Helping the Victims Who Cannot Speak
Reported by Marie Therese - September 9, 2005
We have all seen various clips of residents of New Orleans being forced to leave the family pet stranded on a roof or people who adamantly refuse to leave because government officials will not let them take their pets out of the area. Today I heard a FOX News reporter note that the the city is silent except for the mournful sound of abandoned pets. I broke into tears yet again (it's getting to be a common occurance these days) and vowed that I'd let our readers know of the various pet-centric organizations committed to rescuing the animals left stranded by the storm and deliberately rejected by FEMA.
PETA's website has the following information:
Worse, although the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) guidelines on animal handling in a disaster were carefully crafted years ago in cooperation with PETA and other animal organizations, our government has evidently thrown them out the window, even going so far as to order citizens to abandon their animals under threat of arrest - animals who in many cases were considered members of the family and were all that these people had left.
They are asking that you write to FEMA to (politely) protest this policy.
FEMA
500 C St. S.W.
Washington, DC 20472
202-646-3900
202-646-3930 (fax)
FEMAOPA@dhs.gov
Here's an alphabetical list of organizations who are engaged in Katrina animal rescue efforts. If anyone has another name to add or knows that one of these charities is spending too much money on "administrative costs," let me know in the comments section.
Animal Veterinary Medical Association
Horseman's Guide of the South Central Region
Humane Society of the United States
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association
