Date
August 30, 2006
Contact
Connie Durkee
(360) 907-1264
Kristie Phelps
757.423.0093
kristie@idausa.org
In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner Blvd
San Rafael
CA 94901
IDA is an international, California-based animal advocacy organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by defending their rights, welfare and habitats.
IDA and PAWS Team Up to Bring More Animals from Gulf Coast
One year after Hurricane Katrina struck, animals in the region are still in need of assistance.
WHAT: 6-10 dogs and 6-12 cats/kittens from Waveland, Mississippi, are being transferred to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) companion animal shelter in Lynnwood, Washington via Denver. Because people are still struggling to get back on their feet in the Gulf Coast, many have been forced to give up their companion animals to local shelters. These shelters—already packed to capacity—are having difficulty finding new homes for the animals in an area where many people can barely care for their own needs.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 30, 2006, afternoon/evening. We will have a more exact arrival time by mid day.
WHO: Portland, Oregon animal advocate Connie Durkee from In Defense of Animals (IDA), an international animal protection organization, will be transporting the animals to PAWS in Washington State after meeting the first half of the transport team in Denver. Connie and the Waveland transport team will be available for interviews.
OTHER: In the wake of the storm, the House of Representatives and the Senate have both passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act. If the PETS Act is signed into law by the President, local and state authorities will be required to provide for the needs of animal companions and their guardians during disasters to be eligible for FEMA grants.
In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization dedicated to ending the exploitation and abuse of animals by raising the status of animals beyond that of mere property, and by defending their rights, welfare and habitat. IDA’s efforts include educational events, cruelty investigations, boycotts, grassroots activism, and hands-on rescue through our sanctuaries in Mississippi and Cameroon, Africa.