1/29/06 Today is a day I will never forget. Marlene, our beloved friend who was evacuated from New Orleans after the hurricane and who came back for her cats, flew up to Boston to be reuinited with her last lost cat, Molly, a beautifully petite Siamese. Someday Molly will tell us her story about how she disappeared from the attic sometime in September and was never heard from again until just two weeks ago when Cathy Ahern of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society trapped her in Marlene's kitchen. The reason that this is such a miracle is that the neighborhood has been abandoned for months and the feeding/watering stations were few and far between at this point. It is such a miracle, not only that she was captured, but that she was in such good shape. We can only imagine that some angel rescued her and brought her back when it was time. It is truly a wonder.

Marlene's story.

12/27/05 I apologize for not updating our Katrina page lately. While we were down in NOLA during Thanksgiving we received a call that Dave’s father had suddenly taken ill. We rushed to his bedside in a Florida hospital and held vigil for several weeks as he lay in ICU on a respirator. He passed away on Sunday, December 18th, 2005. It’s been a crushing blow for us, but we’ve had the comfort of family and friends to help us through this difficult time.

12/10/05 Lady and Hoover flew home to be reunited with their owner, Marty Banks, of New Orleans. Marty called us to express her heartfelt thanks for taking care of her dogs and returning them safely.

12/6/05 Marlene Askew, the cat rescuer/evacuee, returned to New Orleans to pick up Violet, her most recently rescued cat. She also spent a few days scouring the neighborhood for her remaining cats and found one dead in the neighbors yard. What a heartbreak! I wish there were some way we could have rescued all the Gentilly pets as that neighborhood is not going to be inhabited for a long time. Marlene is a very strong lady to have endured all she did and then to return to the neighborhood where so many pets didn’t make it, for one last search. She returned with Violet in tow and says that Violet and the others are more than thriving. We are still looking for foster homes for several of her cats so if anyone can foster, we will provide transportation and expenses

11/27/05 Busy day today. We finished up at Marlene's as there was a gas leak in the neighborhood so we scurried out of there, just in time to get back to the hotel and find out that the Mission from MN folks had caught a loose dog. We investigated the situation and found the owner, woo hoo.

We also stopped in to see our friend, Rick, who stayed behind in the trailer park to care for everyone's dogs. Rick will be forced out by Fema at some point because they are taking over the trailer park. We told him about Common Ground, the grassroots legal aid group. I hope he gets to stay as he is doing a great thing for the animals and has a heart of gold, not to mention that the trailer is his home and he shouldn't be force out (another story altogether). That's all for now.

11/26/05 Today we went up to Chalmette in search of a lost dog. Tobias' owner had been allowed to evacuate with her dog to the high school, but then when they had to evacuate from there, no dogs were allowed. The dogs were brought to the country jail, so we went over and talked to the sheriff and he said he was there when the dogs were there and that three weeks later the rescue groups came and took them to Lamar Dixon. Tobias is a little tan Shih Tzu whose picture has not appeared on any of the Katrina rescue lists. His owner is devastated and heart-broken. It's a mystery to me as we were at Lamar Dixon at this time and they were very strict about letting dogs go. If the dog was taken there, then there has to be some records somewhere. It is very difficult to track down this information at this point, but if someone has the time, it's a project worth pursuing. There are several grassroots groups trying to help the pet owners get their dogs back. Please email me(samoore@saveadog.org) if you're interested in helping.

In the midst of searching for Tobias, several people approached us about a pregnant pig who was wandering through the neighborhoods. Different people had been feeding it. We went to check it out, but did not find the pig so we put it in a report to give to the trappers. We also had several opportunities to donate food to various people in Chalmette who were feeding stray cats and dogs. After that we headed back over to Marlene's to continue the work of gutting. It was while we were in the midst of the work that we heard the trap shut and saw the little calico we had seen so many times before. We called the trappers and they came over within the hour to pick her up. It is so good to know that she will receive medical care and love from humans. She is a beautiful cat and has a lovely meow, even if I do say so myself (coming from a dog person, hee hee).

Later that day we headed back to the church to attend a free concert. It was so heartwarming to see people who had lost everything singing their hearts out. A group from NYC who formed as a result of 911 came down and performed and told their stories and people from the congregation told their stories too and praised God for being alive. We all ended up in a tearful group hug at the altar. It's something I will never forget. I will hold these dear friends in my heart as I return home to continue the work of helping pets and people. I have a new-found appreciation for the things that are important in life. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to come down and volunteer once more. If it were not for our supporters, I would not be down here, so I thank you all for your amazing generosity. If you have an opportunity to come down and volunteer, in any capacity, I encourage you to do so. It will be like healing balm to your heart and soul, I promise. So many people have shared the same experience, the feeling of community is so strong and it's such a great feeling to work alongside people who have a heart to give. Every bit of help you can give goes such a long way in being effective. Whether we come down or send aid, it's the right thing to do. So much help is needed and will be for a long time to come.

11/25/05 After a leisurely day on Thursday, we set to work on Friday gutting Marlene's house. You can read Marlene's story on our web site and a new update as well. Her house was under 8 feet of water so everything was soaked and moldy. It was so sad to see someone's life just washed away like that. So much water and mold, with very little that we could salvage for her and her family. The refrigerator was on its side wide open with two month old food molding. It wasn't as bad as it could be as Marlene is not a meat eater. I can't believe that Dave got that fridge up and out the door. It was a major accomplishment. While we were cleaning out the house, we were working with several groups to try to catch the remaining cats. The first step was to remove all the cat food from the house that the strays were feeding on. The trappers set 3 or 4 traps with canned food and to our amazement the orange and black calico we had seen in the attic got trapped during broad daylight. I am so happy for her as she is a sweet kitty and was living alone in the neighborhood. Hopefully, others will follow.

Friday we spent most of the day gutting Marlene's house. That night we went up to Metairie for dinner and came across an Olive Garden, woo hoo. Metairie was not as hard hit by the storm so it has the appearance of business as usual. It was a good break to get back to "civilization" or at least the appearance of such. Downtown New Orleans has an appearance of normalcy but many places have limited or no electricity. There are still many empty buildings and tall buildings with the glass window popped out. Most of the neighborhoods on the outside of the downtown area are pretty much deserted. They have water, but no electric so people can't totally move back unless they camp. There are not many Fema trailers down here, so it's a mystery. There are lots of Fema trailers in Waveland, MS. If you go over to Gentilly, where Marlene's house is, everything still looks frozen in time. There are still cars everywhere, overturned or in odd places wherever they landed. Stores are all boarded up, there's virtually no gas or supplies. You see a few people here and they're working on gutting the houses. There are still trees on top of houses and debris everywhere.

