STILL desperately searching for Alex - please look at photos

Alex is still missing and there's been no sign of him. PLEASE click on the link above to see more photos and PLEASE post any information, leads or anonymous tips here or contact elainesloan@nyc.rr.com Thank you.

Important Alert to New Orleans pet owners

(Written by Pam Ellis-Leavy and posted with her permission)

As we continue our efforts to save the lives of as many animals as possible in the New Orleans area, we encounter hurdle after hurdle--saving animals before they drown, saving them from starvation, saving them from dehydration during the drought, fighting to allow much-needed veterinary help from other states, racing to get the animals before LASPCA, searching for acceptable shelters to receive our animals, not enough volunteers, much needed supplies, and the list goes on and on. We beat, or accept, these challenges and continue our efforts to save the animals.

The letters below are probably true, as we all know this sick atrocity has been occurring since Katrina, by "dog hunters" disguised as rescuers in boats, "saving" drowning dogs and cats and stealing animals from Lamar and LSU. Again disguised as fellow rescuers, these sub-humans continue on the streets of New Orleans, choosing "bait" dogs and fighters for their sadistic "games." The animals on the streets of New Orleans no longer approach rescuers willingly. Instead, they run and hide, hampering our efforts to rescue them as well as the efforts of dog fighters to steal them. Desperate to restore their dog fighting professions, they now turn to pets of returned residents.

While traveling the streets of New Orleans, I've noticed numerous residents of houses where fences are down, put their unsupervised dogs out on leads, or allow their dogs and cats to roam freely. The friendly pets of returning residents will approach thieves offering treats and a "nice" voice. The residents of the entire New Orleans area must supervise their pets, even in their own enclosed yards, and not allow them to roam.

And for those of you who are unfamiliar with dog fighting practices, these evil "people" are often unrecognizable, as they appear with wives and children, in search of "bait" dogs, cats, puppies & kittens. (---the horrifying outcome for many "free puppies and kittens" offered by those who choose to "give them away" rather than the one time should-be-mandatory spay/neuter. But that's another story.)

The hurricane certainly was a benefit by dismantling many dog fighting rings, however, simultaneously costing the lives of many household pets.

HSUS announces it has personally assisted with 1300 reunions!!

December 15, 2005

In the weeks after Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast, hundreds of thousands of Americans expressed their sympathy toward the hurricanes' animal victims by making a contribution to The HSUS or other national organizations. It was an unprecedented outpouring of human kindness toward animals. The HSUS, in turn, has been committed to spending those donations entrusted to us in ways that benefit the animals in Louisiana and Mississippi—as well as benefit their caregivers and the animal care and control professionals who dedicate their lives to building a more humane world along the Gulf Coast.

To date, The HSUS has spent—or has committed to spend—more than $20 million on disaster relief services since those storms hit. By committed, we mean that the money has either been spent, set aside for a Katrina-related project in the near future, or been budgeted for bills not yet submitted to The HSUS.

"The HSUS responded immediately with an army of people who helped establish two massive shelters in the wake of Katrina's devastation along the Gulf Coast," says Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "We are still on the ground with rescue activities, and we are still spending tremendous resources on reunions. But it is important to understand that we are going to be involved in this effort for years—restoring and enhancing the capacities of shelters and setting up spay and neuter operations that will address some of the fundamental problems of animal care along the Gulf Coast. We are grateful to the people who have offered their financial support. It gives us this staying power."

Here is what The HSUS has spent or pledged so far:

$8 million committed to direct Katrina expenses. The expenses to rescue and shelter an estimated 10,000 animals include bills for:

• Animal transportation—to move rescued pets to sites across the country;
• Rental space for our emergency sheltering operations in Louisiana and Mississippi;
• Staff and equipment for an emergency shelter at the Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson, Louisiana
• Travel expenses for nearly 1,500 volunteers and professionals in the Gulf;
• Animal rescue vehicles and trailers that housed dispatch and communications centers;
• Equipment such as generators, computers, phones, cages, and many other supplies;
• Veterinary fees for more than 1,000 animals;
• Food for the hundreds of volunteers and professionals on site;
• Staff and equipment for an emergency shelter in Arkansas after Katrina animals were found there.

