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We all watched it...
The terrible destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
As Associated Press reported: Katrina evacuees were distraught over lost and abandoned pets:
"As Valerie Bennett was evacuated from a New Orleans hospital, rescuers told her there was no room in the boat for her dogs. She pleaded. 'I offered him my wedding ring and my mom's wedding ring,' the 34-year-old nurse recalled Saturday. They wouldn't budge. She and her husband could bring only one item, and they already had a plastic tub containing the medicines her husband, a liver transplant recipient, needed to survive."
Such emotional scenes were repeated perhaps thousands of times along the Gulf Coast as pet owners were forced to abandon their animals in the midst of evacuation.
In one example reported by The Associated Press, a police officer took a dog from one little boy waiting to get on a bus in New Orleans. "Snowball! Snowball!" the boy cried until he vomited. The policeman told a reporter he didn't know what would happen to the dog.
At the hospital, a doctor euthanized some animals at the request of their owners, who feared they would be abandoned and starve to death. He set up a small gas chamber out of a plastic-wrapped dog kennel.
"The bigger dogs were fighting it. Fighting the gas. It took them longer. When I saw that, I said 'I can't do it,'" said Bennett's husband, Lorne.
Valerie Bennett left her dogs with the anesthesiologist, who promised to care for about 30 staff members' pets on the roof of the hospital, Lindy Boggs Medical Center.
"He said he'd stay there as long as he possibly could," Valerie Bennett recalled, speaking from her husband's bedside at Atlanta's Emory University Hospital.
On Saturday afternoon, she said she saw a posting on a Web site that said the anesthesiologist was still caring for the animals.
Louisiana State Treasurer John Kennedy, who was helping with relief efforts Saturday, said some evacuees refused to leave without their pets.
"One woman told me 'I've lost my house, my job, my car and I am not turning my dog loose to starve,'" Kennedy said.
Kennedy said he persuaded refugees to get on the bus by telling them he would have the animals taken to an exhibition center.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals picked up two cats and 15 dogs, including one Kennedy found tied up beneath the overpass next to an unopened can of dog food with a sign that read "Please take care of my dog, his name is Chucky."
The fate of pets is a huge but underappreciated cause of anguish for storm survivors, said Richard Garfield, professor of international clinical nursing at New York's Columbia University.
"People in shelters are worried about 'Did Fluffy get out?'" he said. "It's very distressing for people, wondering if their pets are isolated or starving."
The Bennetts had four animals, including two beloved dogs.
They moved to Slidell, La., in July when Valerie took a job at an organ transplant institute connected to Lindy Boggs. Lorne, a former paramedic, is disabled since undergoing a liver transplant in 2001.
On Saturday, as Hurricane Katrina approached, both went to the hospital to help and took all four animals with them.
They fed their guinea pig and left it in its cage in a patient room. They couldn't refill its empty water bottle because the hospital's plumbing failed Sunday, they said. They poured food on the floor for the cat, but again no water.
"I just hope that they forgive me," Valerie Bennett cried.
Thankfully, hundreds of other pets were rescued and taken to shelters. Various animal rescue groups have helped to find and rescue lost pets.
The Web site FIDO FINDER.com is posting record numbers of "Lost" and "Found" dogs.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT DOG OWNERS BE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT HURRICANE! HERE'S HOW...
Living near the coastline, one is quickly made aware of the importance of hurricane preparedness.
Residents of the coastal states can usually recite, by heart, the important contents of a hurricane kit, routes to safety, and directions on how to prepare one’s home for tropical-force winds. Unfortunately, during all the preparations and excitement, many forget about the family dog until it’s too late.
So how do you make preparations for your pet and what should you include in an animal care kit?
Here, with the help of DOG BREEDERS.BIZ, is a detailed account of what you must do to protect your pet dog in the next hurricane:
The most important thing to remember, when hurricane season draws near, is to start preparations early.
You will want to begin by asking your veterinarian if they will be boarding dogs, or if they can suggest a place that will be accepting animals, should an evacuation be called. This is essential, due to the fact that most emergency shelters will not allow animals.
Additionally, for the sake of your pet and others, make sure that your dogs’ vaccination records are up to date, prior to the start of hurricane season.
Family pets should never be left at home or in a car when an evacuation is called! Not only can a storm be traumatizing to an abandoned pet, but there a great many risks involved, as well. Power outages can cause temperatures to rise to unbearable levels, there is a risk of flooding, flying debris, or wind damage, and remember that it may be an extended period of time before you may be allowed to return to your home.
No matter how sheltered you believe your home may be, no matter how much food or water that you think you can leave out for your pet, it is a dangerous and unnecessary risk to take.
Just like people, pet dogs need hurricane kits as well. The following items should be included in a special kit for each individual pet:
- A carrier to transport your pet in: Bear in mind that this carrier should be large enough for your pet to turn around and lay down comfortably. In the event of an evacuation, cage space may be limited, and your pet may have to stay in the carrier.
- A blanket or bed to lay upon: Ideally, this should fit inside your pet’s carrier and will help to not only make him more comfortable, but will also help keep him from slipping and falling if he is moved.
- Personal belonging: Be sure to leave your pet with a favorite toy or a personal belonging of yours that carries your scent, to help ease his fears. Evacuations can be very traumatic to pets and it helps them to have something familiar amongst all the strange noises and odors.
- Medical records and medicines: This is essential, as some shelters will not allow your pet in, if you do not have an up-to-date shot record. Additionally, it is highly recommended that, should your pet have any serious conditions or require special medication, that you not only make sure to provide the medicine that he needs, but also post a visible tag on his carrier, drawing attention to this fact.