11/24/05 Thanksgiving. Not sure I gave an update on this date, but I had two T'giving dinners, one with the Vineyard church where I met the Drouins, a young couple who had moved down to NOLA in August before the storm. They had just rescued a pit bull puppy so I had the pleasure of talking to them for about an hour about house training and on socializing. The puppy is adorable, a little female brindled pit bull. Then I picked up Dave from the airport and we returned to have dinner with the Mission from MN folks at a church in the heart of NOLA. They had donated a lot of dog food which I transported down to Plaquemines Parish where it was desperately needed.

11/23/05 Today was a very busy day in New Orleans. I was flagged down left and right by pet owners looking for their pets. Most do not have internet access, so I hope we can start posting posters and offering internet access to people looking for their pets. I was also flagged down by the National Guard about an injured cat, so I went to the neighborhood and set a trap for the cat, then ran into two dogs, a shar pei in really bad shape and a chow mix, both female. The shar pei was very frightened, but I got her to eat hot dogs out of my hand, just couldn’t put a loop over her neck. Then a guy came upon the scene and said he was working in the area and he told me these were owned dogs, so I gave him food and told him to let the owner know that he could probably get free medical care for the dogs. I feel so bad, especially for the Shar Pei as she had cuts and chemical burns and looked pretty shakey. I gave him some flea/tick preventative as well.

As I inched along the streets, being stopped every block or so by pet owners or dogs/cats, I found myself in a familiar neighborhood. It was the area where we rescued a Shepherd and her companion at the request of an owner. We had not been able to reach the owner because she had to evacuate for the second time when Rita came. I drove by her house and she was home, having just moved back to the area. Marty, the pet owner, was so happy to hear that Lady and Hoover were doing well and she was so relieved that finally we hooked up. I called the foster contact and arrangements are being made for their transport back to New Orleans, yeay!

Later I went back to check on the cat trap and saw a beautiful Collie and a Blue Tick Coonhound. Both eluded me and I noticed that someone had already set a trap for them. I noted the address and the area addresses so hopefully someone will know how to reach the owner. It would be such a shame to put these dogs into the system if the owner is coming back or is within easy reach. I’ll try to send them a post card at the very least in case the mail is being forwarded.

Later this afternoon I went over to Marlene’s house (the cat rescuer) to assess the situation and also to see if there’s some way we can start gutting her house so that it doesn’t get bull-dozed. Lo and behold, some volunteers from Common Ground, a grass roots group who are providing numerous services for the evacuees, including house gutting and legal services. I got a contact number and immediately called the lady from the trailer park who is being evicted. I’m also going to see if they can help us gut Marlene’s house in exchange for some volunteer work, hee hee. Anyway, very busy day. Did I mention that yesterday the van was charged at by a wild pig? That was the highlight of yesterday, seeing a pig chase cars like a dog. That was down in Plaquemines Parish. Every time I need a giggle, I will think about that sight.

11/22/05 Today was another exciting day out in the field. One of my team members, Courtney, who has been helping with Marlene’s cats, went down to Plaquemines Parish and rescued a puppy who was saved by a construction worker. Just as he was about to bulldoze a house, he saw something moving in the ditch in front of the house and it was a very young puppy who was stuck. So he got it out and gave it to Courtney. She and another rescuer found another puppy close by and also saw the mama dog who was nearby. Tomorrow they are going back for the mama dog and other pups.

First I went up to the trailer park to check the traps we set for cats. We didn’t get any cats, but we got one very frightened possum. I opened up the trap and went to grab a cup of coffee and scouted around looking for a nursing mama dog we had seen the day before. This trailer park is being bull-dozed and the people were given 10 days notice to leave the premises. They got a lawyer and he only gave them a short stay. Legally, there’s nothing they can do. I spoke with one woman in her 70’s who owned 5 of the trailers and has been a good tenant, even lending the property owner money. She told me that one of the tenants just came back from Iraq and also got the notice. He tried to get the army to help but so far no luck. I think only getting the media involved is going to help them. The trailer park is on Michael Court in Kenner, LA if anyone wants to pursue this with the media. It’s just not right to kick out low income people in order to rent it to builders who are coming back to “renovate”. Anyway, that’s my .02 on the situation.

Then I went up to Waveland, MS to check out the pet situation and spoke with the folks at the animal shelter. They are very low on kitty litter, so I’m scouting around trying to find them some. The Walmart up there just opened and it looks more like a Home Depot because of all the supplies that are needed. You know you’re in an aftermath of sorts when the hot item is Fix-A-Flat. All the houses near the beach were leveled completely. You will just see a chimney or the front steps. There is not a church or synagogue still standing. They do seem to have a lot of Fema trailers up there so that’s good. I stopped at Fred’s café, the distribution center for donated goods, talked to a man in his 70’s who told me he had to hang onto a tree for 7 hours to survive. Another woman stopped her car in front of the van and ran up very tearfully asking me where her dog was. It’s so heart-breaking. Meanwhile I got a call about someone donating food, the group from MN whose video I sent you all. They were unloading a truck of donated goods to a church in downtown New Orleans. So I went down and they loaded me up and no sooner did I pull out of the parking lot did someone flag me down and asked me if I knew where they were holding his dog. I got his information and spent the better part of the night on Petfinder trying to locate his dog. It is so heart-breaking. I hope that someone can revamp the software so that it groups pets by neighborhood. And I also hope that if someone rescued a dog that they will put the information on the Web and also write the pet owner a letter so that it will get forwarded to the owner. I think it’s the least we can do for people who have lost everything.

Tonight we had real Cajun food at a restaurant called Mother’s. The line was 50 people long but there was no other place open so everyone who walked in and looked at the line gave a big sigh and got in line. It was a jovial crowd, a mix of returning evacuees, electricians, and construction people. The food was really good and almost worth the wait.

