Katrina: What about the pets?
2005-09-07 11:21
I am one of millions of people worried not only about the humans affected by Katrina, but also about their companion animals.
We've seen and heard so little regarding the rescue efforts on their behalf, and what will become of those people who wish to be reunited with their pets.
There ought to be a way for people in the shelters to hook up with rescue groups in order to identify their animals and have them brought to whatever living situation they're in at present if that's possible.
Or at the least to know that they are being cared for. I am sure that there's a way to do this by utilising the scoreboard in the Houston Astrodome - having the phone numbers of these groups posted up there.
Then, as is done in Denver (for the homeless), the Texas government could assign voicemailboxes to the evacuees so that animal rescue groups could easily get in touch with them.
Would you kindly air this idea and put it out there? If I were an evacuee who had to leave behind my animals I would be sick with worry and grief.
The police refused to let evacuees take their rescued pets on board the buses to Houston and elsewhere until the very end when pets were finally proclaimed family members.
But the majority of evacuees have no idea at present exactly what is being done on behalf of their animal family members.
It would be a great boost to their morale to know that they could be reunited with their pets.
Thank you for your consideration,
Carol Chapin,
Brooklyn
E-mail hurricane@bestfriends.org if you've lost or left behind your animals in Hurricane Katrina.
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