Leslie's Second Blog - After Louisiana

Hi All:

I'm back from Louisiana and have finally recovered my equilibrium. I brought two cats back with me. I was planning on bringing back more (and transportation was going to be arranged) but the two (a silver tabby female, and an all white longhaired male) tested a weak positive for FELV so Alley Cat Allies will retest them in a month or so and keep me posted. If they stay positive they will look for a situation for them as they will not euthanize any cat.

The two cats I brought back - "Robert E. Lee" and "Orleans" are both quite social and sweet. I actually met Orleans’s owner (formerly known as Tigger). Orleans is a very vibrant orange and white tabby about 2-3 years old. The former owner and his 5 cats were in his attic in New Orleans when he was evacuated after the hurricane and he had to leave the cats behind. Alley Cat Allies had 2 of his 5 cats (the others fate is unknown). He is now living with friends in North Carolina and drove down to Louisiana with his partner when he heard 2 of his cats had been rescued. He wanted to make sure that the cats wouldn't be put to sleep and didn't realize Alley Cat Allies was no-kill. He made the decision to give up "Orleans" because he didn't feel the cat would fare well since his living situation was transient and he said the cat was "scared of everything". But "Orleans" did well flying on the plane with me (below my seat) and has been very social and loves to eat (he is bone thin). He is recovering from a URI that all the cats at Alley Cat Allies (ACA) had due to being together in a huge tent. Orleans is one of maybe 5% of the entire animal population of New Orleans who was actually neutered by his owner. That's another problem from before Katrina - the lack of spay/neuter and a huge roaming pet population.

The other cat - Robert E. Lee a gorgeous black/white tuxedo with a blaze on his nose is super loving and socia (he reaches up to be picked up, then wraps his paws around your neck and purrs). He walked right up to a rescuer in New Orleans and they opened the carrier and he walked in. He was lucky to be rescued because many of the cats on the streets of New Orleans were being attacked by packs of dogs. He had gotten really sick in the Alley Cat Allies tent because all the cages are stacked one on top of the other and the URI keeps recirculating. He's about a year old.

The cats did not know each other before they arrived at my place (as they were caged at ACA) but seem to be getting along very well (see attached photo).

The whole experience in Louisiana was incredible. It was overwhelming and had its emotional highs and lows. Apologies to those who may be offended, but Jim Yoskowitz called the whole thing a "mind fuck" and that might be more appropriate. The French quarter is filled with FEMA workers and the military but it is functioning quite well and many of the restaurants and tourist areas are open or planning to reopen. Also, the west bank is fine and people are starting to come back there. But the rest of the city of New Orleans can only be described as a ghost town. If you could imagine a U.S. city after a nuclear explosion that is what New Orleans is now. Driving around the city is like driving in a mine field. Cars are all over the place (where they landed once the water receded), trash is strewn everywhere. I had to drive around the cars like an obstacle course and there are no street lights. The city is completely dark at night.

It is surreal to enter someone’s house where all their belongings have been left behind. Jim said it felt as if their presence was still there. The houses are dark, stank and smell of mold and other smells. You have to have a flashlight and walk around things and it is almost like a tomb.

I met both dogs that Jim had previously told me about. The dobie had been there a week and finally last Wednesday the 26th took her first step. She fell over more than she was able to walk but one of the vet techs at the hospital where she was staying kept a sling under her for support.
Also, the other dog, named Bubbles, who had been found in the bathtub, I took her out of the vet’s office for her daily walk but she was a little overwhelmed and afraid outside.

The dogs and cats at Winn Dixie, a grocery store that is now closed, but being used as a temporary holding area for animals, are just pitiful. The animals are all exposed to the elements and caged. One poor cat had chemical burns all over her and I wanted to bring her back with me. But we found out that a visiting vet from New Mexico was making plans to bring her back with her instead. I spent time walking some of the dogs there as there are not enough volunteers.