11/20/05 Well, already it's been an amazing experience. Yesterday wasn't so hot. I got to my van and it had a flat tire, so I called AAA and they wanted to take six hours to fix it so I called a local repair shop and they were so nice. I'm all set now with tires and fluids topped off, etc. So today I got up and said, Okay, Lord, I'm yours today, use me as you will. I went over to Winn Dixie and offered my services and they were so thrilled to have someone with a van as they were down to one vehicle, so they sent me up to northern LA to pick up traps and crates, to a little town called Angie, barely a dot on the map. They sent along a helper, a young guy who did all the heavy lifting. He told me the most amazing stories of his experience volunteering including how he got arrested by the NOLA police and thrown in jail for 3 weeks and how literally angels got him took care of him. He had been volunteering since early September and was broke and with no car as his transmission bit the dust a few weeks ago. He could find work as a roofer, but chooses to work as an animal rescuer. I bought him lunch and a pack of cigarettes and he was so grateful. It just blows me away to see the dedication and heart of volunteers like Tim. Today was a day of God putting two of his people together to encourage each other spiritually. I feel so uplifted right now I don't think anything could get me down. Oh, and then we picked up Kim, the person I'm trapping with and we met with one of the main HSUS reps from Montana (his license plate reads HSUS) and he talked to us for about an hour about all that's going on with the recovery effort, so it was a double shot in the arm. We reminisced about volunteering at Lamar Dixon and I asked him why they were throwing away crates and how much that bothered everyone. He said that the EPA made them throw certain crates away and they knew it would look bad, but they had to do it. Boy was I relieved to hear that there was a good reason for that. He explained all the problems they had at Lamar and all the agencies involved and the magnitude of the disaster, which we all knew was beyond what any of us could handle. Anyway, he also gave us a quick lesson on trapping and gave us some special juice to use to attract the animals. He gave us a ton of supplies including kongs to put in the traps as a stress reliever for any trapped dogs. He had so many ideas and was just as enthused as someone who had been doing it for a week, but he had been there for months and was just leaving to go to DC for a meeting. Amazing. Anyway, I feel fortified for whatever I encounter this week. This afternoon I had the strength and courage to go to Marlne's house and bury her dead cat in her backyard garden that she had told me her cats had so often enjoyed. Up until today I was dreading that chore, but knew I had to do it, not only for the cat, but for Marlene because if there was any chance she was going back to that house, she should not have to find her beloved cat like that. I had such a sense of peace afterwards. Well, I feel ready to tackle whatever tomorrow brings. Please pray for me and for all the rescue workers and especially for the animals that are still out there. The ones that they are finding now are not in the best shape, nevertheless are mostly all recoverable. Shirley

11/11/05 We haven't posted anything to the diary for awhile, but we're actively planning our next trip down. Shirley is going down next week and hooking up with a couple of trappers from Oregon. Dave and son, TJ, are joining her on Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for more updates.

11/7/05 Posted on craigslist: Very depressing day... Today we found 3 dead cats at 3 separate houses. These were cats who had only died in the past few days. Two of the cats were found dead on their front porches next to empty food and water bowls. The other was found dead on the back porch of a house where again, no food/water was available. Why did these animals die? Because we do not have enough people to feed them. This is not a normal city on a normal day where animals can search through trash for scraps. This is a city where the majority of the residents have not returned so no trash is being generated. This is a city where there are no puddles for them to drink out of because it has not rained in over a month. This is a city where there are no residents who will feed them because very few people are actually living in New Orleans. This is a city in a crisis. These animals have nothing but us to help them. I hate to say it but the animal community is failing these animals. Today we only had 24 people to put out food and water stations in a city that has thousands of animals on the streets. It is a tragedy that these animals made it through the hurricane, made it through the flood, made it through another hurricane and are dying because they don't have enough food and water. Please don't think that someone else will go and help...because they won't and they're not. Please get in your car, get on a plane and come to New Orleans to help put food and water out for these animals. We currently have over three thousand locations in our database where we know animals are hiding under porches and under houses. I am begging you to please help. We will provide you with the list of locations and all the dog and cat food you will need. Just come... All the instructions you need are on Animalrescueneworleans.com. PLEASE don't let any more animals die...

11/6/05 There are still so many dogs and cats starving down in New Orleans that need our help. The only large intake shelter left is Best Friends, God bless them! There are also a few grass roots groups, like the Winn Dixie folks and their helpers. They risk getting arrested because the locals and local selectman do not want outsiders, but they're doing a good job setting up feeding stations. These pets still need and deserve our help. We have a few people who have expressed an interest to go down and help, but we are out of funds. If you can help, please put Katrina in the notes section your Paypal donation or in the memo portion of your check. Thank you for helping us to make a difference in the lives of the remaining Katrina pets.

11/5/05 Janis and Wendy are back. The last few days were rough. They came across a horse farm where many of the horses didn't make it. But then they trapped a dog and that was a miracle. That's what it's like down there, heart ache and sorry and then joy and relief at those you can save.

11/2/05 Janis and Wendy received new traps today. They also trained a team from CA on how to trap from the training they received on Sunday. They took six team mates with them to the St. Bernard area where there are many loose animals, including a pot-bellied pig who was being attacked by dogs. They are working with local authorities and have been working day and night. They are also trying to trap a mother and puppies. They got the puppies out from under the house and are trying to get the mother. They were also flagged down by 8 constructon workers who had gone into a house and heard growling on the bed. Two dogs had taken up residence in the house, so the guys shined flashlights while Janis and Wendy went in with rabies poles and caught them. What an adrenaline rush.

11/1/05 Janis and Wendy helped out several grass roots groups with transporting cats to Best Friends temporary shelter.

10/31/05 Today Shirley responded to a volunteer request to look into a matter with St. Bernard Parish. They have no animal control currently and the donation money given to the Parish for a temporary shelter was appropriated by the Parish for other needs. Shirley spoke with the Parish vet who says there's no need for animal control there at this point in time. Shirley explained that she was just down there a couple of days ago and there were numerous stray pets and that she was able to reunite a stray Bassett with his owners last Thursday. Hopefully, the Parish will act according to conscience and give the money back that was donated for the shelter. The vet said that outside humane societies are not welcome or wanted, even if they use private funds to help the strays. It's a very disturbing situation, especially given the well-publicized fact that dogs were shot to death in a school. Hopefully, that's not how they're dealing with their stray pet problem!

10/30/05 Janis and Wendy attended a lecture on trapping given by a group of Montana trappers. They took their new skills on the road and trapped stray pets per owner's requests. Winn Dixie in New Orleans is desperate for volunteers, especially vets and vet techs. Muttshack is desperate too.

10/27/05 Sonja and her pups are doing fine in their Florida foster home. Gail and I flew home on Friday -- we both slept on the plane, exhausted but sad that there is still so much work to be done.

Janis and another volunteer are staying the week to continue the search and rescue efforts.

10/26/05 Today was a really productive day. We set up a lot of feeding stations and we successfully trapped the 85 year old lady's white calico cat as well as her companion, who was critically ill with a gaping neck wound. We called our team leader and rushed the tabby with the neck wound to the vet who was helping the animals in the area. Then we brought the white calico to the staging area where all her information was put on a form and she was sent to Best Friends. I heard that the lady was called and that she was ecstatic that her pet was finally safe, nearly two full months after the hurricane evacuation. There are still so many to save. We saw so many cats and dogs today, too many to catch. But at least we fed them and we're hopeful that in the few weeks to come that they will be trapped and reunited with their owners. Every night I lay in my bed, tossing and turning, praying and hoping for a better day, for a reuniting of pet and owner, for a pet to be brought to safety, for wisdom for the rescue teams and for those working in the staging areas.

