How you Can Help Pets Affected by Hurricane Katrina

How Hurricane Katrina

has affected Pets

and how you can help

Hurricane Katrina has been called the biggest natural disaster in the history of the United States, covering an area larger than Great Britain and affecting millions of lives. The question on everyone's mind lately is, "how can I help?" As concerned as we are about the human survivors of Hurricane Katrina, many of us also wonder how we can help the thousands of pets whose lives have also been affected by Katrina.

The "dog-gift-divas" at Great Dog Gift have compiled an extensive directory of sites you can visit if you wish to volunteer your time, money and/or resources. We hope you'll find it helpful!

Make a Charitable Contribution

Donate Supplies

Help Reunite Pets with Owners

Volunteer Your Time/Skills or Foster a Pet

Rescue and Reunion Stories

Preparing for Future Disasters

Note: All of the charitable organizations listed below are nationally recognized and legitimate .

If you want your dollars to go where the greatest numbers of animals affected by Hurricane Katrina are being rescued and treated, I recommend the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Houston organizations (listed under "Regional").

Although donations of supplies are still greatly appreciated, most of the organizations I contacted are saying that, due to the overwhelming number of animals they're caring for, and the extent of their medical needs, monetary donations are most urgently needed.

** Don't make contributions to any group who solicits your help over the phone, unless you've checked them out very carefully, and are certain they're legit!!

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Charitable Contributions Regional Organizations: The Louisiana School of Veterinary Medicine The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine has pledged "to provide loving care and shelter for pets until they can be reunited with their families who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina". As of September 10, 2005, they report that they still have plenty of room and are still accepting animals. They also are accepting transfers from other clinics and shelters, and provide contact information on their home page. For evacuees traveling with pets, or people with pets who are preparing to evacuate, the school also has information and assistance. Please Make a Donation to assist them in their efforts. Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association The Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association College of Veterinary Medicine is cooperating with the Mississippi Board of Animal Health, the Mississippi State Veterinarian, as well as other local, state, and federal agencies, to provide relief to pets and animals and the animal-owning public affected by this disaster. To help facilitate this effort, we are assisting these agencies in providing information about animal relief and donation efforts. Financial donations are being accepted through the Mississippi Animal Disaster Relief Fund at the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association . Click on this link to open a contribution form for the Mississippi Animal Disaster Relief Fund.