It is true what they say about the South and Southern hospitality. Everyone we met was very warm and gracious. Our vehicle had "ANIMAL RESCUE" painted on it and people we would see would stop and say "thank you for coming" or stop us and ask advice about a cat or dog they had found after the storm and needed help with. Only one woman Jim met was rude and criticized him but other than that everyone was just thankful that someone was helping.

I have quite a number of photos which I will try and post when I get the time.

Leslie

Leslie's First Blog Posting

This is my first ever blog (guess I need to welcome myself to the 21st century). I haven’t yet left but am in preparation mode. My friend Cathy A., also a Kitten Rescue volunteer, started this blog when she went to Louisiana in September to help the Katrina animal victims and I am continuing it as I leave tomorrow, 10/22, for New Orleans. I know this will be an adventure and yet I’m hoping the situation is not as dire as what I’ve been hearing.

Since the Hurricane struck, almost 7 weeks ago, more than 7,000 pets have been rescued from the streets of New Orleans alone. Countless others perished, some drowning with their owners or succumbing to stifling heat, trapped in their attics. It is difficult to estimate how many animals remain in New Orleans. The American Veterinary Association estimates the number between 50,000 and 70,000. The question is, how many were able to be rescued or evacuated by their owners before the storm? New Orleans has alternately been described as a “third world country”, a “war zone” and it is definitely “Ground Zero” for the largest humane rescue effort ever attempted.”

Ever since Katrina hit I have been mesmerized by what I have seen and heard and I knew I had to personally go and do something, rather than just send a check to an organization. I have been corresponding via e-mail with a number of groups and it looks like I will be working with Alley Cat Allies (www.alleycat.org) and also Jane Garrison and David Meyer’s grassroots effort, information on which can be found at this website (www.animalrescueneworleans.com) and it includes a link to David Meyer’s blog, which is extremely information. Some other good places to find Katrina related information has been on Eric Rice’s blog (www.ericsdogblog.com) and at Pasado’s Safe Haven (www.pasadosafehaven.org). This group has single handedly set the protocol that the national groups should (and hopefully) will follow with future disasters. After my return, I will be able to post photos from my trip, but the above websites have quite a number of photos but one website has the best I have seen but BEWARE many are quite graphic. No beings should have to suffer this way! - http://justthinkingaboutit.blogspot.com

The other animal rescuer I am going to be traveling with, Jim Y, has preceded me by a week and has called me daily with updates. Here are a few from the past few days.

Yesterday’s (10/20) update was sad but hopeful. He told me the night before they had rescued a dog that had been wedged in a bathtub inside a house for 6 weeks. It was a sack of bones but was still alive!. It had no energy to crawl out of the mud and muck that entombed it alive.

On 10/19 he said they received a call from a guy who had seen his neighbor return home to his house and start emptying all the trash out of his house (appliances, moldy beds, etc.) and he saw him throw his dog onto the trash pile too. He thought the dog was dead until he went to investigate and could see it breathing. It was a female Doberman who literally was down to nothing, full of sores, couldn't stand. So Jim and the group raced and took it to a vet. They don’t know if it’ll survive, it may be too far gone.

He also found a 4# yorkipoo puppy. He said there was a notice spray painted on the dog that some dogs had been found inside and there may be more. That is what saved this puppy. Because the HSUS thought there might be more dogs inside, they left food and water in buckets in the house. When Jim and his crew entered they heard rustling but thought it might be a rat. They followed the sound and then inside a kitchen cabinet (in a little pan) was a yorkipoo puppy. The food and water had saved its life. I believe Jim is planning on bringing this little dog back with him and has name it "Meshuganah".

I know I’ll end up bringing back a cat or two to foster since my vet's office has a directive (they are part of VCA - a national vet chain) that they will board all Katrina animals for free so the cats will be able to stay there and be taken care of.

This is what we’re up against. There are still animals alive in houses and alive on the streets because people have started to leave pans of food and water outside. I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing down there but at this point anything would help and they desperately need people. The big agencies like the HSUS and ASPCA have since left and it is the small groups and individuals who are making a difference now. As everyone always tells me, no I cannot save every animal but I believe in karma and one person can make a difference.