10/25/05 Today we went over to the Winn Dixie to help as they were so short-handed. There was only one lady taking care of the cats and she had not had a break in a long time. She had been there for two weeks (one week is usually enough to burn out even the hardiest volunteer), so she needed a break. Gail and a friend from Fema helped with the cats and Janis cleaned dog crates while I scooped the poop and walked dogs. We felt really good when our work was done and set out for St. Bernard Parish to do food drops and to assess the need. This place was really hard hit with most homes covered in mud. There were boats on houses, barns on houses, RVs on houses and even a dead deer on a house. It was surreal. We saw dogs and lots of cats so we set up feeding stations and talked to a few home owners.

We visited animal caretaker, Rick, who we had met last month in a demolished trailer park. Rick told us he was feeding 20-30 animals. We gave him lots of food and went over to Winn Dixie to get flea/tick treatment for his flea-bitten dogs. While Janis and I were busy taking care of Rick, Gail was luring an emaciated cat into her arms. The cat was a new arrival at Rick's place and the other animals weren't accepting her, so Gail lured her into a crate and we were off. We also tried to coax a limping rottie girl to come with us, but she was just too skittish. We then headed back to our assigned neighborhood. There were cats everywhere, almost at every turn. Our instructions were to drop food/water every three blocks, but we had to reduce it to every block and a half because of the number of cats and also our observations that cats stay within a range of one or two houses. Gail lured another cat into a crate, ( Video clip of Gail & Cat ) a cat who came from a house that showed no sign of human life. I was able to find a cell phone record and leave a message for the owners. We also brought the cat to Winn Dixie where she would be transferred to Best Friends and put on petfinder. We saw a few dogs on the run as well, but nothing we could even dream of catching. Most dogs at this point are very skittish. All in all, it was a successful day. We had come upon a house with lots of writing on it about a white calico cat and her 85 year old owner who was calling from her hospital room wanting her cat to be rescued. We set up a feeding station and no sooner got in the van before we saw her, drinking the water and eating the food. We decided we would try to trap her the following day as she was not approachable.

We pulled into a mini mart that had just opened and saw a posting about a lost Bassett. We had just seen a Bassett at the foster home the previous night and we all felt he was not a hurricane dog as he was in really good shape. I called the number on the poster and told the woman that I had some really good pictures of a Bassett that I'd taken the night before. She rushed right over to see the pictures and said, "That's my baby!" With tears of joy streaming down her face she gave me a big hug and set off to get her dog. Wow. She no sooner left and I got a call from the man who was looking for his Rottie. He found his dog!!! He was driving around as usual, looking for her and then decided to pull over and pray. He noticed a rescue worker struggling with a dog and went over to tell him about his dog. The man looked at him and pointed to a house where a local lady had recently taken in a Rottie. It turns out it was his dog!!! What an amazing day. Two reunions in one day. I know better than to think of it as a coincidence.

We all felt so good that day and went to bed with a sense of accomplishment. I went to bed praying for the elderly woman and her calico cat.

10/24/05 Evening Tonight we introduced Sonja and the man who had identified her as his dog. We were sure from the things he said that she was not his dog as she had some definite traits and behaviors that his dog did not have. Sure enough, it was not his dog. It was a sad moment for him and it pained us all to see the heart break in his face. He had been searching and searching for his dog and was about to give up. We all encouraged him as best we could. The foster provider had also spent hours online looking for his brother's dog and was unsuccessful. It was a very sad night, especially knowing how many other people must be hurting right now, not knowing where their pets are or even if they are alive. It rips your heart out. I went to bed praying for that man to find his Rottie.

10/24/05 "Our first day out on the field was a tough one. We went to Marlene's house and found her favorite cat, Tinkerbell, dead in her bedroom. The subsequent phone call to an already devastated pet owner, Marlene, was a difficult one. We also found a dead dog under her house, a beautiful grey and white terrier. Just heart breaking. Today was truly a day of despair and frustration, one in which we questioned if the groups doing search and rescue could have saved more if they worked together with communication and cooperation. I also questioned whether the word truly got out about how dire the need was for search and rescue teams to help out. Realizing there would hardly have been a place to put all the animals had we been blessed with additional help, I could not help but think we would have come up with a solution if the intaking shelters were overwhelmed. It is so hard to go back and see the dead animals that you couldn't save. Knowing that we had spent hours at this house and didn't get them all really hurt. I did not sleep well that night ."

10/23/05 "We got an early start and listened to the radio reports of the next hurricane, Wilma, while wondering out loud if Sonja would have her puppies in the van. We joked about it, not realizing how pregnant she was. In fact, the vet who examined her up in NH did not realize that she was pregnant as she was so emaciated her ribs were sticking out. The foster home did a great job getting her to the point that her coat was starting to look good and she had gained a few pounds. The word from the transport person was that she had just started to "bag out" the past couple of days. 'Gee,' we wondered out loud. 'I wonder why nobody thought to tell us.' Not being too concerned the first day, but the next morning she really started to look pregnant and when Janis squeezed a nipple and milk came out, we called my vet for advice. The vet said it could be anytime from a few days to 24 hours. Lovely. We wracked our brains trying to figure out who we could ask to foster a very pregnant dog while we were in LA and came up empty. Maybe we were imagining the whole thing. This couldn't be happening to us, LOL."

"It was later that night when we were deep in conversation, that we heard the first puppy yelp. I leaped over the seat like a gazelle, just in time to watch Sonja clean up the first male pup, pick him up with her mouth and put him on the nipple to nurse. It was the most beautiful thing to watch, but yikes, what timing. Talk about being in shock. I think Janis and I went through every human emotion possible: laughter, hilarious laughter, tears of joy, then anger and disbelief, and finally sadness for Sonja that we were bringing her and these innocent babies into a disaster area. To make matters worse, we had called the owner and through a series of questions about her personality, we realized that she was not his dog. What else could go wrong! I guess the only other thing was having to sleep in the van with her, but that wasn't such a suffering as I got to watch another puppy come through the birth canal. This was puppy number 7, a little female. By this time Sonja was very tired, so I picked up the tiny puppy and put her on the nipple. It was the greatest thrill I have experienced in a long time and it also explains why I would be so protective of mama and pups in the days to come." to be continued.

10/22/05 "Shirley and Janis Moore (no relation) leave for New Orleans with the Save A Dog van packed up with supplies for our search and rescue mission and a large rottie girl who we hoped to reunite with her owner. The van, formerly used exclusively for dog transports, has been crucial in our rescue mission as an emergency disaster relief vehicle. It is a large van that can hold a ton of stuff and was also used as a mini-camper by the volunteers who worked in the early days and weeks of the Louisiana pet rescue efforts. The ride down was not without a few disasters along the way. In Shirley's words, "We were driving neck and neck with a tractor trailer, i.e., he would pass us on the downhill and we would pass him going up hill. We followed like this for the better part of an hour, until a small green car got between us, going very fast. In a split second the driver of the green car slammed on his brakes and turned sideways, plowing right into the side of the tractor trailer who immediately went off to the side of the road with the green car stuck underneath and car parts flying all over the road. Janis was driving and I missed the whole thing as I was tending to Sonja, the Rottie. Then a few miles up the road we passed another accident, a trailer loaded with cattle had gone off the road. The scene was heart breaking, with many of the cows dead and others injured who were probably going to be put to sleep. It was a sobering reminder that we were headed to a disaster scene of a tremendous magnitude and that we needed to prepare emotionally as well as physically. Both Janis and I had served a month earlier when the shelters were a hub of activity and packed with volunteers. By now most of the volunteers had gone home and were very much understaffed. We savored the last few hours of peace and quiet before heading into the disaster area and had an early night, planning to arise at dawn and arrive in the Gulf area on Saturday night. We stayed at a Best Western that allowed pets and Sonja joined us, sleeping in between the two beds. It was so comforting to have such a nice dog for company."