$1 million for ongoing field projects in Louisiana and Mississippi. This includes funds to:

• Manage a high-volume trapping program in Louisiana and Mississippi;
• Support rescue operations to deal with homeless animals.

$5 million committed to a Katrina reconstruction fund. This includes funds to:

• Help rebuild shelters and wildlife rehabilitation centers damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina;
• Assist the Louisiana SPCA (LA SPCA) with its reconstruction. We have already provided nearly $1 million to equip LA SPCA's temporary facility in Algiers;
• Help rebuild the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi's facilities. We have committed an initial $500,000 to this reconstruction project;
• Conduct assessments to determine what other local agencies need reconstruction support.

$2 million provided or committed to agencies that have helped rescue, shelter or reunite Katrina animals. This figure includes funds to:

• Reimburse local humane societies, animal control agencies, and rescue groups that have accepted Katrina animals and have worked to reunite them with their guardians;
• Reimburse groups that did their own rescue and sheltering work during the 45-day period after Katrina hit.

$1.5 million committed to reunion efforts. The includes funds to:

• Staff and equip The HSUS Reunion Center, whose workers have personally assisted with or confirmed more than 1,300 reunions, bringing the total estimated number of reunions to more than 2,270.
• Cover the transportation fees to reunite people with their pets.

$1 million committed to spay and neuter programs in communities impacted by Katrina. The includes funds to:

• Address the high proportion of animals in the Gulf who are unsterilized;
• Work with the Louisiana SPCA and set up an aggressive, low-cost spay and neuter program.

$500,000 spent on disasters that have hit since Katrina. This includes expenses related to our responses:

• In Texas and Louisiana after Hurricane Rita hit.
• In Florida and Mexico after Hurricane Wilma hit.
• In Pakistan after the country was ravaged by an earthquake.

$1.5 million committed to grow HSUS staff. This includes funds to:

• Expand staff and its capacity to deal with ongoing Katrina responses;

• Develop a bigger and stronger Disaster Services section, so we can respond in an even more meaningful way to future disasters, cruelty cases, puppy mills, and other hands-on crisis situations.

Dog Murderer Sentenced

(click on above link to read local newspaper article)

Frank Aquino was charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a felony, but later pleaded guilty to animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, for taking the life of a defenseless elderly family pet. Aquino is accused of viciously kicking to death 15-yr-old Roxi during a Memorial Day BBQ at his home in Putnam Valley, NY. Roxi, who was partially deaf and blind, was drawn into his yard by the smell of the food on the grill.

Witnesses say that after Aquino kicked Roxie so hard in the stomach, she rolled several times and then staggered to a neighboring yard where she died under a tree.

This is where her guardians found their beloved friend, a 45 lb German Shepherd mix whom they had raised since she was a puppy. "To viciously kick a dog is beyond words," said one of them. "She was such a sweet animal. We'd come in the door and her tail would be wagging. Now she is gone, and in such a horrible way."

If your New Orleans lost pet was not related to Katrina - Please Read

I've received several calls and emails from people in New Orleans asking for help about pets that have recently become lost or missing. I wish there was something I could do, but there is little I or other volunteers can do via the internet. Here are some suggestions for finding your pet:

1. Contact the Lousiana SPCA located in Algiers and visit there regularly to look for your pet.

2. Visit ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans) located at the former Celebration Station in Metairie. ARNO, in conjunction with Best Friends, is still trapping and picking up stray cats and dogs on the streets of New Orleans, bringing them in and holding them for 5 days while owners are being searched for. This rescue effort is being continued for a few more weeks in an attampt to get as many Katrina pets rounded up and identified. After the 5-day hold, the animals are being adopted. The rescuers and trappers have no way of knowing which animals are true strays, which are Katrina pets that are still roaming around, and which are pets that have recently become lost.

