Animal Rescue FAQs
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Busting the myths concerning animals affected by Hurricane Katrina
ASPCA FAQ Hurricane Katrina
FAQs on HSUS Disaster Response and Reunion Efforts
- FAQs on HSUS Disaster Response and Reunion Efforts (http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center/recent_activities_and_information/2005_disaster_response/hurricane_katrina/faqs_on_hsus_disaster_response_in_louisiana_and_mississippi.html)
Reuniting with My Pet
- How Do I Locate a Pet and Arrange for Reunion?
- What If I Find My Animal in a Shelter Across the Country? How Will I Get My Pet?
- Who Will Pay for Transportation of a Found Animal?
- Is There a Deadline for Getting My Pet?
- Can I Get My Pet Back After October 15?
- What If a Shelter Won't Return My Pet?
- Am I Eligible For Free or Discounted Veterinary Care?
Animal Rescue and Sheltering
- Is Lamar-Dixon Closing?
- What Will Happen to Animals in New Orleans That Still Need Rescuing?
- Can I Still Request that My Pet Be Rescued?
- Where Have Rescued Animals in Louisiana Gone?
- Can I Look For My Pet in Person (in Louisiana)?
- Where Did Rescued Animals in Mississippi Go?
- How Do I Report that My Animal Has Been Rescued?
- How Do I Report that I Have Found an Animal?
- How Do I Report that My Pet Has Died?
- Are Animals Being Euthanized?
- Are There Quarantines/Holding Times at the Temporary Shelters?
- Can The HSUS Rescue Animals Seen in the Media?
HSUS Presence in the Field
- What Are We Doing?
- How Many HSUS Responders are in the Field?
- How Many Animals Have We Rescued?
- Has the News Media Covered Your Efforts in the Field?
- What Should I Do About Rumors?
Volunteering
- How Can I Volunteer for The HSUS Disaster Animal Response Team (DART)?
- Can I Volunteer at LA SPCA's New Shelter in Algiers?
- Would It Help to Volunteer at My Local Animal Shelter?
Adoption/Foster Requests
- How May I Foster or Adopt Animals Affected by Hurricane Katrina?
- Would Adopting an Animal from My Local Animal Shelter Help?
- How Can I Adopt Snowball (or Other Animals Seen in the News)?
- My Shelter or Placement Group is Able to Take in Animals from the Affected Region for Foster or Adoption. Whom Do I Contact About This?
Donating to The HSUS
- How May I Donate by Telephone?
- How May I Donate Online?
- How May I Donate by Mail?
In-Kind Donations (Pet food, crates, supplies, etc.)
- May I Donate Crates, Food, Other Supplies, or a Large In-Kind Donation?
Animals in the Media
- How Can I Find Out What Happened to Snowball (and Other Animals)?
Miscellaneous
- Where Can I Buy the "BeKind" CauseCollars and Bracelets?
- May I Hold a Fundraiser for The HSUS?
GO HERE TO READ ANSWERS: http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center/recent_activities_and_information/2005_disaster_response/hurricane_katrina/faqs_on_hsus_disaster_response_in_louisiana_and_mississippi.html
FAQs on HSUS Disaster Response in Louisiana and Mississippi
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 15:02:54 -0400 From: "Debbie" <RLDL@EARTHLINK-dot-NET> Subject: Imp. FAQ'S on animals needing rescued etc.
FAQs on HSUS Disaster Response in Louisiana and Mississippi
Based on thousands of phone calls and emails we've received over the past two weeks, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has compiled this list of Frequently Asked Questions about our disaster response efforts on the Gulf Coast. Before you call or email us, please see if your question is listed below. Fewer phone calls and emails from individuals will give us more time to focus on urgent needs and requests from the field. If you do email us, please know that it may take us several days to several weeks to respond, depending on the topic.
- ANIMAL RESCUE
- a. Can I Request that The HSUS Rescue My Pet?
- b. Where Do Rescued Animals in Louisiana Go?
- c. How Can I Look For My Pet in Person (in Louisiana)?