Reflections on Volunteering at Lamar Dixon, Gonzales, LA.

10/17/05 The latest update from New Orleans is that they are desperate for volunteers, now that the larger groups have packed up and closed Lamar Dixon. There's a skeleton crew left down there. Shirley got the van back today and we have a second driver, Janis Moore, of Odd Dog Rescue, so they'll be heading down on Friday morning with cat traps, dog crates, food, and a Rottie who will be reunited with her owners. Another volunteer, Gail Melanson, will be flying down to meet Shirley in New Orleans and Janis is going to stay at Best Friends and volunteer there. That's the latest.

10/12/05 The van is resting up and will get an oil change before we get it ready to go out again. Our current plans have Shirley leaving on 10/21 with dog and cat food and water and possibly two dogs returning to their owners in New Orleans.

Tail of Relief - MetroWest Daily News (Oct 13, 2005)

10/11/05 Two volunteers who Shirley met on CraigsList flew back with Marlene's remaining cats, the two who had surgery. Enzo, Dodi, and Susu have been through the mill, having been rescued from the attic, then off to the Pasado barn, then to LSU vet school, then off to surgery, then to a foster home and finally put on a plane with kind-hearted volunteers, Sabene and Genivieve. Funny story, they were only allowed one cat each under their seats, but brought the third cat in hopes that another passenger would take them. After a number of rejections, they found a young woman who was very eager and excited to help so all three cats got to fly home together. It's amazing that people who didn't even know these cats prior to their trip to New Orleans would go to such great lengths to get them rides home together. We are ever amazed at the perserverance of animal lovers! Thank you, also, to Sherry, a wonderful lady who fostered them for 3 weeks following their surgeries. Sherry is another person we had never met before the hurricane. Marlene was waiting at JFK on pins and needles and was so happy when she laid eyes on all three cats. Hurray! She text-messaged Shirley from the taxi that all three were happy to see their mama and she will also send us pictures for you all to see.

10/10/05 Team 5 returned with a van load of dogs for ARNE and Puppy Angels of NH. Melissa and Michelle put in a few solid day's work down in New Orleans and then went to St. Francis to load up dogs who were scheduled to come north.

10/8/05 Melissa and Michelle went out with the Winn Dixie team and pulled 3 dogs out of a house, one had deceased. They also caught another dog under a collapsed house and lured a little female pit bull into their arms. Great work, ladies. They are now on their way to St. Francis to load up the van with dogs for ARNE.

10/7/05 Michelle and Melissa arrived in New Orleans and picked up the van loaded with supplies and drove it down to the Winn Dixie group. This group has been very successful at finding many dogs still in their homes and have been sending them to the various shelters that are still operational. Today Michelle and Melissa are going out on a search and rescue mission with this group.

10/6/05 Team 5 flew down to New Orleans today to pick up the van and help with the much needed rescue effort. As you can see, there are many pets still to be rescued (USA Today - Pets Still in Need of Rescue ). I am amazed, but not surprised, at the resilience of the pets. If they have such a will to live, who are we to turn our backs on them. We will be working with Best Friends this week and their shelter in Mississippi, called St. Francis. They plan on staying while others are forced to pack up and leave. The shelter at Lamar Dixon is closing on the 15th because the property owner has a horse show scheduled. The shelters remaining will need lots of support as they pick up the burden of the countless dogs and cats still getting rescued every day. Please pray for them and for us all. Eventually, time will run out for so many of the helpless victims of Hurricane Katrina.

10/2/05 Team 4 flew back into Boston on the 30th (see pictures of their trip below). Thank you, Kathryn, Nancy, and Brenda! Team 5 (Michelle and Melissa) are flying down on Thursday and working for a few days in New Orleans, then heading back to NH with new rescues. Our sister organization, ARNE, will be fostering and eventually placing these dogs. Our van, will get a quick check and oil change and hopefully will be headed back down to New Orleans with vet techs and experienced dog handlers.

We should have enough experienced veterinary and animal control people to be down in New Orleans at least through October. It would be GREAT to have a camper as we're back to tent camping again and/or sleeping in the van.

Update on Marlene's cats! The nine cats who were initially rescued are safe in NYC and doing well. The three who were left at LSU Vet school needed extra TLC and one had to be put down due to an inoperable tumor. The remaining two will be flown up to Marlene thanks to a very kind Delta flight attendent. The remaining 3 or 4 cats who stayed with the house are benefiting from food drops from several rescue groups working down in New Orleans. Thanks, everyone, for your support of these precious kitties.

10/01/05 Danielle and I got back yesterday from Gonzales, Louisiana where we volunteered at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center, the place where the New Orleans rescued pets were being processed. It was quite an experience. ... Full Story

9/30/05 Pictures from Team 4 in Lamar Dixon

9/29/05 Great news! Lamar Dixon has a one week extension on taking the hurricane strays in. That means this week is crucial for the search and rescue teams. If there are any ACOs interested in going down this week, please contact Shirley Moore at samoore@saveadog.org for more information.

Team 3 returned last night. Thank you, Gail and Danielle! I hope you're sleeping in today!

Team 4 went out to the field yesterday and did food drops. They came across a very thin pit bull, limping and with chemical burns all over his body. Despite his injuries, he was wagging his tail the whole time, so they put him in the van and brought him back to Lamar Dixon. They're calling him Harry. They're headed back today with supplies for the team at Winn Dixie and with a mind to help on the front lines. Thank you, Kathryn, Nancy, and Brenda!

As of this morning, we have raised $7410 for the Katrina Disaster Pets.

9/28/05 The latest from Lamar Dixon is that they are scaling back their intakes. Field Operation is stopping on Friday, i.e., no more search and rescue missions, no new dogs can come to the expo center. All animals have to out of Lamar by October 15th per the Lamar Dixon owners. This is so discouraging. In the meantime, there are some smaller organizations picking up the slack and helping to save the dogs of New Orleans. There are still thousands trapped and thousands roaming the streets in search of food and water. Now that the big groups are pulling out, there is going to be a more urgent need for skilled Animal Control Officers and Vet Techs and Veterinarians. Rescue groups are still prohibited from bringing Katrina dogs to MA because of the Department of Agriculture's fear of spreading disease. They want to handle the intake of dogs and send them to the big shelters like MSPCA and Animal Rescue League. We will continue to work on the Search and Rescue end until we get word we are needed to foster.

