Snowball 'still missing'
2005-09-14 15:06
Tori Foxcroft
Cape Town - Despite recent media reports to the contrary, one of the symbols of Hurricane Katrina, the tiny white dog Snowball, is still missing.
And the owner, a little boy that got separated from his dog Snowball during the chaotic evacuation of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, has caught the imagination of animal lovers around the world.
In her most recent column, News24 columnist Serena de Souza discussed the story of Snowball and his separation from his owner as he and his family entered a shelter.
The little boy was apparently so devastated by the separation that he screamed his dog's name over and over again until he vomited. The dog was later located at a shelter, and returned to a shelter, Serena said.
Angry and upset feedback followed from News24 users, and it became clear that you cannot underestimate the importance of a pet, and that Snowball had indeed not been found. Apparently the reports that Serena was basing her findings on, were both inaccurate and conflicting.
One statement by US Department of Agriculture veterinarian Terry Conger claimed that "Snowball had been found at a branch of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Gonzalez, Louisiana, and would be returned to his owner".
Another report by USA Today stated that the small white dog, taken by police from the sobbing little boy as he and his family were boarding a bus at the Superdome, had been located.
It seems both reports were inaccurate. And according to Katrinafoundpets.com, launched by Jean Jones of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to help connect lost pets like Snowball with their owners, Snowball is still missing.
She has set up a reward fund to find Snowball, and the reward for this small white dog is currently standing at $3 000.