3. Post a lost pet report on Petfinder classifieds (not the AERN database); Fido Finder or Tabby Tracker; and Dog Detective. Also post on and check Craig's List, nola.com and of course the T-P lost and found pet classifieds.

4. Make a poster with a photo and complete details about your pet and post all around your neighborhood.

5. If you belive your pet was stolen, offer a reward immediately. If it's a pure-breed, check Petfinder classifieds to see if someone is trying to sell it.

Just because God is Dog spelled backwards....

This post and comment have been bumped to 7-14-08

Pet detective tracks down hurricane-displaced pooch

Saturday, January 21, 2006
By Matt Vande Bunte
The Grand Rapids Press

LAKE ODESSA -- Of the 26 dogs Mackenzie's Animal Sanctuary rescued in September in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, none had been reconnected with their owners.

Until this week.

An e-mail came in Tuesday to the shelter from an Atlanta volunteer trying to track down a missing dog named Rueben. The description seemed to match the breed, size, color, age and mild manners of a retriever mix staff had come to know as "Hooch."

The key piece of evidence provided by the K-9 sleuth: a missing canine tooth. Just like Hooch.

Back to Deborah Smith-Callahan went a digital reply that the dog owned by former New Orleans resident Jordana Smith was found.

"Jordana was crying. (Deborah) was crying. My office staff was crying," said Mackenzie's General Manager Erik Bauer said. "It was happy days around here.

"It was a huge undertaking (to shelter the Katrina dogs). This makes it worthwhile."

Running short of food for her 11-month-old daughter, Jordana Smith and her husband were forced to evacuate their rented New Orleans residence a few days after the hurricane. They left their two dogs behind with a bathtub full of water. When they returned, the dogs were gone.

The younger female was located by Smith-Callahan, a volunteer for the American Humane Association. But the whereabouts of Rueben -- who was picked up from a holding area for rescued dogs in Mississippi and transported to Mackenzie's -- remained unknown to his owner.

"It's been a horrible needle-in-a-haystack search," said Jordana Smith, whose family relocated to Austin, Texas. "He's like a family member. It's been hard having him gone."

Smith-Callahan, who is no relation to and has never met the dogs' owner, adopted the female pet because Smith's new landlord permits only one dog. She started sending e-mails and fliers to shelters nationwide in search of 9-year-old Rueben.

"Months went by, and it was very discouraging," Smith-Callahan said. "We had a couple false alarms where we'd see pictures that looked like him. It just seemed like Rueben would not be found."

Then, a contact saw Hooch on Mackenzie's Web site and suggested Smith-Callahan take a look. The e-mail confirmation that Hooch was Rueben was emotional.

"There are no words to tell you how wonderful I felt," Smith-Callahan said. "I felt like I won the lottery."

Mackenzie's is raising money to help reunite Rueben with his owner. Bauer said a shelter supporter offered to fly in the family Wednesday for a Thursday reunion at Mackenzie's. Donations are needed to cover part of the cost.

"I know he's going to be returned to me one way or the other," said Smith, who turned 27 on Friday. "I know he's in good hands, and I'm going to see him soon."

©2006 Grand Rapids Press
© 2006 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.

REUNION: RUEBEN HAS BEEN FOUND!!!!

Yes, it's true - Rueben has been found. He is at Mackenzies Animal Sanctuary in Lake Odessa, MI. The main reason it took this long for him to be found is because he's posted on Petfinder Classifieds rather than on the AERN database set up for Katrina animals. But he seems to be in good shape and they are happy that his owner has been located and are looking forward to sending him home. Someone named Tammy spotted his picture and contacted Deborah, the volunteer who has remained determined and passionate about finding him for 4 1/2 months. I am so happy and thankful to both of you!!! Rueben will be reunited with his family in Texas very soon. Thanks to everyone who helped look for him.
And yes, Mackenzies does have other Katrina dogs posted on Petfinder Classifieds. I'll ask them to post on the AERN database, although now that I have the information on their other Katrina dogs, owners are being searched for. If you are an owner looking for your pet, or a volunteer working with an owner, please have a look at their Katrina dogs here.