9/27/05 Here are portions of an update sent out by Nancy's partner. It will give you an idea of what life is like down in Lamar Dixon.

Nancy and her group arrived at the St Francis Sanctuary in Mississippi at about 1:30 PM on Monday, and found the accommodations to be less than adequate. Subsequently, the president of Save-A-Dog asked them to head over to the Lamar-Dixon staging area in Gonzales, Louisiana where they have a FEMA tent set up with cots and A/C. This has allowed them to focus more on the animals rather than their own well-being.

OK, so yesterday Nancy's group signed up for "dog intake duty". This is a process where, once rescued, the dogs are given food, water, a little attention, and a bath. They are then sent along to a triage area where a veterinarian micro-chips them, updates their shots and checks their overall health. After that, they have their picture taken and a few notes written about themselves. This helps with the identification process if and when their owner comes to claim them.

Nancy's first three intakes of the day were cats. After that she handled mostly dogs. The group also received a few unusual animals including a lizard and a duck which had to be micro-chipped, as well. Nancy's group worked tirelessly into the wee hours of the morning and when I received my final call of the day at 1:30 AM it was only to hear that they still had more intakes to process.

Nancy sounds great, although extremely hot and tired, and her enthusiasm for what she is doing comes through loud and clear. She really loves her dogs and I am very proud of her.

9/26/05 All teams are now in Gonzales (long story short, there were no camp sites left at St. Francis). Kathryn, Nancy and Brenda arrived yesterday afternoon and rolled up their sleeves to help. They first worked on intakes and then walked dogs. They took in 150 dogs the day before and at least as many yesterday.

Shirley called Nick, the Sheriff of the Garden District, and he said, "Hey, where are you. We've got all these strays running around." So please pass the word as Shirley can't leave right now. She got slapped with a quarantine from the Dept. of Agriculture because of Toba, the dog she brought back from Louisiana, so even Shirley's dogs are quarantined, even though the dog was kept separate from her dogs and was brought up not as a rescue but as a personal dog as a favor to the dog's guardian (under the law in place at the time, any citizen can bring an out of state dog into MA as long as they have a health certificate). Please pray this quarantine is lifted so Shirley can continue her rescue efforts and go where she is needed!

9/25/05 Karen and Rob (team 2) got back in last night and dropped the small van off this morning. We heard from Team 3, Gail and Danielle in Gonzales, LA. They are back at Lamar Dixon with a skeleton crew, hoping to set up camp there and not be at the church basement shelter for humans, but with the 4-leggeds. They are happy to be back at work exporting and walking dogs. Team 4 went out this morning with the large Save A Dog van and they are enroute to St. Francis Sanctuary in Tuxtown, MS. On the home front we held a new volunteer orientation, an auction planning meeting, and a foster home training at which Shirley showed a slide show of her trip to New Orleans and talked extensively about fostering to 18 new foster providers.

9/24/05 We spent today getting the van ready. We put it into the shop for an oil change, some minor repairs, and then Dave drove it through the car wash a couple of times. Boy, is it ever hard to get those southern bugs off the van. We brought the van home and scraped and scraped and also cleaned the inside so the new team starts out with a clean van. The new team of 3 volunteers leaves in the morning to drive the van down to St. Francis Animal Sanctuary.

As of this morning, we have raised $7130 for the Katrina Disaster Pets.

9/24/05 PM: Karen and Rob have arrived in NH with the two dogs that were rescued for the family at the Astrodome. I want to thank ARNNE, the Pelham Animal Control officer, and the Chief of Police for offering these two dogs a place to stay. Once the family is able to return to Houston, we will send the dogs to them, hopefully flying them down.

Here is a nice article from the Salem Observer A new leash on life - Abandoned dogs get new homes after Katrina

9/23/05 PM: Shirley granted an interview with Channel 4's T.J. Winick, which aired at 11 PM last night. He came to her house to meet Toba, the yellow lab that Shirley flew back from New Orleans on Sept. 20th ( Read Toba's Story ) before the new order was issued preventing private citizens from bringing Katrina dogs into MA. He asked why we were diverting our new arrivals to PA and NH and Shirley directed him to the Web site for the Dept. of Agriculture. Katrina Emergency Animal Order

9/23/05 pm:We finally heard from our team. They have been hunkered down in a church cellar all afternoon due to tornado warnings in that area. They are currently trying to get a ride to St Francis Sanctuary where they will be helping out until they return to Mass.

9/23/05 pm:We still have a team on the ground, Gail and Danielle, but we have not made contact today probably because of the lack of power at Lamar Expo in Gonzales. Our understanding is that the dogs are still being exported in large groups to shelters all over the country. Karen and Rob drove almost all night and did not find a hotel until after 2 this morning. They should be back tomorrow.

We have a group driving our Save A Dog van back up here with dogs from the St. Francis shelter in Mississippi. Most of the dogs were delivered to a rescue group in PA because we learned that the Mass. Dept. of Agriculture has just today issued new regulations prohibiting dogs from the Gulf states from coming into MA without going to an undisclosed location under state control where they will be housed for a period of time. Given what we've all been through, nobody wanted to take a chance on having the dogs put to sleep so they are safe in a friendlier state. Hopefully, once the crisis lessens, the smaller rescue groups will be empowered to foster the pets as that's what we do best. I worry about warehousing dogs and cats in large locations as it is so stressful and stress has a negative impact on their already fragile immune systems. Please pray for the pets and that the foster programs will be empowered asap so that we can find their owners and reunite them with their families!

We have plans to put the van into the shop for a quick oil change and mechanical check and then send it out with two new drivers first thing in the morning. That's all for now.

9/23/05 am: Here's the latest info from Louisiana. Karen and Rob went down to New Orleans yesterday on a mission to feed and water the strays and they were notified of an evacuation of the city and local areas. Gail and Danielle have been working at the shelter helping evacuate the animals. They have opted to stay for an additional few days even though half the volunteers have gone home. The power has been turned off and they are running on generators.

Karen and Rob left last night as scheduled and they are bringing the two dogs whose owners were in Houston who requested they be rescued from their damaged home. We will try to locate the family when the dogs arrive as they were given permission to have their dogs. Right now because of the storm, the reunion is on hold. Karen confirmed that both dogs are extremely sweet. They sat in crates on the hot pavement all day waiting for their evacuation and never made so much as a whimper. Both are very kissy and cuddly. We'll try to post pictures soon. These dogs are on their way to NH.

Please pray for Gail and Danielle and all the other brave volunteers who stayed behind to help at Lamar Dixon.