- Food: Ensure that your pet has a two-week supply of dry food, on hand, for workers to feed him and be sure that it is stored in an air-tight container. Wet food is not recommended, unless you can provide it in single serving containers. Remember that, should there be a power outage, there will be no refrigeration available. Highly recommended is that you post his usual feeding schedule on the top of the carrier; maintaining a routine, that is similar to his normal home life, will help keep your pet as stress-free as possible.
- Water: This is commonly overlooked, but it’s important to provide your pet with a two week supply of water and, ideally, this should be the very same water that he is used to drinking at home. We don’t always realize this, but water differs from area to area, and suddenly changing your pet’s water can lead to bowel disruption and unneeded stress. Several milk jugs, well rinsed and filled with tap water, can be plainly marked with your pet’s name using a permanent marker.
- Collars/Leashes: Remember that your dogs and cats may need to be moved or taken out for some exercise. For this reason, you will need to provide a collar or harness, and a leash. It’s also a good idea to be sure that your pet’s collar bears a tag that provides owner information and that this is up to date. Having your pet micro-chipped is also an inexpensive and painless method of emergency identification for your pet. To learn more about micro-chipping your pet, contact your veterinarian or local shelter for more information.
- Contact Information: Be sure to post your name, address and phone number on the top of your pet’s carrier. If possible, also provide information on where you are evacuating to. This will allow your pet’s caregiver a method of contacting you, should an emergency arise.
- Register your dog with an organization like FIDO FINDER. By registering with FIDO FINDER you will be registering your dog's vital information, such as name, breed, gender, color, and Zip Code. If your dog is ever lost, the person who has found your dog will be able to locate you based on the Zip Code in which the dog was found. Don't worry. FIDO FINDER takes into consideration surrounding Zip Codes when notifying dog owners that a possible match was just added to Fido Finder. FIDO FINDER does not use the information gathered during registration for any purpose other than helping Lost Dogs find their homes...
Natural disasters- We can’t stop them from occurring, but we can prepare so that, when they do happen, everyone can evacuate to a safer place. Ensuring that your pet has his own hurricane preparedness kit will help save time, should an emergency evacuation be called and will only help to keep your four-legged family member safe.
Follow these steps and, before long, everyone will be reunited with tails wagging!
FIDO FINDER.com has some basic tips in searching for a lost dog: "Dogs usually don't go far. They're curious animals that like to look and sniff around. It's more likely for a dog to be a few blocks away than a few miles away. So stick close to home for the first part of your search.
"Be sure to check all the streets in your neighborhood. Talking to other dog owners you see is a good idea as either their dog or the owner himself might have seen your dog. It's more likely that a dog owner will notice a wandering dog than someone who is not a dog lover."
They add: "When searching the neighborhood, be sure to call your dog's name. Your dog can hear you from a great distance. Your dog might be in between houses or behind bushes. Don't rely on just your eyes for finding your dog.
"If you own a dog whistle or any device that makes a loud noise, it can be used to attract your dog's attention. If you own other dogs, they might be helpful in finding your lost dog. Bring them along for the search so they can alert you if they smell or see something of interest."
Once you've exhausted your physical search, it's time to post lost dog posters. You can print dog posters from the FIDO FINDER Web site. Don't just put the posters on your street; post them at the entrance of your neighborhood and in places people frequent. Community mailboxes are also a good place to post your lost dog poster. People often recognize a lost dog poster when they see one.
Although it's important for your poster to be marked with "LOST DOG," it could be more important to emphasize your dog's breed and color. Keep the information simple. Someone who might have found your dog doesn't need to know your dog's favorite food or whether it is spayed or neutered. Name, breed and color are really the only things that someone needs to know when looking for a lost dog. Provide your contact information on the poster; provide your phone number, but not your name or address.
FIDO FINDER lists registered dogs and unregistered dogs. Rewards are often offered, but many people who find lost dogs are often animal lovers and are just seeking the real owners.
To go to FIDO FINDER.com ("Where Lost Dogs Are Found!"), just Click on PUPPY DOGS INFO!
To learn more about protecting and caring for your dog, see DOG-BREEDERS.BIZ at PUPPY DOGS INFO!
About DOG-BREEDERS.BIZ: Every year, thousands of healthy dogs are euthanized because they don't have a home. They become neglected, lost, or run away and are picked up by the local shelter. It is a common assumption that these animals are mangy mixed breeds that aren't that highly desirable, but that isn't the truth.
Many pure-bred, highly-desirable breeds are lost or neglected every year. These dogs are intelligent animals that, like any domestic animal, deserve loving homes. Finding these dogs stable, loving homes can help alleviate the problems of overcrowded shelters and euthanasia.
To help match dog lovers with those who breed them, Ian White founded DOG-BREEDERS.BIZ. "Our mission is to provide a secure environment where dog lovers can quickly match, screen, and select dog breeders; and breeders can find good homes for their puppy litters or adult dogs."
According to White, many people who prefer certain types of pure-
bred dogs are unsure of where to find them. "Some can be found
in shelters," he says, "but many are not registered, or have had
some problem that resulted in their placement in the shelter."
On DOG-BREEDERS.BIZ, dog lovers can search for certain breeds in any geographical area, and can screen breeders so they know they're dealing with reputable people and quality animals.
On the other side, breeders can also list their services experience, motivations, and more on the website. "This gives breeders a wide audience of potential clients, and they can also carefully screen those wanting to buy the dogs they have. It's good insurance for everyone--especially for the dogs."
The directory includes listings by private breeders, kennel
clubs, and occasional hobby or family breeders. DOG-BREEDERS.BIZ automates the matching of puppies for sale with puppy wanted entries, with daily email notifications to all parties.
Dog lovers and breeders can find more information on the website: www.puppy-dogs.info... Just Click on PUPPY DOGS INFO!
Presented by PUPPY DOGS INFO
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