posted September 05, 2005 10:35 PM         

at least they have grass to nibble on!

Don't leave me: A pit bull swims alongside George Davis' boat in eastern New Orleans after Davis discovered the dog chained and starving inside a home and freed it. The pooch eventually gave up and swam back to its home.
~SFGate.com

posted September 05, 2005 10:40 PM         

That really ****** me off. heck I'd even take a rat along with me.

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Gemini sun, Cancer rising, mercury in Gemini, moon in Taurus *29, venus in Taurus, mars in Libra

"You must live in the infinite blackness that exists when I close my eyes. I see you when I fall asleep, I see you when I dream."

posted September 06, 2005 01:24 AM         

Yes, I heard that story too, Nephthys. The boy actually vomited, he was so upset. How could someone do that to the poor child - and the dog???

If I had a pet and they told me I'd have to leave it there, I would not go.

posted September 06, 2005 01:17 PM         

Efforts to help the animal victims of Katrina continue round-the-clock here at the ASPCA. In addition to our hands-on, on-site work, which you can read about in our Rescue Diary, the ASPCA has built two databases--the first to help families find their lost pets, and a second for individuals who'd like to volunteer their services for recovery efforts.

Your donation will go directly to help the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina. To lend your support, please click on the Donate Now button. We will keep you informed of recovery efforts on our website, ASPCA.org. Thank you for any amount you can give today. Thanks to all of you who have given so generously.

And remember, you can always keep updated on the situation on our website.

Morning Update, September 5:

Click here to see photos taken at the Austin evacuation center.
The ASPCA has received at least 50 emails and calls regarding 50 to 150 animals stranded on the roof of the Windy Boggs Medical Center (AKA Murphy's Animal Hospital) on North Jefferson Davis Parkway in New Orleans. The animals are pets belonging to hospital staff, cared for by one dedicated doctor who purportedly refused to be evacuated with the other staff members. As a result, he and the animals were quickly running out of food and water.

As of Monday morning, a caravan of animal control vehicles, zodiac boats, equipment and personnel from groups including ASPCA, HSUS, Code 3, ARL of Boston and the Louisiana SPCA were en route to New Orleans to rescue the animals from Murphy’s Animal Hospital. The caravan will also pick up any animals they find stranded along the route.

The ASPCA and other organizations, including HSUS, Best Friends, Petfinder.com, are working to identify and log pets in need of rescue in affected areas. A database is being compiled and provided to animal rescuers, and will be posted on Petfinder.com shortly.

Louisiana
Good news! Thirty-five dogs have been loaded onto the Rescue Waggin in Gonzales, and are on their way to safe haven at the Houston SPCA! Additionally, 75 dogs have been rescued from the Superdome.

Karen Medicus with Max, the first dog reunited with his very happy owners.
Austin, Texas
Good news from the Austin evacuation center, where the first evacuee dog has been reunited with his owner! This puppy's guardian is a 14-year-old girl, who arrived at the Austin evacuation center with her family members. The puppy was a gift from her father, whose whereabouts are unknown at this time.

The Austin Humane Society (AHS), in conjunction with The City of Austin Town Lake Animal Center and the ASPCA, has 75 evacuated animals in temporary care. Staffers are still working around the clock at relief facilities to help provide evacuee pets with a safe haven. AHS has set up a Pet Hotline (512-646-PETS) for evacuees moving to Austin who need to find care, placement and supplies for their family pets. Eight pets have now been reunited with their displaced owners.

posted September 07, 2005 06:58 PM         

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Gemini sun, Cancer rising, mercury in Gemini, moon in Taurus *29, venus in Taurus, mars in Libra

"You must live in the infinite blackness that exists when I close my eyes. I see you when I fall asleep, I see you when I dream."

posted September 07, 2005 07:22 PM         

Animals were abandoned by their families all over the South when the families evacuated. Thousands of dogs and cats who are used to being taken care of by their families have been left to fend for themselves - battling flood waters, fighting starvation, dehydration, rats and snakes, and criminal gangs that are shooting them. Other animals whose families stayed to protect them were taken away from their families when the families were moved into shelters because animals are not allowed in the shelters. The little boy whose small white dog was taken from him at the Astrodome by the police stood screaming "Snowball, Snowball" so many times that he vomited. The families don't know what will happen to their beloved pet. And the pets are simply devastated by the loss of their people. Shelters across the South are overflowing with dogs and cats who are shell-shocked.