As of this morning, we have raised $6955 for the Katrina Disaster Pets.

9/22/05:I talked to Dale from ARNE this morning and one of her volunteers picked up our van last night so that they can use it to transport dogs from St. Francis shelter in Mississippi. Unfortunately, the two dogs we were supposed to transport for Bill the Trapper were not able to be released from Lamar Dixon because they were not vetted yet. This is very frustrating as these are dogs who Bill rescued as a result of an owner request from an evacuated family and Bill wanted to ensure first-hand that the dogs made it back to their owners by putting the dogs into the hands of people he trusted would do the right thing. Dave and I worked closely with Bill, even risking our lives together, so the bond is very close. The frustration level is always high when very capable people cannot make the wheels of the system move in a way that makes the most sense. But there's a bigger picture at stake and I understand that. The communication break-down is astounding sometimes, but we have to chalk it up to just another road block, but not be deterred or discouraged. It is just hard to watch the hurricane victims and their beloved pets being victimized all over again, so emotions run high. God willing, the dogs will be released to another agency and then reunited with their family. Bill, Dave and I spent hours at the owner's home luring the frightened dogs out from under the house. Lady, a beautiful Shepherd, at one point came over and licked my face but was out of sight before I could put a slip lead over her head. I can understand how her family must miss this beautiful dog as she is just lovely! Please pray that they are reunited and not shipped off to parts unknown. This dog deserves to be with her people who love her very much.

On a positive note, despite the evacuation of many of the volunteers back to their home states, over 300 dogs were admitted to Lamar Dixon yesterday by the skeleton rescue teams that remain. Hopefully once the storm blows over, volunteers will come back in force and help the dogs of Louisiana. I have a hard time imagining what life must be like for those dogs still stuck in their homes or if there are any survivors at this point, but I am constantly amazed at what I see when the dogs are brought in.

Yesterday was the hottest day, with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees. The volunteers have to walk the dogs in the most difficult conditions, with the heat, the lack of proper bathrooms, and minimal food supplies. Despite it all, our volunteers were in good spirits and have met new friends from Canada and other locations. All the volunteers have such a heart for the animals and they all encourage each other to keep the faith and keep focused on the animals who so desperately need their help. Please pray that more showers are released for the volunteers as it is extremely difficult for the hundreds of volunteers who are exposed to toxins to not have a way to clean up. It is unimaginable, but given the circumstances, everyone seems to accept the hazards of the job.

When you experience the hardships with others who have the same passion, close bonds form and it is life-changing. I will never forget the people I worked with down in New Orleans and at Lamar Dixon. I feel so home sick for the friends I left behind. As time permits, I will write more about the experience, but suffice it to say that when you live and work in very close quarters under very difficult conditions with people who risk their lives for the animals and for you, the bond is amazing!

9/21/05: Things are changing rapidly. There is a massive evacuation at Lamar-Dixon because of hurricane Rita. We have 4 people on the ground (Karen, Rob, Gail and Danielle) who are all working on exporting the dogs out. PittieLove Rescue and American Rescue of NE are both working to send dogs to New Hampshire.

Shirley just got home and has over 600 emails to read. She will get back to everyone as soon as possible. If it is urgent either call her or resend your message.

As of this afternoon, we have raised $5355 for the Katrina Disaster Pets.

9/20/05: Update from Shurley Sept 19th: It's hard to believe I've been down in the disaster area a week today. So much has happened, that it feels like I've been here for a year, but also the pace is so fast that it feels like not more than a day has gone by. Today was a very successful day out in the field, i.e., downtown New Orleans. We rescued a number of dogs from the St. Bernard Parish, many who were extremely dehydrated, including a few "criticals" who were unconscious when discovered. It is amazing to see the transformation that happens, though, when you give them a little fluids. It's so exciting. We had one little terrier pup who was in very rough shape, but soon started to open his eyes and lap the water we offered. A few minutes later I was feeding hot dogs to the other captured dogs and he perked up, and even took a few bites of hot dog. I hear he's going to be fine.

We are part of an emergency response team that includes vet tech's, ACO's, and even a wild life trapper from Florida named Bill, most of whom drove over 15 hours to get here. Out in the field, we saw dogs every where we went. It was hard to keep up with all the requests from various sources who told us about dogs in nearby homes or on porches. At times, we would be leaving food in a neighborhood and we'd hear barking and then follow the sounds to a house where we would find dogs. We had a steady list of requests from police, fire, and U.S. Marshalls. They would even escort us to this house or that, to get dogs out. Dave and I got a ride from two New Orleans Police officers who had lost everything in the hurricane, yet they were still working, and still concerned about saving lives. They drove us over to a house where two little dogs could be heard barking from a back bedroom. We went in through a window and made our way over toppled bureaus, furniture, soggy mattresses, you name it, to get to the barking dogs. Everything was covered with a skim coat of that sludge/slime left behind when the waters receded. Two little dogs huddled on a bookcase at the far end of the house were not happy about being rescued, until we got them out into fresh air with fresh food and water. Then they became as sweet as little pups. Just about every dog went from being skittish to friendly, even the guard dog that Bill had to tranquilize in order to get him out of his house. That was a scary situation and I have a new found respect for animal control officers and trappers. I had been searching for someone to help me rescue the remaining four cats from Marlene's attic and today "Wild Bill" as he likes to be called, went in and got all but one out. He left a trap for the one and will come back in the morning to check the trap. He also got a rottie and small dog out who we had tried, unsuccessfully, to rescue yesterday. Amazing!

Karen and Rob arrived today and we've got two more volunteers arriving tomorrow. We also have a vet and vet tech who are willing to come down next week to help. The vets on board now are putting in 18 hours days every day. It's so inspiring that so many people are willing to do so much!! There's still so much work to be done, so I hope anyone who has the time and heart can come and help or support the effort financially. We're flying several teams down and hope to keep a Save A Dog team down at Lamar Dixon Expo Center, where most of the dogs are triaged. They desperately need help with dog walking and also medical expertise.

Listen to NPR's interview with Shirley Stranded Pets Fill Home of Bayou Bengals

As of this morning, we have raised $4545 for the Katrina Disaster Pets.

9/19/05 Save a Dog is sponsoring a rescue mission into the hardest hit area today, St. Bernard Parrish; so please pray for them and any animals that may have survived. This is only the 2nd time anyone other than law officials have been let inside. They have a Caravan of 5 vehicles going in led by Save a Dog and Bill of B & S Enterprise of Florida. Trapper Bill is a Professional Trapper and has trapped everything from raccoons, snakes and lizards, etc…

Shirley says time is critical down there! We are still looking for sponsors to help pay for flights for qualified volunteers to get down into the area to help with this mission!!! They desperately need people with Experience to handle the dogs and help in many ways. Such as Veterinarians, Vet. Techs, people who know how to handle dogs.

