Update September 24, 2005
I have fallen woefully behind in keeping you updated on our activities. Sometimes it seems the whole world has gone crazy - there are so many needs coming from so many directions.
We set up a tent in Waveland next to the HSUS staging area for Hancock County, MS. The Waveland Animal Control is thrilled to get all the help they can. The total destruction Waveland suffered during Hurricane Katrina left most animals homeless, injured, scared, and hungry. This storm horribly impacted animals from all areas whether pampered and spoiled or feral and used to fending for themselves. No matter where they came from before, they now find themselves thrown into the same sad state.
We decided to stay in Waveland to catch and trap, if necessary, animals living in the rubble. Unfortunately Hurricane Rita caused us to temporarily suspend operation in Waveland. On Thursday, September 22nd, authorities recommended we evacuate and move farther north of the beach area. That morning Doll Stanley was still in New Orleans assisting HSUS in retrieving trapped pets from homes. Debbie Young was at Project Hope Sanctuary in North Mississippi delivering animals from the coast to a group of volunteers from Stray Rescue of St. Louis for transport back to their shelter. Lisa Martin was stranded at the tent in Waveland with no way to evacuate! But let me back up.
As I left you on the 16th of September, the tent was being delivered. Lisa and Doll were on location. The next day a truck load of supplies was sent down from Jackson including cages, crates, medical supplies, bunk beds, blankets, towels, etc. Doll and Lisa set about arranging the tent and opening for business. Immediately people were coming for assistance finding their lost pets. Doll and Lisa have taken a photo of each animal handled by IDA and posted on a board in the tent. They have also taken descriptions of missing pets and are posting photos of same as available. There are a few happy endings to these sad stories but not nearly enough. Many come by asking for assistance in caring for their pets. IDA is offering crates/cages, dog food, flea/tick products, and leashes and collars. One lady currently living in a tent on her property was having trouble keeping her two large dogs safe from wandering. She was extremely grateful for the donation of two cages, a bag of food, and flea/tick prevention. This one survivor's ordeal was made a little more bearable by the gracious donations of the unseen thousands that continue to give money, food, and supplies to IDA.
On one of my trips back to Jackson from Waveland, I was asked to transport two injured geese to North State Animal Hospital in Jackson. As I was loading the geese, I overheard a Hancock County Deputy David Dean talking with the on-site vet about his pet duck. He was checking to see if he was okay. Three ducks were blown out of his yard during the hurricane and only two had been found. One of those two died earlier that day at the staging area and the sole survivor was showing signs of distress. We offered to take the duck to a hospital that specializes in water fowl for treatment and David readily accepted the offer. My arrival at North State Animal Hospital, in Jackson with three injured animals and no advance warning was met with a staff that was extremely helpful and readily welcomed the geese and duck with promises to evaluate them immediately.
Next stop was Canton Animal Hospital to leave a couple of dogs for evaluation. Both animals were released to us by Waveland ACO for immediate placement and would eventually go to Stray Rescue of St. Louis for foster and placement. These are just two of many animals from the coast being cared for by Canton Animal Hospital. Dr. Danny Prestel and staff never refuse our requests for treatment of a sick or injured animal, including a growing number of ferals. We stay so busy we sometimes forget to thank the many others providing help and playing an integral part in this ongoing rescue effort. THANK YOU!
A few days later the duck was released from the hospital following a bath, a round of antibiotics, and a thorough exam of his injured leg. (Fortunately it was not broken) His guardian, David Dean, was very pleased to see him again and couldn't wait to get him home so David's wife and daughter could see for themselves that he really was okay.
Another happy ending involved a dog named Fat Louis. Now he is in a class all his own. When he was discovered just north of the railroad tracks in Waveland, he was attempting to get to know a local female dog. We stopped and asked a lady if he belonged to her and she said no and that he had been causing trouble with the neighborhood dogs. We picked him up and much to his displeasure but him in a crate. I guess Fat Louis is a free spirit of sorts. He also was taken to Canton Animal Hospital where he was given the scrubbing of a lifetime and a general evaluation. Fortunately he was in good health. Also to his good fortune there were identification tags on his collar. One tag proved to be outdated but the other had a phone number that connected us to his guardian, Beverly. While the family was attempting to evacuate, Fat Louis decided he wanted to go another direction. After much frantic but unsuccessful searching, they had no choice but to leave him as time was running out. Somehow Fat Louis was able to stay alive in spite of a wall of water that destroyed his house and a large part of Waveland. Fortunately he was soon reunited with his family that had just spent an entire day salvaging what they could from their destroyed home which by the way fit in two small boxes. One look at the picture and you have to ask yourself, who is smiling the most?
Back to the evacuation due to Hurricane Rita. On Thursday when we got the news to evacuate the tent, Doll was in New Orleans kicking doors down, and I was at Project Hope delivering dogs for transport to Stray Rescue of St. Louis. We had to quickly figure how to move a tent full of equipment, food, and animals. After several unsuccessful attempts to find transportation, I contacted Janet McCarroll of Harrison County, to ask for help. Janet has been our point of contact for food and hay deliveries to the coast. In spite of the heavy toll the hurricane took on her house and barn, Janet has worked tirelessly to get critical supplies to ones that need them the most. Once again, Janet came through and secured a "big rig" to come to our rescue. Kimberden Farms of Corryton, TN, has had a truck making deliveries around the clock to areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. The driver, "Dutch Pete", has tirelessly maneuvered this truck into spots normally reserved for a small car and has hauled more hay and food than most of us will see in a lifetime. He and his big red truck have become a legend on the MS Gulf Coast and one that will not be forgotten for a long time.
Just when things were getting desperate, Janet and Dutch Pete drive up and open the doors to the trailer. We quickly begin to load tent contents filling the various compartments of the trailer. He even let us load feral cats in the front compartment. The load was then taken to the Harrison County Fairgrounds where Janet had arranged for us to have storage space in the stock barns and we thankfully had help unloading by a utility crew from Birmingham, AL. The Team IDA just keeps on growing!
This brings us up to date. We are hoping to get back to Waveland on Monday once all the severe weather has moved out of Mississippi. More to come.
Debbie Young,
Project Hope
Read Project Hope’s Doll Stanley’s first hand account of Hurricane Katrina and the animal relief efforts
IDA will give any funds that exceed the Project Hope team's expenses directly to the Louisiana SPCA in New Orleans, which has been hit hard by the storm. To donate, send checks made payable to IDA with a note reading "for hurricane relief" to:
In Defense of Animals
131 Camino Alto
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Click here to donate online using your credit card. Please indicate "hurricane" in the first name field in the "in honor of" section of the form.