- d. Where Do Rescued Animals in Mississippi Go?
- e. How Can I Look for My Pet in Person (in Mississippi)?
- f. Are Animals Being Euthanized?
- g. Are There Quarantines/Holding Times at the Temporary Shelters?
- h. Can The HSUS Rescue Animals Seen in the Media?
- i. How Do I Report that My Animal Has Been Rescued?
- j. How Do I Report that I Have Found an Animal?
- k. How Do I Report that My Pet has Died?
- HSUS PRESENCE IN THE FIELD
- a. Where Are We?
- b. What Are We Doing?
- c. How Many HSUS Responders are in the Field?
- d. How Many Animals Have We Rescued?
- e. Has the News Media Covered Your Efforts in the Field?
- f. What Should I Do About Rumors?
- VOLUNTEER OFFERS
- a. How May I Volunteer to Go to Louisiana or Mississippi and Help?
- b. When Will You Contact Me About Volunteering?
- c. Can I Just Show Up to Volunteer in the Affected Areas?
- d. Are There Any Special Requirements Needed to Volunteer?
- ADOPTION/FOSTER REQUESTS
- a. How May I Foster or Adopt Animals Affected by Hurricane Katrina?
- b. How Can I Adopt Snowball (or Other Animals Seen in the News)?
- c. Would Adopting an Animal from My Local Animal Shelter Help?
- DONATING TO THE HSUS
- a. How May I Donate by Telephone?
- b. How May I Donate Online?
- c. How May I Donate by Mail?
- ANIMALS IN THE MEDIA
- a. How Can I Find Out What Happened to Snowball (and Other Animals)?
- IN-KIND DONATIONS (Pet food, crates, supplies, etc.)
- a. May I Donate Crates, Food, or Other Supplies?
- b. Whom Do I Contact About a Large In-Kind Donation?
- MISCELLANEOUS
- a. How Do I Find Out about Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) training?
- b. Where Can I Buy the "BeKind" CauseCollars and Bracelets?
- c. May I Hold a Fundraiser for The HSUS?
- ANIMAL RESCUE
- a. Can I Request that The HSUS Rescue My Pet?
- If you have emailed us or called us with a request to rescue your pet(s), please know that we have received your request, even if we have not responded to you directly. The HSUS is maintaining a database of all rescue requests and is rescuing as many animals as possible.
- Contact Us
- 1-800-HUMANE-1-The HSUS Call Center-for rescue requests, donations, and general inquiries or offers of help that are disaster related.
- disaster@hsus-dot-org - For rescue requests and general inquiries or offers of help that are disaster related. To email us, please begin a new email with your issue clearly stated in the subject line. Please do not simply hit "Reply" when responding to HSUS electronic communications-we need to be able to clearly see your issue in the subject line of your email.
- The information in our database is being disseminated to our responders in the field who are undertaking rescues as permitted by the authorities.
- If you haven't already filed a rescue request for your animal(s), please call 1-800-HUMANE-1 or email disaster@hsus.org with "Rescue Request" and your address in the subject line. In the body of your email, please be as specific as possible, listing your address again, contact numbers, the name and detailed description of your pet(s). Also, please provide information as to how long the animals have been left, how much food and water they have, where in the house we can find them (list potential hiding places), and permission and instructions on how to best enter your home.
- b. Where Do Rescued Animals in Louisiana Go?
- Rescued animals from New Orleans are first taken to a triage center outside the city to be assessed by a veterinarian. Then the animals are transported to the temporary emergency shelter at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, La. There, the animals are bathed, fed, and watered.
- Please Note: The Lamar Dixon Expo Center IS ACCEPTING animals rescued by responders in the field. All animal rescue groups operating at the facility were temporarily prohibited from taking in animals for a brief time on Saturday, September 10th. This was due to a request by the Lamar Dixon Expo Center to have the Louisiana state Department of Public Health inspect the facility. Once the facility passed inspection, animals were allowed to enter the facility again.
- c. How Can I Look For My Pet in Person?