Pet detective tracks down hurricane-displaced pooch
Saturday, January 21, 2006
By Matt Vande Bunte
The Grand Rapids Press

LAKE ODESSA -- Of the 26 dogs Mackenzie's Animal Sanctuary rescued in September in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, none had been reconnected with their owners.

Until this week.

An e-mail came in Tuesday to the shelter from an Atlanta volunteer trying to track down a missing dog named Rueben. The description seemed to match the breed, size, color, age and mild manners of a retriever mix staff had come to know as "Hooch."

The key piece of evidence provided by the K-9 sleuth: a missing canine tooth. Just like Hooch.

Back to Deborah Smith-Callahan went a digital reply that the dog owned by former New Orleans resident Jordana Smith was found.

"Jordana was crying. (Deborah) was crying. My office staff was crying," said Mackenzie's General Manager Erik Bauer said. "It was happy days around here.

"It was a huge undertaking (to shelter the Katrina dogs). This makes it worthwhile."

Running short of food for her 11-month-old daughter, Jordana Smith and her husband were forced to evacuate their rented New Orleans residence a few days after the hurricane. They left their two dogs behind with a bathtub full of water. When they returned, the dogs were gone.

The younger female was located by Smith-Callahan, a volunteer for the American Humane Association. But the whereabouts of Rueben -- who was picked up from a holding area for rescued dogs in Mississippi and transported to Mackenzie's -- remained unknown to his owner.

"It's been a horrible needle-in-a-haystack search," said Jordana Smith, whose family relocated to Austin, Texas. "He's like a family member. It's been hard having him gone."

Smith-Callahan, who is no relation to and has never met the dogs' owner, adopted the female pet because Smith's new landlord permits only one dog. She started sending

e-mails and fliers to shelters nationwide in search of 9-year-old Rueben.

"Months went by, and it was very discouraging," Smith-Callahan said. "We had a couple false alarms where we'd see pictures that looked like him. It just seemed like Rueben would not be found."

Then, a contact saw Hooch on Mackenzie's Web site and suggested Smith-Callahan take a look. The e-mail confirmation that Hooch was Rueben was emotional.

"There are no words to tell you how wonderful I felt," Smith-Callahan said. "I felt like I won the lottery."

Mackenzie's is raising money to help reunite Rueben with his owner. Bauer said a shelter supporter offered to fly in the family Wednesday for a Thursday reunion at Mackenzie's. Donations are needed to cover part of the cost.

"I know he's going to be returned to me one way or the other," said Smith, who turned 27 on Friday. "I know he's in good hands, and I'm going to see him soon."

©2006 Grand Rapids Press
© 2006 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.

The death of a pet

Author Unknown

Some of the most poignant moments I spend as a veterinarian are those spent with my clients assisting the transition of my animal patients from this world to the next. When living becomes a burden, whether from pain or loss of normal functions, I can help a family by ensuring that their beloved pet has an easy passing. Making this final decision is painful, and I have often felt powerless to comfort the grieving owners.

That was before I met Shane.

I had been called to examine a ten-year-old pet named Belker. The pet's owners - Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.

I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old pet in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane could learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting his old pet for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death,
wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me - I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.

LaSPCA begins major search for lost pets

By CityBusiness staff report
2006-01-10 10:20 AM CST

NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana SPCA will begin a major trapping campaign today to sweep the unpopulated areas of lost pets and strays. The campaign, a collaboration of the LA/SPCA and the Humane Society of the United States, will take place through Jan. 20.

The campaign will focus on portions of Gentilly, eastern New Orleans and the Ninth Ward. Trappers will also target areas where the LA/SPCA has received numerous reports of stray dogs.

"This is a concentrated effort to attempt to find and assist animals that have become strays in this post-Katrina time," said LA/SPCA Executive Director Laura Maloney.

The trapping effort will focus primarily on dogs. Cats will only be trapped if they are sick or injured, or obviously friendly. The trappers do not plan to target healthy feral cats, as managed feral cat colonies are jointly being established and identified.