I have been told that I need to go completely self-sufficient as if I am going camping in the wilderness. I have been packing up nonperishable food items, picking up medicines, and animal supplies. The information I received almost looked like an ad for the army (Be all that you can be). “There’s nothing glamorous or fun or easy about this work but you are guaranteed to go to bed at night knowing that YOU ARE MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THEIR WORLD!"

Here is what I should expect:
- Hard work and long hours.
- The heat and humidity will be unbearable but you need to wear long pants and shirts to protect yourself, and also gloves.
- Camping style accommodations.
- Changing priorities and many varied tasks. (The willingness to be flexible is essential).
- If you would like to do rescue work, you will need to have emotional strength and stamina. The field rescue work can be stressful and sometimes heart-wrenching.

I have current tetanus and the Hepatitis A and B series of shots. I was advised to buy a gas mask for $29 at Home Depot because the mold and bacteria is severe in the houses and it can get into your lungs, even as houses start drying up. And of course only drink bottled water (but no one in New Orleans drank the water before the hurricane).

I opted not to camp because I know that for me to work most efficiently I would need to have a decent night’s sleep. This was easier said than done. It took me 2 hours to find a place to stay as there was nothing within a 4 hour radius of the New Orleans area because every hotel is taken up by FEMA, utility workers or it the hotel was not in working condition. One woman, whose bed and breakfast is full, had started renting out other rooms in the house. She was down to the laundry room which she offered me (no joke). She said it would have a single bed and she could put a mat on the floor for my travel partner. She asked how tall he was, I said 6’2” and she said that might be a problem because the room was only 6”0” long and so he would have to wedge himself into it. With a straight face (I’m assuming that since this conversation took place on the phone) she told me the price per night would be $125. Talk about price gouging! Luckily I found another B&B close to New Orleans for $80 a night for 2 single beds with a shared bath. Phew, problem averted.

Coincidentally my brother’s sister-in-law will be flying into Baton Rouge (from France) the same day as I am but on a completely different mission. She and her family have been living abroad but her home is in midtown New Orleans and her house was one of thousands that was flooded and she is trying to salvage what she can and work with her tenants to try to make it habitable again. Photos of her house can be seen here: http://www.barefootphotography.com/clear_household. She said under different circumstances she would have offered me hospitality but both of us will be busy with our own projects.

The next update should be sometime after I arrive.

Another link to look for your lost cats

Alley Cat Allies - Found Cats

I still need to find the following cats. These are high priority, please!

1. Berlioz, solid black shorthair, VERY FRIENDLY, wearing TAGS. I called his owners in September to report he was at Lamar Dixon. Where is he now? They love him and want him back. This cat has a home - please, if you have him, e-mail me with "Berlioz" in the subject line.

2. I still want to know where LA310 is - big muted tortie cat. I will take this cat if necessary. I do not want her winding up in a kill shelter because she is cage aggressive. This is not, repeat NOT, a feral cat. By the way, the info on Petfinder about where she is is wrong so don't e-mail that to me. Only e-mail me if you physically have this cat in your possession.

Any information on these cats would be very much appreciated.

Next topic: Who the heck's got Berlioz?

I got a call today from his dad who just now got the message I left him 9/14. I'm guessing he just got let back into his house.

So if you've got Berlioz (black cat with tags), his owner is looking. Let me know, I have his phone number.

Reunion!

As you can imagine, I am still doing a lot of e-mailing regarding the cats I worked with at Lamar Dixon. I want you all to know that one of them is going home to his owner - after all of this time!

Arizona is an older lady who left her 3 cats in boarding with her vet. Then the vet had to evacuate as well and the cats wound up at Lamar Dixon. I saw them there, and put them on my list, but by the time she was located, they had disappeared. She herself was on the "missing" list for weeks. I still don't know her whole story.

I saw this cat today from Carrolton Vet on the web and forwarded the link to Arizona's friend. And guess what? This is Henry. He's one of her cats, he's safe, and he's being flown to his mom just as soon as that can be arranged.

http://www.countrysiderescue.com/cats/?CurrentDirectory=&FileType=Image&File=IM003430.JPG

Best of all, it looks like a rescue in Michigan has her other cat, Midnight Girl, who I really bonded with at Lamar Dixon and have kept posting about.