The Houston SPCA The Houston SPCA has established an animal emergency hotline (713) 802-0555 and is preparing to receive hundreds more animal victims. They have received more than 900 animal victims of Hurricane Katrina. They took in 263 canines and felines from the Louisiana SPCA before the storm hit and have now accepted animals from evacuees at the Houston Astrodome, Reliant Arena and George R. Brown Convention Center. They anticipate hundreds if not thousands more in the coming days and weeks. Monetary donations are most needed to help care for the hundreds of extra animals in the Houston shelter now, and those they will be taking in and caring for in the coming weeks and months. Click here to donate to the Houston SPCA. back to top North Shore Animal League of America The North Shore Animal League America, the world's largest no-kill pet rescue and adoption organization, has an exemplary record of protecting animals in New York and around the globe. As early as August 30, 2005, they had posted the following information on their site: ""North Shore Animal League has two rescue vans in the Alabama area ready to save animals. Tomorrow morning we will be doing our first rescue of homeless dogs and cats at the Florence Animal Control shelter in Alabama. Our 32-foot mobile unit is also on its way to help rescue more animals and will be in the area by Thursday. We will continue sending rescue vehicles for as long as it takes to help local shelters in the southern states keep up with the tide of animals that have been displaced by this tragedy."." Click Here to view an on-site log of their rescue and relief efforts Help support the NSALA Emergency Response Team by making a financial contribution to their Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescue Fund back to top National Organizations: The Humane Society of the United States In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has launched a massive relief effort to rescue animals and assist their caregivers in the disaster areas. Their highly trained Disaster Animal Response Teams are in New Orleans and Mississippi coordinating a multi-state animal rescue and recovery effort. They now have more than 200 people on the ground doing search-and-rescue and staffing temporary shelters, and have rescued more than a thousand animals in the hardest hit areas of both states since Friday. Make an emergency contribution to the Humane Society Disaster Relief Fund Their entire relief effort is funded by donations from people like you, and they desperately need your support.Your tax-deductible gift will be used exclusively for our disaster animal relief work. To send your gift by U.S. Mail, please make your check payable to HSUS Disaster Relief Fund and mail it to HSUS, Dept. DRFHBM, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037. Thank you! Get the latest news on katrina humane society with Google Alerts. The ASPCA® To make a donation visit the ASPCA Disaster Relief Fund. From this page, you can also view their rescue diary for reports of hands-on recovery efforts, latest press releases, and information about resources for evacuees. On September 3, 2005 -- The ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) announced that it has set up two databases to help in the aid and recovery of animals affected by Hurricane Katrina. You can use these databases to help reunite lost pets with owners or to volunteer your time and skills. back to top The American Humane Association The American Humane Association emergency responder teams immediately assessed the needs of the communities affected by the hurricane, and began coordinating animal rescue operations. The American Humane Association’s Animal Emergency Services’ rescue rig, which serves as both a mobile veterinary clinic and a temporary shelter for displaced pets, is a state-of- the-art emergency vehicle. The AHA deployed the rig to join its fleet of vehicles and volunteer rescue responders. The rig headed for Louisiana loaded up with pet food and supplies donated by PETCO. Read the latest report from the field. American Humane’s Animal Emergency Services program manager and veteran volunteer responder Dick Green is on the scene. Read the entries! Click Here to donate to the American Humane Association Animal Emergency Services. The American Kennel Club The AKC CAR Canine Support & Relief Fund has been established as a permanent charitable fund with the goals of providing resources, support, funds, and other assistance to: Search and Rescue animals and handlers participating in rescue and recovery efforts in connection with natural or civil disasters. The veterinary units providing support to the canine rescue teams. Not-for-profit animal shelters and similar not-for-profit organizations providing care for domestic animals orphaned or displaced as a result of natural or civil disasters. 100 Percent of donated dollars goes to the dogs - No donated funds pay for any administrative costs back to top PetsMart Charities PETsMART Charities provides emergency relief funding to assist pets in times of hurricanes, earthquakes, fire and other natural catastrophes. Your donations will be used for supplies needed at the disaster site such as food, crates, litter, beds and more ... medical supplies used for first aid to injured pets ... vaccinations to displaced pets to prevent disease outbreak ... repairs to shelters damaged by flooding, high winds, and fires. PetsMart Charities has plenty of experience in helping pets find new homes. They have helped over 2 million pets find permanent homes through past efforts. We profile their history in our article on Pet Charties Donate at the Charity Dog receptacle inside any PetSmart store in the U.S. All in-store donations from August 30, 2005 through September 30, 2005 are earmarked for Hurricane Katrina emergency relief and other disasters. You can also mail your donation directly to: PetSmart Charities 19601 N. 27th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85027 Attn: Disaster Relief/Hurricane Katrina If you have any questions about donating to PetsMart online, please send them an email at info@petsmartcharities.org or call them toll-free at 1-800-423-PETS. Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMATs) are the national backbone of animal disaster preparedness and response. With assistance, funding and support from the AVMF, VMATs provide treatment and aid to animals used in search-and-rescue efforts and animals hurt or endangered by catastrophic events such as floods, hurricanes, fires and earthquakes. Comprised of highly trained veterinarians, veterinary technicians and support personnel, VMATs teams are organized regionally and can be deployed to any state or U.S. territory within 24 hours. Your contribution to the AVMF helps all disaster preparedness and response efforts. To donate click here back to top Donate Supplies The AKC The American Kennel Club and affiliated organization AKC Companion Animal Recovery continue relief efforts with a shipment of bowls, crates and exercise pens to the Louisiana State University Veterinary School staging area in Baton Rouge in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. For people wanting to volunteer much needed equipment, housing and personal resources, such as foster homes and offers of transporting dogs, AKC has set up a web-based donation exchange on its website. Search for people who need your help: searches can be done state by state or nationwide and will show you who has asked for help, and lists the items they need. Noah's Wish Noah’s Wish, a not-for-profit organization that works exclusively to rescue and shelter animals in disasters, is rescuing animals from evacuated homes in Slidell, Louisiana. Although they can't receive packages at their Louisiana location, you can donate supplies as directed on their site: "Individual supplies should go to our St. Louis Area supply staging at the address below: Roger Smith Noah's Wish 8762 Klondike Road Worden, IL 62097 Questions regarding donation items should be addressed to supplies@noahswish.org with SUPPLY AND EQUIPMENT in the subject line. Large truck shipment donors should us at supplies@noahswish.org for special instructions. Please be patient, our Logistics Department staff are processing donation offers as quickly as possible." Humane Society of Houston back to top The Humane Society of Houston's Humane Society doctors and staff are working to give free Vaccines, Services and Evaluations