The LA/SPCA will hold stray animals for five days. After that, the animals will be evaluated and transferred to a shelter for adoption.

The LA/SPCA recommends that pet owners in these areas keep their animals properly confined during the sweep. Pet owners should also make sure their pets are wearing traceable identification and tags.

The Humane Society is bringing its special operations training team, as well as humane trapping equipment. The LA/SPCA will also work with Best Friends Animal Society to place the animals in new homes.

The private nonprofit LA/SPCA worked with several other agencies to rescue more than 8,500 animals after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.•

Reunion: Chunky Found & Going Home

Following is the email I received today from Jacek who rescued Chunky the black cat who promptly got lost in the system. Kudos to Jacek for never giving up the search and for doing whatever was necessary to get all the information that finally connected him to Paula who was taking care of Chunky all this time.

Dear Anita,

I would like to officially tell you that we have found Chunky! It's been a few days since it actually happened, but I wanted to make sure I understand every piece of the story before telling everyone.

Chunky is in New Orleans with Paula Raspberry. I spoke with Paula and she is very nice, and happy that Chunky will be re-joining his family, now in Seattle. Sefla and her mother can't wait to have him back.

As you may know, we last saw Chunky at 2 p.m. on September 20. About an hour later Paula showed up at Lamar Dixon looking for her cats. She mistook Chunky for her black cat Felix. Interestingly, there were no papers whatsoever on Chunky's cage. His intake number was written on a white Tyvec collar, though. That's why we were able to track him down in the end.

Paula took him home and in a day or two realized that he was not Felix. She went back to Lamar Dixon on another occasion (she had about a dozen cats "boarded" there following Katrina, and it took her a while to locate and recover them all) and told the staff she would foster him until the owner shows up. And obviously no-one took note of this. So she waited and we were looking, and the missing link in the form of sheet of paper with Paula's contact info and Chunky's ID number was sitting quietly in the drawers at 2100 L Street, N.W..

A lot of people kindly donated their time and effort looking for Chunky. I hope not all of it was in vain. We got drawn into the search and in the process helped find a number of other animals.

All the best in the new year!

Jacek and Zosia

REUNION: Rusty the orange cat

Rusty's owner has never given up on him and has been walking in neighborhoods near her home and passed out fliers to anyone she saw.. People began to remember seeing the orange cat. She set a trap for him and caught him yesterday - December 14th. He is at the vet and has been given a clean bill of health. The last time she saw him was August 31st, the day she was forced to evacuate. Connie did everything imaginable to get her pet back and her persistance paid off. Lucky Rusty.

REUNION: Bikini and Vallie found

...all four now reunited!

(Bikini & Muddy reunion photo)

Steve found Vallie last week in an abandoned house not far from where she, Domino, Muddy and Bikini were left with the dog-sitter. I just learned that Bikini was rescued by a wonderful woman named Amy, taken away from a homeless man who was trying to use her as pit-bull bait Here is the email from Bikini's guardian: Yes it is true, we got Bikini back today, this morning!! The best possible Christmas gift ever, really. Yesterday Corky received an email from Dog Detective saying there was a possible match, usually these are imperfect and not even the same breed so we don't tend to put much hope into them but yesterday it happen to really be her. Apparently after the storm she got up to Canal street and a bum picked her up to use as bait to antagonize his three pit bulls, I guess to just pass the time after the strom. An angel of a lady, Amy, saw him and took Bikini away as fast as she could. Then she pampered and loved our little dogger, weekly groomings, tons of treats, new collar and all her shots, honestly this was really the kindest woman I have ever encountered- other that all of you guys that would so hard to help us find both Mud and Nini. We are so happy, I can't stop playing with them and the two dogs follow us from room to room now. Muddy goes to work and everywhere else with Corky these days so I am happy to have Bikini as my sidekick from now on. We are so happy, I can't even begin to explain. I feel like we have recovered from the Storm! Thank you, thank you, all of you. Karma must at work here as on Monday I volunteered to get some of the last strayed caught and shipped up to a new facility in Tylertown, Best Friends. Merry Merry Christmas to all of you. Tavi

Beautiful female brown & white pit bull terrier found near Wingate Dr / Gentilly area (may have been found in same house as male boxer below).