- Lamar Dixon Expo Center, 9030 St. Landry Road, Gonzales, LA 70737. Phone: 225-621-1700. Concerned owners may visit this Center to look for their pet(s), but it would be preferred if you relied on the database on Petfinder.com. The Lamar Dixon facility is crowded with rescued animals, animal care staff, and rescue teams. The focus right now is on rescue and providing immediate health care for the animals. Because the facility has finite space, we have also begun to move animals on to other shelters in the United States where they will be housed and cared for in less stressful and difficult circumstances.
- On September 12th, relocation began for animals at Lamar Dixon. The Humane Society of the United States and the Louisiana SPCA received approval from federal and state authorities to transfer 400 animals out of the shelter to other animal shelters across the country. More transfers are expected in the coming days and weeks.
- Before transport, each animal is photographed, microchipped, and documented. Petfinder.com is posting pictures of and information on all animals brought into the temporary shelters. Please check Petfinder.com daily to see if your pet has been rescued.
- To buy time for the many remaining animals who are eluding capture, responders in the field are setting up "feeding stations" of food and water until additional rescue attempts can be made.
- The various animals groups have not yet begun to contact people who have called us about their lost pets. We still need to begin transferring information from the Lamar Dixon facility to our headquarters to merge with our call center databases. We realize that people are becoming very concerned and impatient. Please be assured that our first concern is for the animals who need to be rescued and for the animals who have been rescued. We hope to be able to begin reunions soon.
- d. Where Do Rescued Animals in Mississippi Go?
- Rescued animals in Mississippi are taken to the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center in Hattiesburg, where they are checked by a veterinarian, bathed, fed, and watered.
- e. How Can I Look for My Pet in Person?
- If you would like to look for your pet in person, you can go to the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center, 962 Sullivan Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39401. Phone: 601-583-7521. Petfinder.com has sent a team to Hattiesburg to begin photographing these animals and placing them on their website. The State Veterinarian has required that all rescued animals from Mississippi be brought to this facility to make it easier for owners to look for their lost animals. We hope to be able to provide a way for Mississippi owners to inquire about lost animals soon. Please check Petfinder.com daily to see if your pet has been rescued.
- f. Are Animals Being Euthanized?
- There are erroneous rumors spreading on the Internet that animals in Louisiana are being euthanized en masse. This is absolutely false. Why would anybody expend so much effort to rescue these animals only to turn around and euthanize them? A few animals have been euthanized because of severe health problems. The decision to euthanize is taken by the veterinarians who are treating the animals at the facility.
- Currently, the disposition of the animals-as well as the ability of veterinarians to practice on site-is determined solely at the discretion of the Louisiana state veterinarian. Similarly, animals who require euthanasia in Mississippi or any temporary animal shelter/holding facility in the Gulf Coast disaster area will only be euthanized after a veterinarian has determined that it is the best course of action for that animal.
- Misinformation about access to the Gonzales facility and the care the animals are receiving is being posted on certain websites. If you want to help animals get the desperate attention they need, please do not forward such rumors to The HSUS. Receiving and responding to rumors is a waste of our scarce human resources at our Headquarters and in the field who are focused solely on saving animals' lives.
- g. Are There Quarantines/Holding Times at the Temporary Shelters?
- There is misinformation that The Humane Society of the United States is responsible for imposing quarantine times before animals are released from the temporary holding facilities. Any quarantine periods that have been set up are imposed by the respective state officials.
- h. Can The HSUS Rescue Animals Seen in the Media?
- Unfortunately, we cannot respond to rescue requests for most of these animals as there is often insufficient location information for us to identify with any reliability where the animal might be. Please do not email or call us with rescue requests for animals featured in the news. Doing so results in hundreds of duplicate requests. If we can obtain accurate information on the animals' locations, we will do our best to respond. Right now our efforts are focused on rescuing animals who are locked in people's homes and for which we have address information and stray and stranded animals we are able to capture along the way.
- i. How Do I Report that My Animal Has Been Rescued?