for pet victims of Hurricane Katrina. They have devoted their entire home page to providing updates on the services being provided. They also need Donations of food, towels or money for medical supplies, now more than ever. These can be brought to the shelter at:14700 Almeda Road, (2 blocks south of Beltway 8 and Almeda Road), or to the Animals' Kingdom in Houston Center, 1200 McKinney. Heavy-gauge chain link fencing and labor are also needed to build extra kennel space for the anticipated influx of animals from Hurricane Katrina. Please contact 713-433-6421 if you can help with their building efforts. The Humane Society keeps a wish list on their site of items needed for donation. Scroll down that page to view the most desperately needed items. back to top Help Reunite Pets with their Owners The best resource we found for finding your lost pet or reporting a pet you've found is the Animal Emergency Response Network. There are links here for more than just missing pets. Pets needing help can also be registered here, as well as pets needing foster homes. People offering foster care can search for pets needing a homes or temporary care. (New York, NY) September 3, 2005 -- The ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) announced today that it has set up a database to help in the aid and recovery of animals affected by Hurricane Katrina. To help families find their lost pets, a registry of missing pets has been established.. In order to register your pet, please send your contact information and a description of the pet including name and breed to katrina@ldaf.louisiana.gov. You must register by email, there is no online registration form. In Louisiana, people reporting stranded animals should call: (888) 773-6489 . Outside Louisiana, people should call: (225) 925-3980 If you are an evacuee and need to report pets who may be trapped, Click Here for the ASPCA® Hurricane Hotline phone number and email address. Best Friends Animal Society has a wonderful Information and Resource page with downloadable reports on how to find a lost pet, and grief assistanc. This page also tells who to contact with offers of assistance or if you have an animal that has been left behind or know of one that has been left behind: hurricane@bestfriends.org (435)644-2001 ext. 398 They ask that you include the following information: Name and contact information Address where the pet was left Pet’s name Description of pet – species, breed or special markings back to top Volunteer Your Time/Skills or Foster a Pet Volunteers (minimum age: 16) are needed to work in the pet shelter at John M. Parker Coliseum. In Baton Rouge, please come directly to the Coliseum and ask for the Volunteer Coordinator to sign up or send an e-mail to katrinavolunteers@ldaf.louisiana.gov. You can get more information at the Louisiana School of Veterinary Medicine's home page. They're also in need of veterinarians, vet techs, and animal handling professionals or animal control officers. The Animal Emergency Response Network has links for people who want to foster a pet and/or to volunteer to help pets in need. The ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) announced on Sept 3,2005 that it has set up a database to help in the aid and recovery of animals affected by Hurricane Katrina. If you would like to volunteer with the animal relief efforts, please register via email www.aspca.org/hurricane. Leave your contact information and special skills you possess to help with animal relief. Best Friends Animal Society has a Post Your Story page with a log of personal stories and news from individuals concerned about the disaster. It includes pleas from individual citizens in New Orleans who are trying to help out and looking for people to donate time and supplies. (Sept 9 log entry) back to top 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com helps get homeless pets into loving homes. Foster homes will be needed for the thousands of pets being recovered from the destruction left by Hurricane Katrina. They are compiling a database of foster homes for the various emergency response teams on the ground. Can you open your home to a pet who needs help? Can you provide transportation for foster pets? Please sign up with Hurricane Katrina Foster Homes If you are a rescue or shelter with space for pets, please register as a Shelter with Room for Pets Trained Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers are being mobilized to respond to Hurricane Katrina. They know that there are many other people who have not yet been trained who might be interested in helping, too. If you are interested in being mobilized as a convergent volunteer or if you have supplies or services to donate, you should sign up now to ensure that you will be one of the first to be called, should they be able to utilize non-EARS volunteers. Rescue and Reunion Stories For more details on the Houston SPCA's relief efforts and some happy reunion stories, please Click Here The Humane Society currently (Sept 09, 2005) has rescue pictures and videos on their home page. The image next to their "Top Stories" feature links to a video of a dog being rescued from the second story of an abandoned home. View the ASPCA rescue diary for reports of hands-on recovery efforts. American Humane’s Animal Rescue Field Report is being maintained by American Humane’s Animal Emergency Services program manager and veteran volunteer responder Dick Green. It began on August 31, and is updated every couple of days. The North Shore Animal League of America keeps an on-site log of their Rescue and Relief efforts. Best Friends Animal Society has a Post Your Story page with a log of personal stories and news from individuals concerned about the disaster. It includes pleas from individual citizens in New Orleans who are trying to help out and looking for people to donate time and supplies. (Sept 9 log entry) "Best Friends on the Front Lines" contains the latest reports and other media from the Best Friends Animal Society rescue team. Hurricane Katrina Disaster Situation Reports is a detailed log compiled by the American Veterinary Medical Association. It gives specific details about veterinary care provided to animal victims of Hurricane Katrina, on a day-by-day basis. PetFinder.com is hosting a page full of Hurricane Katrina updates and links of interest and also has a very active message forum where people can give and receive information and share thoughts. Central Florida animal lovers have united to save pets' lives disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. Read their story here. back to top Disaster Preparedness No one is immune from the possibility of being affected personally by a devastating disaster. Every year, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fires, blizzards, and more ravage our country and other parts of the world. Natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and manmade disasters such as the September 11th tragedy will continue to be a threat. You need to prepare for yourself and for your animals in case of a disaster. To Learn How to Protect Yourself in the event of a Disaster, please visit the following pages: American Red Cross: Disaster Preparedness Tips This web page has tips for taking care of your pets in a disaster: http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/0205hurricane/tip617.html American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) This web page takes you, step by step, through the process of emergency pet preparedness: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=emergency American Veterinary Medical Association This page describes several publications designed to help veterinarians, animal owners, and others interested in the well-being of animals to prepare for animal safety in the event of a disaster: http://www.avma.org/disaster/default.asp They also have developed a booklet, which you can view online, filled with information on how to be sure your pet won't be left behind in the event of a disaster: http://www.avma.org/disaster/saving_family.asp#before Cat Fanciers' Association This page describes the activities of the Cat Fanciers' Association Disaster Committee and offers tips for evacuating your cats in a disaster: http://www.cfainc.org/disasters.html Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) This page focuses on preparedness for emergencies and disasters as far as your pets are concerned: http://www.fema.gov/library/anemer.shtm back to top