Male Red & White Boxer rescued by Pasado's "Safe" Haven near the Wingate Dr / Gentilly area (may have been in same house as the female brown and white pit above).

Seeking Owners for these Rescued Dogs

The dogs featured in this above posts (which will be updated as often as needed) were rescued and are being sheltered or fostered by people who are not searching for the owners. No Animal Left Behind and Stealth Volunteers are working to reunite these and other Katrina pets with their owners. While there are some pets ( a small percentage) who should not be reunited with their New Orleans owners (documented cases of abuse or neglect), we believe that the great majority of pet owners deserve to have their pets returned to them regardless of whether or not they were heartworm positive or spayed/neutered. Please check back often to offer any help you can. Please also send info and photos of other rescued Katrina pets whose owners are not being searched for to noanimalleftbehind@gmail.com
Check katrinaretrievers.blogspot.com for found goldens and labs seeking owners.

PET OWNERS: Check here regularly for important information and updates

If your pet seems to be "lost in the system" be sure to check the website for Animal Rescue New Orleans often for info and updates on continuing search and rescue work in New Orleans.

Locate Your Lost Katrina Pet Event hosted by Best Friends in New Orleans Dec. 16-18
We know it has been difficult, even impossible, for families who are missing their pets to navigate all of the available resources.

This event will allow you to search in one place for your missing pets. We will set up banks of computers and give families the opportunity to work with reunion specialists to search for their pets – on a first come/first served basis.

We have asked numerous groups, including Mutt Shack, Grassroots Emergency Animal Rescue (at the Winn Dixie), Humane Louisiana, and Pasado’s Safe Haven to participate, bringing their databases and intake records. We have invited Petfinder, Stealth Volunteers and other reunion specialists to participate as well.

Where:
Garden District Hotel
2203 St. Charles Avenue (corner of Jackson and St. Charles Avenues)
New Orleans, LA 70130
University Conference Room

When:
Friday, December 16 - 10am - 6pm
Saturday, December 17 - 10am - 6pm
Sunday, December 18 - 1pm - 6pm

Free parking in the rear of the hotel

SPCA Cincinnati has many cats and dogs at their shelter

Click here to go to their site to search for Katrina pets. They have a link for cats and one for dogs. Lots of dogs. If you see a photo that you think may be your pet, copy and save the photo and all related information on your hard drive. Katrina pet information is disappearing off shelter websites.

PetHarbor now has a complete list of the dogs sent to EDNAH
1. Go to Petharbor
2. Scroll below the Rita links until you see the yellow box labeled Project Barkansas and click on the dog link.
3. The photos are all blurred until you click on a specific one.
There are now 13 pages of dogs listed. Because the current location of those dogs is still a mystery, if you see your dog there, contact us - include the photo of the dog, the PetHarbor name and number and a description - breed, color, gender. I hope to find out the current location of these dogs soon.

St. Bernard Parish Pets
Photo albums of the pets rescued by Camp Lucky can be viewed at the following location:
Government Complex Building
Public Works Office
2nd Floor
Chalmette
Telephone 504.278.4317
Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm (may also be opened on weekends)

This phone number is for Animal Control but will be dispatched to the Government Building where the temporary Control Unit is currently operating. They hope to move from the Public Works Office back to the original Animal Control Site later this week so be sure to call ahead.

These photos are of animals rescued by Camp Lucky through October 1st. The original group of animals went to the SPCA in Los Angeles:
http://www.spcala.com/hurricanekatrina_animals1.html

Most of the next rescues went to the Humane Society in Pinellas / Clearwater Florida, or the Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio, Texas. Some but not all of the photos/reports have begun to appear on Petfinder, so if possible, travel into the Parish to view the actual photos.

