Despite heroic efforts, rescuers are running out of time to save animals. Muttshack Animal Rescue and Foster is calling all volunteers to action and appealing for donations for supplies and crates.
(PRWEB) September 9, 2005 -- Despite the heroic efforts of volunteers and animal groups from both Louisiana and around the country, time is running out for the animals trapped in New Orleans, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Help is desperately required to rescue animals trapped in the flooded ruins of New Orleans or roaming the streets in hungry packs.
Project Katrina Muttshacks is an effort to re-unite lost animals with their owners, identify them and post their pictures on the web for their owners to find them.
Amanda St. John, Founder of MuttShack Animal Rescue says help is also urgently required to help care for the hundreds of animals rescued and located in shelters with no power or running water. They need the following volunteers, items and donations.
- BOAT OWNERS! Boats are urgently needed. Flat bottomed boats, canoes, anything that can be used to travel around the flooded streets of New Orleans, and which is big enough to hold rescued animals. You must be able to transport the boat to the Louisiana SPCA (http://www.la-spca.org/) shelter established at 9093 St. Landry Rd., Gonzales, LA 70737. HSUS volunteer Linda Nealon can be contacted at Gonzales on (225) 647 0712, but that line is very busy. "Bring a boat and it WILL be used." All volunteers arriving must have papers from MuttShack Animal Rescue which can be obtained from the Volunteer Coordinator.
You will need an RV or tent to live in.
- ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL PROFESSIONALS. Anyone with professional animal rescue, control, veterinarians, vet techs—particularly those with water hazard training--would be extremely welcome to come support search and rescue animals from the hazardous flood conditions. Come to the Gonzales shelter.
- NEW ORLEANS NATIVES. We need people familiar with the backstreets of New Orleans to help navigate the backstreets of the City. Come to the Gonzales shelter.
- OWNERS OF LARGE TRUCKS: We need people, preferably with ‘official-looking vehicles (flashing lights, the name of a rescue agency painted on the side will help rescuers navigate in the city) to help transport rescued animals out of New Orleans to Gonzales. Come to the Gonzales shelter.
- BRING SOME SUPPLIES. Gonzales desperately needs the following: water proof walkie talkies and flashlights, D batteries, insect repellent, sunscreen, waders, animal medical supplies, heavy duty gloves for handling wildlife, and containers full of gasoline. Bring them to Gonzales -- they are urgently required.
- DONORS TO DONATE VETERINARY ITEMS. The US Postal Service is supplying Gonzales again. Mail higher value, lower volume items to the shelter like meds, etc.
- VOLUNTEERS TO WORK WITH ANIMALS TO CALM DOWN DISTRESSED PETS. If you can even just drop by for an afternoon with some dog treats, chew-toys and 'greenies' and pet a few distressed pooches, and take some for a walk that would be a tremendous help.
The Humane Society of Louisiana, St. Francis Animal Shelter and Best Friends Animal Sanctuary are jointly operating a huge emergency shelter at 115 Obed Magee Rd., Tylertown, MS 39667, where rescued animals are cared for in the longer term, before being adopted. We need to ship them at least 1000 crates now.
- TRANSPORTERS TO HELP US TRANSPORT animals from Gonzales to Tylertown. Bring large vehicles suitable for animal transport to Gonzales.
"The Tylertown Shelter has hundreds of animals but hardly any volunteers to look after them. There is no electricity or running water. There are no landline phones. We desperately need helping hands. You cannot post supplies to Tylertown, as the US postal service has not resumed in the area." said St. John.
- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO LOOK AFTER RESCUED PETS. "Come down to Tylertown, but bring your own food, clothes, tents, medical supplies and enough gasoline to drive here and back home. Think of this as a camping expedition with a purpose."
But she warns "We do not have the resources to support volunteers. People with experience of caring for small mammals and exotics like spiders and birds are especially welcome."
- HANDYMEN AND VOLUNTEERS TO BRING YOUR CONTRACTOR SKILLS. We are trying to erect new portable buildings to house the vast number of animals being moved to Tylertown. We need people with the skills and tools to erect fences and buildings, wire up generators, etc.
- PEOPLE WHO CAN DONATE AND BRING BUILDING SUPPLIES, GENERATORS, GASOLINE etc. Anyone who can supply portable building kits, fencing etc., please bring it to Tylertown.
- PEOPLE WHO CAN DONATE AIR CONDITIONING. If you have AC units which can run off generators and could bring them down help set them up that would vastly improve the miserable hot conditions for the distressed rescues.
- PEOPLE WHO CAN BRING SUPPLIES. At Tylertown we need walkie talkies, flashlights, D batteries, insect repellent, sunscreen, animal medical supplies, heavy duty gloves for handling wildlife, and containers full of gasoline.
- HAM RADIOS OPERATORS. To connect Tylertown, LaMar-Dixon in Gonzales, and Baton Rouge LSU.
Shelters are desperately short of people, so anyone helping out must ensure that they can look after themselves, and have enough gasoline to get back home warns Amanda St. John.
You can call their our volunteer coordinator Sharon possecop @ msn.com.
About Muttshack:
Muttshack Foundation is a 501((c)3) non-profit, a project of the National Heritage Foundation, established in 1968. MuttShack Foster and Animal Rescue promotes the education and creation of foster homes for abandoned and abused animals. Muttshackers rescue animals from shelters, and from the streets, rehabilitate and nurture them to health in homes (MuttShacks) and find them quality, permanent new families. By intervening and rescuing shelter animals about to be put to sleep, MuttShack fostering stops the senseless killing of healthy animals in overcrowded shelters.
To donate to Project Katrina Muttshacks go to:
https://www.registrationfactory.com/v3/?EventUUID=B47421FD or donate by Paypal to Katrina @ muttshack.org or Mail to Amanda St. John, Project Katrina Muttshacks, 11872 Eldridge Ave. Lake View Terrace, CA 91342
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