- Call 1-800-HUMANE-1 to report that you or someone you know was able to rescue your pet. Or you may email disaster@hsus.org with "Cancel Rescue Request" in the subject line. Please provide your name, address where the pets were left, when they were rescued, their names and descriptions, and your contact numbers. We will cancel the rescue request in the field.
- j. How Do I Report that I Have Found an Animal?
- Call 1-800-HUMANE-1 to report that you have found an animal. Please be prepared to give a detailed description of the animal (breed, sex, markings, etc.), where you found him, any collar and tag information, etc. You may also email disaster@hsus.org with "Found Animal" in the subject line and provide the same descriptive information.
- k. How Do I Report that My Pet has Died?
- Call 1-800-HUMANE-1 to report that you have found a deceased pet or if your own pet for whom you requested a rescue has died. Or you may email disaster@hsus.org with "Deceased Animal" in the subject line. Please provide your name, address where the pets were left, their names and descriptions, and your contact numbers. We will cancel the rescue request in the field.
- a. Can I Request that The HSUS Rescue My Pet?
- HSUS PRESENCE IN THE FIELD
- a. Where Are We?
- Mississippi
- The HSUS is the lead agency in Mississippi handling rescue and care of animals affected by Hurricane Katrina. Rescued animals are being transported to the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center in Hattiesburg, where they are checked by a veterinarian, bathed, fed, and watered.
- Louisiana
- In Louisiana, The HSUS is working closely with the Louisiana SPCA, which is the lead agency handling rescue and care of animals impacted by Katrina. Rescued animals are being transported to the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales.
- Mississippi
- b. What Are We Doing?
- The Humane Society of the United States is involved in all aspects of the disaster response for animals. Our responders are conducting rescues by boat and on land; setting up feeding stations for strays who cannot yet be caught; conducting veterinary exams, hydrating, feeding, walking, and giving TLC to the animals at the temporary shelter; arranging for field supplies; and handling the administrative work that goes along with cataloging the animals.
- c. How Many HSUS Responders are in the Field?
- The HSUS has more than 300 responders on the ground in Mississippi and Louisiana handling animal rescues and providing daily veterinary and animal care, transportation, and administrative needs. Please note that many people are now wearing the blue HSUS t-shirts. Just because someone is wearing such a t-shirt does not mean that they are an HSUS employee or volunteer recruit.
- d. How Many Animals Have We Rescued?
- Please see our lead story on http://www.hsus.org/ for daily updates of the numbers and types of animals rescued by The Humane Society of the United States.
- e. Has the News Media Covered Your Efforts in the Field?
- The rescue and care efforts of The HSUS have been featured in numerous television, newspaper, radio, and Internet reports.
- f. What Should I Do About Rumors?
- In a situation as enormous and fast paced as this disaster, information is being distributed rapidly and-on occasion-recklessly. Rumors are flying. It is impossible for us to respond to what other animal welfare groups are saying or doing, or to the misinformation and hearsay that individuals are spreading through other websites and chat rooms.
- We are updating information as quickly as we can, so please help us in our disaster efforts by referring to http://www.hsus.org/ for accurate information and to find out what you can do to help. Frequent visits to our website-instead of emailing us unless absolutely necessary-will allow our staff to devote themselves to the most pressing animal care and rescue needs.
- The help that we need now is for the State of Louisiana to support our efforts. For people who are not directly involved in and helping to coordinate rescue efforts, the best thing you can do is to call Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco 1-866-310-7617. Ask her office to do everything it can to support the animal rescue effort.
- a. Where Are We?
- VOLUNTEER OFFERS
- a. How May I Volunteer to Go to Louisiana or Mississippi and Help?
- If you have not previously contacted us via email or telephone to volunteer, please review our volunteer information and if you understand and accept this agreement, fill out our volunteer form.
- If you are a veterinarian and want to volunteer, you must fill out a different volunteer form. Put your dates of availability into the field that says "related experience." Click "Continue" when you get to the "Continue Trip Selection." On the "Add trip to Person" page, select "disaster relief" under "reservation trips." Ignore the dates on the schedule and ignore the "full" designation. Our veterinary director will contact with you with deployment information within a couple of days.