New Orleans Library Hours - Internet Access to search Petfinder and Petharbor
Internet, fax and photocopy service available.
The Nix branch at 1401 South Carrollton Avenue, is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Hubbell branch at 725 Pelican Avenue in Algiers Point, is open Monday-Friday, noon-4 p.m.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION IF YOU NEED HELP SEARCHING FOR YOUR PET
If you need help searching for your lost or missing pet, please follow these recommendations. We have very little time left to find many pets for many people, so please understand that these recommendations are intended to benefit the most number of people with the limited resources available. The phone number is only for those people without internet access. Everyone else, please use email.

Our volunteers have access to resources and information that may not be available to the public, so if you are already working with someone who is able to help you in that way, please understand that we can't ask another volunteer work with you too. We need to adhere to having just one-volunteer per pet owner. There are thousands of missing pets and only hundreds of volunteers, all with limited time to do this, and we are trying to help as many people as possible. We would like to be able to find every single missing pet so the better allocated our resources, the more likely we are able to do that. Thank you for understanding.

Send an email to noanimalleftbehind@gmail.com with all of the following information:

1) In the subject heading - write Searching for Max, Male German Shepherd mix (or whatever the name, sex and breed of your dog is) or Searching for Fluffy, female orange tabby. Include all of the following information:

2) The address the pet was left at, rescued from or last known to be, even if this is just a neighborhood. Include zip code and name of section, parish, etc. If the pet is known to have been rescued, the date to the best of your knowledge. Mention any writing on the house or notes left by rescue groups. The more specific you can be, the better. If you do not know for sure if your pet was ever rescued, please indicate that.

3) A complete description of the pet - breed(s); color; sex including if spayed or neutered; age; weight; approx. height; markings; color of eyes; condition of teeth including if any are missing; any scars. All unique characteristics such as if one ear is bent in a different way than other ear; docked tail; extra toes; spots on tongue, etc.

If there is a Petfinder LOST report, please include the Petfinder number(s).

4) Collar (type, color), tags, or any other external identification. All known information from tags. If the pet is micro-chipped, include the number if known.

5) Any other pets left at/rescued from this address and whether they are still missing or have been found. If found, where and when. If missing, please list separately.

6) Your name, current phone number and email address. Also, your old phone number in New Orleans if now out-of-service. Your current complete mailing address.

7) Please include a photo of your pet if you have one. If you have one but are not able to send it electronically, we will help you get the photo sent to us.

Thank you very much! Check this specific link often for updates and information.


NEW PHOTOS OF RESCUED PETS
It was just learned that the LaSPCA, who rescued animals from New Orleans in October and took them to their new shelter in Algiers, posted these animals on the wrong section of PetHarbor. These animals do not show up in a normal PetHarbor search for Katrina animals and they are not on Petfinder.

To searh the LaSPCA pets on PetHarbor, visit the Animal Rescue New Orleans website and click on the Find Lost Pets link for easy step-by-step instructions.

REUNION: Pepper the Chi

HUGE thanks to volunteers Sara Ratekin, DVM and Susan Bongiorno. They worked together for weeks, following leads, collaborating information, digging up photos of possible matches, and sending those photos to Pepper'sowner, Tony Licciardi who has been fighting bone cancer. Pepper has been in a wonderful foster home in North Dakota with Darla Yliniemi who brought her back to N.D. with her after helping with rescue efforts in September. Sara first met Tony during one of her three trips to New Orleans and she promised him that she would help find Pepper for him.

In the photo above, Karen Thunshelle, shelter manager for the Souris Valley Humane Society, gets a kiss from Pepper. On Saturday, Thunshelle will fly with Pepper to Mississippi to reunite her with Tony.

December 8, 2005
THE MINOT DAILY NEWS
By Jill Schramm, Staff Writer

Pepper is going home for Christmas.

The 6-year-old Chihuahua has only a few more days of Minot's sweater-weather left before hopping a plane to Mississippi to be reunited with an owner she hasn't seen since they were separated after Hurricane Katrina.