Slow but sure...the reunions ARE happening!

Petition asking the media to keep up the pressure

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?Katrina

I am now involved with the efforts to locate the cat, Midnight Girl, that I really liked at Lamar Dixon. HSUS tried to tell this poor woman's friend that she wasn't there. Um, if she wasn't there, HOW DID I GET THE INFO OFF HER TAG? I wasn't anywhere else. Just Lamar Dixon.

Again, hello? Record keeping? It's not that hard to master.

If you have any idea of the whereabouts of Midnight Girl, very shy black cat, WITH COLLAR AND TAGS saying Midnight Girl and her phone number (disconnected), please let me know. Her elderly owner desperately wants her back and I'm sure M.G. desperately wants mommy back. She was hiding under newspaper at Lamar...totally freaked.

Blog from a woman working in St. Bernard's Parish

More tales of police brutality against pet owners whose only crime was refusing to leave their pets.

I have a tale I wish I could tell here that none of you will believe happened in America. I am waiting on the permission of the person it (sadly) happened to.

In the meantime, read this.

Can't stop thinking about these 3 cats

Were these cats reunited with their owners?
Are they at your shelter? Are they safe?

These were 3 of my favorites when I was at LD the week of Sept. 12. I need to know that they are OK. I definitely will take any of these 3 if they wind up in a kill shelter and are in any danger. I will come to wherever they are and pick them up at my expense. Please let me know if you know anything about them:

(Tags with name/number) Midnight Girl, black, REALLY scared, hiding under newspaper in her cage. Phone number 504-482-2203 was out of service. Owner was Arizona Moore. She was in stall C8 barn 1.

(Tags with name/number) Grogy, gorgeous Himalayan, 1301 Lake Avenue, was in the C block of stalls in barn 1. Believe this address is in Metairie.

LA310 was the ID number of a muted tortoiseshell cat, very large, cage aggressive if you place him in a small cage, super loveable otherwise.

Any information on the whereabouts/status of these cats would be much appreciated. I just can't stop thinking about them!

Another call for donations...horses and cattle starving

Press Release from www.coacherin.com


September 29, 2005
Vermillion Parish still affected by Rita’s Wrath

Members of the cattle and horse farmers in Vermillion Parish in Louisiana were crying out for help today. Not because their animals were drowning – but because now the animals are starving to death.

The flood waters of Rita swept away the food for their livestock and the horses and cattle are literally dying of starvation. The local stores are out of food and they have not been able to get the word out so that more shipments come in fast enough.

People were, and still are, very generous to the animals affected by the two hurricanes, but most people don’t stop and think about the large livestock that is affected. It’s normal for us to just go the local grocery store and pick up supplies for our dogs, cats and other small animals – but where do you go for cattle feed? And what do you feed them?

In the past, these questions would have been answered by the youngest among us – but as the US has moved away from the farm and into the city, these answers are not so easily found.

The average cow eats 3 pounds of food a day – that’s per cow. And the average horse eats 5 pounds of food per day.

In Vermillion parish – there are over 10,000 cattle and over 4,000 horses. The farmers there are watching their cattle and horses die before their eyes because they can’t feed them.

Not only do these farmers need this food now, they will need it in the next couple of months while they drain the waters, get their livestock back to their own farms and rebuild their food supplies.

Here’s what they need:

Range Cubes for the cattle – because they do not have troughs to feed them from – they were swept away in the floods also.
Horse Pellets for the horses. (Cathy's note: I bet alfalfa cubes would be similarly welcomed)

Please ship these items to:
Andrew Granger – Local Ag Agent
1105 West Port Street
Abbyville, LA 70510

This is the address of the county agent and all foods will be distributed to area farmers.

The loss of these animals will not only affect the livelihood of the people of Vermillion Parish, but will in a short period of time affect the prices of food for everyone!

For more local information, please contact the local county agent – Andrew Granger at 337-898-4335.