- b. When Will You Contact Me About Volunteering?
- If you have contacted us via email or telephone, or have already filled out a volunteer application, thank you so much. As you can imagine, we are inundated with offers of help and have thousands of volunteer applications in hand. We are focused most heavily on deploying volunteers who can meet our priority needs, such as rescuers, shelter workers, vet techs, animal handlers, and equipment suppliers. Please be patient as our staff work their way through these volunteer requests and deploy people based on the needs at the field sites.
- We will need additional volunteers to go down in second and third shifts as more and more animals are rescued and cared for. In addition, some of the facilities that are now beginning to accept relocated animals from Louisiana will also need volunteers. It is possible that our field sites could be in operation for months. Not everyone wishing to volunteer can be deployed immediately. In the meantime, please keep checking http://www.hsus.org/ for daily updates. Again, we can't thank you enough for your offer to help and we appreciate your patience.
- c. Can I Just Show Up to Volunteer in the Affected Areas?
- The HSUS is not the sole agency that determines access to affected areas. We cannot guarantee you will be admitted to help unless you are authorized to travel by a recognized animal welfare organization that is operating in the field. It is imperative that people who want to volunteer do not proceed to Louisiana or Mississippi without working through-and being authorized by-a recognized animal welfare organization operating in the field. It is a logistical nightmare when unauthorized volunteers and people with truckloads of supplies show up unannounced.
- Coordinated efforts are ongoing to assess and reassess our needs in the field and respond to them. Sending down unnecessary supplies or individuals who do not meet the requirements below creates bottlenecks, wasted resources, and ill-feelings for the people who traveled without authorization.
- d. Are There Any Other Special Requirements Needed to Volunteer?
- To be able to work directly with the animals it is strongly recommended that your Hepatitis A and Tetanus vaccinations are up-to-date. Also, to volunteer for The HSUS, you must be willing to remain on site for five (5) full days not including travel days. If you meet these qualifications, please fill out our volunteer form.
- a. How May I Volunteer to Go to Louisiana or Mississippi and Help?
- ADOPTION/FOSTER REQUESTS
- a. How May I Foster or Adopt Animals Affected by Hurricane Katrina?
- Thank you for your generous offer to foster or adopt animals affected by Hurricane Katrina. Please visit Petfinder.com to register as a potential foster or permanent home.
- b. How Can I Adopt Snowball (or Other Animals Seen in the News)?
- We know these animals' plights are heart-wrenching and we appreciate how so many people are drawn to a particular animal's story. Please do not contact us to inquire about fostering or adopting "Snowball," "the Afghan Hound," "the Little Black Puppy," "Samantha," or other animals featured in the media or on the HSUS website. The hundreds of emails and phone calls we receive daily on this subject interfere with identifying important rescue requests. It is just not possible for us to match specific animals profiled in the media to your requests.
- c. Would Adopting an Animal from My Local Animal Shelter Help?
- Yes. Please don't forget the animals already in your local animal shelter. They need homes desperately, too, and by adopting them you may create additional space for shelters to take in animals affected by Hurricane Katrina.
- a. How May I Foster or Adopt Animals Affected by Hurricane Katrina?
- DONATING TO THE HSUS
- We are indebted to all of the caring individuals and companies who have given so generously. This money is being put to use immediately to fund our massive rescue and response effort. We are spending funds on disaster equipment and supply needs (animal, human, and operating), communication systems, boats, RVs, trailers, cages, and much more. We are making emergency grants to shelters and purchasing needed veterinary and other supplies. We have deployed our Rural Area Veterinary Services unit to treat animals in the temporary shelters and we also have a veterinary care program set up with the American Animal Hospital Association to provide basic wellness care for the animals of people who have been displaced by the disaster. In addition, we are providing transportation to and from the disaster sites, extra phone services to deal with the increased phone volume of disaster victims and others, and many other services. Thanks to your generous contributions, we are meeting the needs of thousands of animals and the responders who are caring for them on the Gulf Coast and beyond.
- a. How May I Donate by Telephone?