Karen Thunshelle, shelter manager for the Souris Valley Humane Society in Minot, said Pepper will be as glad to be back in warmer temperatures as she'll be to see her owner again. Thunshelle boards a flight to Mississippi with Pepper Saturday.

Darla Yliniemi, who has provided a foster home for Pepper, said Pepper gets along better with her dogs and cat than she does with the weather.

"She likes to wear her sweater," she said. "She doesn't like the cold but she's not afraid of my big dogs."

The Humane Society of the United States is funding the trip to bring Pepper back to her family, Tony and Shirley Licciardi, before Christmas.

"I can't wait to see her," said Tony Licciardi, who has bone cancer that he described as widespread. He said Pepper's return might help his physical health by relieving the distress he's felt since losing her.

"All I do is cry about her, cry for her," he sad. "I sure miss her."

Pepper came to North Dakota after Thunshelle befriended her while assisting with animal rescue in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in September. The white and pale brown short-hair came to the rescue shelter dirty, hungry, carrying fleas and scared.

"She was a little nippy," Thunshelle said. "She actually just bonded with me. I was about one of the only people who could handle her down there. I just couldn't leave her down there."

Thunshelle arranged to bring Pepper to Minot.

Tony Licciardi said he became separated from Pepper and his two other dogs when police came to rescue him from his home flooded under seven feet of water. When the police went back for the dogs, they couldn't find them.

Licciardi said he spent a couple of days on a Navy boat and it was some time before he could search for his dogs.

"I have been all over looking for them, calling everybody," he said. The two missing dogs are a Chihuahua and Pomeranian.

Licciardi told an animal rescue worker in New Orleans about his dogs after returning to check on damage to his home there. The worker searched the hurricane registry through Pet Finder and located Pepper in Minot. Licciardi said he identified Pepper's Internet picture on the computer in a library.

"I said 'Yes, that's her!'" he said. "I have never seen another one her color with markings like she has."

Pepper, who had been known as Booboo at Souris Valley Humane Society until identified about three weeks ago, is recovering from the trauma of the hurricane.

"The first time the wind picked up, she paced half the night. She just couldn't settle down," Yliniemi said. "She's slowly adjusted to know the wind is not going to hurt her."

Thunshelle said the local humane society will miss Pepper, but they are pleased that Pepper's homecoming means Licciardi's losses to Hurricane Katrina will be one less.

"He doesn't have anything anymore, so we are glad we can make at least something good come out of this," she said.

PLEASE Look At This Photo

Desperate owner looking for Rueben, a very sweet older dog who (along with another dog since found) was released from 726 North Hagan Street in New Orleans by a well-meaning rescue worker or military person. A friend had been providing food and water.

Rueben is part Golden Retriever and part … lab? shepard? His owner says he was often mistaken for a St. Bernard. He is large (about 80 pounds, pre-Katrina) with long silky black hair with a brown undercoat. His legs are brindle and he is missing one of his canine teeth. He has a very sweet disposition. If found please call Jordana Smith at 504-237-8364 or send an email to us here if you have any information about where Rueben might be.

I found this reunion story on the website of New Leash on Life and wanted to share it here. I think it makes it clear why returning a pet to its family is the right thing to do for all concerned including the pet.

Just wanted to share this with you, it's things like this that make you smile and keep you going. I just got off the phone with Max's owner. To put it mildly, they are overjoyed! They got Max in 1995. They thought they would never see Max again, they were sure he was dead, (he is 11 and a bit overweight). Another pet was found still in the yard on October the 2nd, almost a skeleton and exhaling oil fumes with every breath. He is in a hospital and is very ill. When I spoke with them on Saturday they couldn't believe they might get Max back. They were worried after everything he went through and the time away, he might not remember them. When the crate was brought in at the cargo terminal, they could see him and called his name. He almost broke the crate open with excitement. They had an hour ride home from the airport and called to let me know he arrived safely. They kept repeating, "He is so happy." I know that if we hadn't found them Max would have been adopted and probably had a nice life but now he can spend his remaining years with the only family he's ever known. They are right, he is "so happy."