Save a Dog will be sponsoring a team in the area for at least the next 3 weeks.

They are working in 90 degree weather for 12-18 hours a day. They have only 2 showers for hundreds of women. Yesterday Shirley went to a store and bought a big basket and filled it with toiletries supplies for women and brought it back there. Everyone was so grateful for it! It’s the little things that people are grateful for and Shirley and all the other wonderful volunteers ran down there with vans packed up for the dogs and they were all chuckling at the fact that they didn’t pack well for themselves!

Yesterday a woman flagged them down because she found her cat and it was critically ill and Shirley took them over to the staging area that is set up for the animals and they took care of it. Shirley said they are starting to let people back in and she couldn’t help thinking how many people will come back to find their pets in this condition and not have anywhere to bring them and not know about the areas set up for the animals – it’s truly like being in a war zone and these people are coming in and just finding devastation.

Yesterday they tried to help a woman who was frantically looking for her dogs, she had put her little rat terrier in the attic to be safe, but it didn’t make it and the others all got picked up by the rescue workers, so she now has the task of trying to find the rest of her beloved animals!

Shirley said they HAVE to get right up in the morning because she can’t stand thinking about all the dogs that need to be walked! These poor dogs are only getting walked every 10-12 hours – the poor little dogs are holding it in their crates and just crying – she takes them out and they peepee and poop at the same time as soon as they get out!

They went thru the drive thru at Taco Bell yesterday and got up to the window, ordered their food and the woman gave them their food and some change! Shirley said “but I didn’t pay you yet” and the woman said “I know the car in front of you saw the van and wanted to show appreciation for what you are doing down here, so she gave me money and said to give the change as a donation”! Shirley said she wants everyone to know she really appreciates everyone’s support!

A very nice article in the Metro West Daily News about Shirley in N.O.

As of this morning, we have raised $4045 for the Katrina Disaster Pets.

9/18/05 The rescuers are now doing food drops throughout N.O. and rescuing the dogs that are in dire need. The trucks are still full when they arrive at Lamar-Dixon. Among the rescues that Shirley & Dave did yesterday, was a 6 mon old kitty whose eyes were so infected it couldn't see. Three vets worked on the little kitty last night; Shirley will find out how he/she is doing today. They also found a dog that was so skinny she looked like a dog skeleton with black fur. They found her skittishly approaching everyone as she wagged her tail. She is currently in ICU at Lamar-Dixon.

Shirley got a scare when a SWAT officer approached her and said "Ma'am, my supervisor would like to talk to you". Everything was going through her head, was she in trouble for something? When she met the supervisor, he torn off a piece of paper, handed it to Shirley and said, Could you please go to this house? There are some dogs locked in it.

There are so many more animals still left to be saved. Ever time you turn a corner there are those in the street or people handing you lists of addresses to go to. HSUS at Lamar-Dixon is processing hundreds and hundreds of animals every day. And every day the area becomes more organized than the day before. There are even hot meals for the volunteers now. All of these volunteers work long selfless hours for one thing - the love of animals.

Karen & Bob left early this morning in our second van full of supplies. They should be arriving in LA tomorrow. Our prayers are with them for a safe journey.

As of this morning, we have raised $3640 for the Katrina Disaster Pets.

9/17/05 Dave, another member of our board arrived safe and sound yesterday to meet up with Shirley. They went back to the home where Shirley found the yellow lab to see if they could find more information about her owner. They met a neighbor who is a Canine Officer who invited them into his home for sodas. He gave them all the information about Toba's owner and messages have been left on her cell phone regarding Toba.

Last night Shirley and Dave slept in the van at Lamar-Dixon where they were able to get a hot shower. Sherry, a sweet volunteer for LSU, bought them dinner which was Shirley's first hot meal since she has been down there. She said it is like living in a 3rd world down there. A hot shower and a hot meal are valued luxuries. Shirley was up at 4:30 this morning walking dogs at the shelter.

Today, Shirley and Dave have a list of addresses in N.O. and will attempt to go to as many as possible to see what they can do. Pray they are able to get to all these animals in time.

Our other van with 2 more volunteers (Karen & Bob) is scheduled to head out tonight carrying more supplies that have been donated. Thank you to everyone who donated.

As of this morning, we have raised $2135 for the Katrina Disaster Pets.

9/16/05 Shirley and Bridgett were interviewed by the NPR the other day. (If anyone could get a tape of this, Shirley would love to hear it when she gets back)

Bridgett returned home yesterday and she will be missed. With her ACO experience, she saved dogs that others would not go near. Dave is on his way down to replace Bridgett.

Shirley and Marlene (now the rescue navigator) met some really nice people from LSU who agreed to hold on to and examine Marlene's cats to get them the health certificates thay need.

Shirley will be working with 2 rescue groups who brought down tons of dog food. Late yesterday afternoon, they were able to do minimal food drops and today they will work together to try and maximize the much needed food drops.

On one rescue, they found a dog chained to a shed. It looked like he either tread water for a long time or was able to get on top of the shed. He was skin and bones when they found him but somehow found the strength to show he could sit pretty for treats.

Shirley said "We are working from miracle to miracle".

9/15/05: As of this afternoon, we have raised $2050. 100% of this money will be used to help Katrina Disaster Pets. On one of the rescues, they came across an open door. Inside there was a yellow lab asleep on the couch. She is such a sweet dog and looked like she was well loved. Shirley now has her and is trying to track down her owners.

9/14/05: Shirley & Bridgett are digging in and helping out any way they can. Yesterday Shirley helped tranport rescued dogs with the Save A Dog van. As soon as she pulls into New Orleans, a lot of the National Guards stop her and say you have to go here and save this animal. There were 3 vans in the group that Shirley was in and they saved about 50-60 animals by breaking into homes. Since it has been over 2 weeks, some animals were found in their crates that did not make it. Others are so dehydrated but do much better after they get fluids. The overall conditions down there are hard. Volunteers work long, hot hours - sleeping in cars/vans/tents after a hard day. Some volunteers are in tears, just exhausted from working in such overwhelming conditions.

Save A Dog will be sending down some of their experienced volunteers to help out over the upcoming weeks. It is becoming very costly to Save A Dog, so anything you can donate toward these costs would help out immensely. Please keep Shirley, Bridgett and all the other rescuers in your prayers.

9/13/05: Shirley & Bridgett arrived in LA safely. Last night they were at the Gonzales shelter walking dogs and helping the vets.
Thanks to your generous donations, we have raised $900 so far to help the Katrina Disaster Pets.

9/12/05: Shirley & Bridgett made it safely to Birmingham, AL last night. They are back on the road now and should be arriving in LA around noon today.

9/11/05: Our van left late yesterday and is on it's way to Louisiana loaded with much needed supplies. As of this morning (9:00am), the 2 volunteers (Shirley & Bridgett) are in Maryland. We are still planning to send our van down again on September 17th.