- Please call us at 1-800-HUMANE-1 to make a donation by credit card.
- b. How May I Donate Online?
- You may donate online here. Our website is secure.
- c. How May I Donate by Mail?
- If you would like to make a donation by mail, please make your check payable to HSUS Disaster Relief Fund and send to:
The Humane Society of the United States Department DRFHBM 2100 L Street, NW Washington, DC 20037
- ANIMALS IN THE MEDIA
- a. How Can I Find Out What Happened to Snowball (and Other Animals)?
- Snowball, the Afghan hound in Mississippi, the black lab puppy featured on CNN-these media reports and others are generating thousands of emails and calls to The HSUS asking for information about whether the animals have been rescued, whether people can adopt these particular animals, and to generally express outrage that these animals are being documented without being rescued by the news crews. Please know that when we were alerted to the fact that news crews were documenting animals without rescuing them, we put out an all-points bulletin to media worldwide asking them to rescue these animals if they could and bring them to one of our temporary sheltering facilities to be cared for.
- We are also aware of the reports of authorities shooting dogs in certain areas of Louisiana. We are investigating these matters as time allows and have petitioned the authorities to take less draconian steps when they receive reports of dogs molesting human corpses.
- We ask that you refrain from emailing or calling The HSUS about these animals. We know their plight is emotionally disturbing to everyone, but the thousands of duplicate queries hinder our ability to sort through the important rescue requests for specific animals and offers of help from volunteers across the country. We must focus on rescuing animals who are trapped at known addresses.
- a. How Can I Find Out What Happened to Snowball (and Other Animals)?
- IN-KIND DONATIONS (Pet food, crates, supplies, etc.)
- a. May I Donate Crates, Food, or Other Supplies?
- Thank you for the thousands of in-kind offers. Truckloads of food and supplies are arriving in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama every day.
- The major pet food companies have been wonderful in filling our requests for food for the rescued animals. There is no need for individual pet food donations at this time.
- If you have registered an offer of several cages, animal toys, etc., and have not received a response, please contact your local animal shelter and offer your donation to them to use locally.
- Please do not send supplies or donations of other goods without checking and receiving authorization from a recognized animal welfare organization in the field. It is becoming difficult and it is not an efficient use of disaster personnel time, to unload and store unneeded and/or unsolicited supplies.
- If you are thinking about collecting supplies or donations of other goods for the field, please email FSIntern@hsus.org for guidance about what is or will be needed over the coming months.
- b. Whom Do I Contact About a Large In-Kind Donation?
- If you have a large offer (truckload), please email a detailed description of what you have to FSIntern@hsus.org or fax to 301-258-3107. We will respond directly as and when we may have use of your offer.
- a. May I Donate Crates, Food, or Other Supplies?
- MISCELLANEOUS
- a. How Do I Find Out About Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) Training?
- If you are interested in receiving information on training to be a member of The HSUS's Disaster Animal Rescue Teams (DART), please send an email to disaster@hsus-dot-org with "DART Training Information" in the subject line.
- b. Where Can I Buy the "BeKind" CauseCollars and Bracelets?
- You may have seen our "BeKind" CauseCollar(TM) in the news. The CauseCollar is a unique new way for pets to champion their own cause. The collars are for dogs only and can be ordered here. Until September 30th, all proceeds from the collars will be directed to our Disaster Relief Fund.
- The "BeKind" bracelets are offered through The Friends of Amigo Foundation. They can be purchased at http://www.arfhamptons.org/ .
- c. May I Hold a Fundraiser for The HSUS?
- If individuals or groups would like to hold a local fundraiser for The HSUS to assist the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina, we thank you very much for your generous support. Due to our involvement in responding to Katrina, The HSUS cannot send representatives, posters, or other literature to assist you in holding the fundraiser; however, you are welcome to use any of the information on our website, http://www.hsus.org/ . You may send funds raised to The Humane Society of the United States, Department DRFHBM, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037. Please make your check payable to The HSUS Disaster Relief Fund. Thank you!
- a. How Do I Find Out About Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) Training?
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