January
I am not 100% sure that grey cat is the same one from November - if it is, it has gotten much lighter/ragged. But the other two are definitely the same cats as the previous trip. I feel bad for the orange/white one who has an injury on its nose. I tried to get close, but that one was the most skittish of all. :-(
June 1, 2006
Animal Rescue New Orleans is still in need of volunteers and donations. Please visit their site and do what you can to help. God Bless you all!
http://www.animalrescueneworleans.com/
The animals I saw and came into contact with continue to haunt me even to this day. Were they ever rescued? Are they still alive? The haunted look on the face of the orange and white cat from January tells the story of all the animals left to fend for themselves. It's absolutely heartbreaking.
In Memory of the victims of Hurricane Katrina
I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for my memory
Music Video Codes by PutCode.com
(C) 2005 -- Site content including photos copyright DLE. Please email [email protected] for permission to use images or text. Thank you. When I have used text from other sites, I have provided a link to the original site and stated so.