There is much to be said about this but now the animals need help. Hearts United for Animals stands ready to take in dogs who are in need. We are coordinating with people from several organizations to arrange transport of dogs in need to the safety of our shelter. HUA is also making shipments of items that are needed by the rescue organizations - see the list at the link to the right. Shipments have already begun and will continue. We suggest that you take up a collection in your neighborhood and office and ship it to the organizations listed at the link to the right. In Pennsylvania donations can be taken to the Post Office in Pocopson and will be shipped for free by HUA. We can also give you a donor substantiation form for a tax deduction. Our store, ihelppets.com (http://www.nexternal.com/tss) is sending care packages to the dogs. We are offering these care packages at our cost and then we are matching them. If you send one package, we will send two.

Please do what you can to help now.

http://www.hua.org/Hurricane1.html
URGENT - The Animals Are Dying. You Are Their Only Hope

Perhaps you saw the image on television of the Golden Retriever swimming desperately after the Coast Guard boat begging to be rescued. They left him. For animal lovers all over the world heartbreak has turned to fury - white hot outrage.

There are thousands, maybe tens of thousands (one estimate says 200,0000) companion animals suffering in the South. Thousands of family pets are desperate. The response of the US Government has been pitiful - to the humans and to the animals. Although there are still people to be rescued, the effort is turning to recovery of bodies and even to businesses. First, the animals need to be rescued.

There was outrage over the people who were suffering at the Convention Center and the Superdome. Things started moving when those images were on television and people across the country started speaking out loudly. We have to speak for the dogs and cats now or it will be too late. They are out of time.

1. CALL THE WHITEHOUSE AND CONGRESS. TELL THEM TO SAVE THE ANIMALS NOW. See the link at the right.

2. Email a news agency and beg them to cover the story (don't email Fox apparently they are threatening to treat animal emails as terrorist threats since they claim they are clogging their Blackberrys). We have email addressses and a draft email at the link on the right.

3. Then email your Senator and Congressperson. Demand that they step in and get attention at the local, state and federal levels for the animals. Ask them to hold a press conference and show the sad photos and demand that these animals be rescued. We have email addresses and a draft email at the link on the right.

CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON OR SENATOR. ASK WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP.

4. Then email Laura Bush. She has dogs in her family that she loves. Ask her to speak for the suffering dogs and their families. See the link at the right.

5. Send a donation to a shelter on the front line - see the list to the right.

posted September 07, 2005 09:14 PM         

She actually wrote back to me!

I saved it.

From: Senator_Clinton@clinton.senate.gov

June 13, 2005

Dear M. Dinzey:

Thank you for writing to share your concerns regarding the Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act. Your opinions are important, and I appreciate the time you took to share them with me.

The Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act would reduce the practice of canned hunting, whereby tame or habituated exotic animals are shot for a fee for entertainment or the collection of a trophy. This legislation would make it a crime to "knowingly transfer, transport, or possess a confined exotic animal, for the purposes of allowing the killing or injuring of that animal for entertainment or the collection of a trophy."

Knowing of your interest in the issue, however, I will consider co-sponsoring the legislation when it is re-introduced. I have already joined a number of my Senate colleagues in signing a letter to the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, urging increased federal funding for the enforcement of those animal welfare laws that have already been enacted.

Please be assured that in the months and years ahead, I will continue to monitor carefully the animal welfare issues that are of concern to New Yorkers. Thank you again for sharing your concerns with me. Please check my website http://clinton.senate.gov for updates on this and other issues being discussed by the United States Senate.

If you would like to respond to my e-mail or contact me via e-mail about this or any other subject, please use my web response form at http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html. Because of the size of my constituency and the growing number who choose to communicate through
e-mail, I have selected the web form as the fairest and most equitable system to respond to e-mail messages. E-mails that are sent as a direct response to my outgoing e-mail fall outside the system and do not receive a response.

Sincerely yours,
Hillary Rodham Clinton

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Gemini sun, Cancer rising, mercury in Gemini, moon in Taurus *29, venus in Taurus, mars in Libra

"You must live in the infinite blackness that exists when I close my eyes. I see you when I fall asleep, I see you when I dream."

posted September 09, 2005 07:01 PM         

This is really sad to share. This a.m. on the news there was an animal behaviourist (she is on an Animal Planet show, i don't know her name but the show is the one where a dog has to choose from 3 diff. families)

Anyhow, she said that there is a shelter down there that when the floods came in, 200 dogs drowned in their kennels, and about 100 more were found swimming in theirs, keeping their heads above H20. This is just too, too sad It just kills me when innocent animals have to suffer.

posted October 07, 2005 07:28 PM         

Dogs i think especially can love their owners more than their owners love them.

posted April 07, 2006 02:33 PM         

"Editor's Note: This is a thank you message and report from Meg Doyle who has recently returned from doing volunteer work for the Humane Society, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina."