Good news for residents of St. Bernard Parish trying to get back their rescued pets

The St. Bernard Parish District Attorney has assigned an Assistant District Attorney to file charges against shelters refusing to return pets to residents of St. Bernard Parish. They have asked for all cases regarding St. Bernard Parish residents who have found their pets, but the shelter(s) won't return them (for whatever reason).

Ceily Trogg, St. Bernard Parish Animal Control Director, has asked that residents or their volunteers write up the circumstances with complete contact information and either e-mail or bring to the St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter. If this information is going to be emailed please send to the following email address with the words "Return Pet Request" in the subject line.

sbpanimal@aol.com

If you choose to mail or drop this information off personally, the address is:

St. Bernard Parish Animal Control Shelter
115 Agriculture Road (off Paris Road)
Chalmette, LA 70043

If you have any questions, Ceily can be reached at 504.401.0709

Please look at photos of Snappy - Left at Superdome -

Snappy is a 15 year old neutered male that was left at the Superdome when his owner was forced to evacuate on a bus. Note: this does not equal owner surrender. Snappy had long hair at the time but may have been shaved down since. His most unique feature is that his left ear sticks straight up and the right ear flops down. He is a real sweetie who is missed and wanted by his owner who has been searching frantically for him.

Meet Molly - A letter from Sara, DVM

She was 1 of a group of 16 well taken care of indoor only cats that lived in the Gentilly District of new Orleans.

When I was there in September I found a cat, now famously called “Mad Max” inside the house but it turned out he didn’t live there, he just took shelter there. I eventually found the owner of the home named Marlene and over the past several months we have talked on the phone and via email. She told me about why she stayed (she had 16 cats and an 85 year old mother), what happened to them after they evacuated (left alone on the I-10 and then the Greyhound bus station for 2 days), how her life has been in New York and her hopes for her future.

Marlene was persistent in finding out what happened to her kitties and through her own hard work and the work of volunteers she has found out that 3 died near her home and 1 died @ LSU but the others are safe.

Molly was captured TWO WEEKS AGO having survived all this time. I have visited Molly’s neighborhood as late as November – few people are there and only a small group continued to feed the stray animals. Molly stayed around her home and finally someone was able to trap her.

There is so much loss and sadness surrounding Katrina and people ask me why I keep going back. I think it is because there is also so much hope and resilience, kindness and human spirit. I clearly see that this disaster goes far, far beyond lost animals and missing pets. People lost their lives, their families, their communities and their homes and livelihoods - these tragedies supersede what happened to animals. But, on the other hand, for those residents who had animals and had to leave them, those animals were part of their families and the fabric of their lives. For those people like Marlene who were fortunate enough to account for their animals and be reunited with them there is completeness, a sweetness that they struggle to describe.

For those of us who saw Katrina unfold in August and were horrified by the unspeakable things we saw; for those of us who struggled to rescue defenseless animals, for the animals themselves who struggled to survive – there are these little victories.

Houses will be re-built, schools will re-open, there will be weddings again, christenings; there will be school plays and soccer games; there will be Christmas mornings and Fourth of July picnics because the region and the people are so resilient and to my mind heroic. And, when you look at this little kitty sitting on her cushion, safe at last, to me, she represents victory over the storm itself.

Thank you for listening – and enjoy the attached picture.

Sara

Letters sent to the AHA in response to the auctioniong of a puppy

Here are some letters sent to the American Heart Association in protest of their decision to auction off a labrador retriever puppy as a fundraiser. Please feel free to contact Robin Piper 817-698-5432 Robin.Piper@heart.org to voice your concerns nicely and politely.

Dear Ms. Piper,

I am sure you mean well by auctioning off one of the most adorable creations God ever made as a fund raiser but I hope you will seriously rethink this.

Have you ever HAD a lab pup? Have you read the best seller Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog. about how very, very difficult living with a lab is? Please see the link.
http://www.dailypress.com/features/lifestyle/dp-57158sy0feb05,0,2246665.story

I'll quote a bit of it. "Marley crashed through screened doors with alarming regularity, He went berserk during thunderstorms (mine does too and ate a hole in a door on the 4th of July) destroying everything in his path. He stole food off the dinner table, slobbered incessantly, drank from the toilet bowl, ate bath towels, sponges, socks, used tissues, plastic toys (which requires a vet visit) furniture, speaker covers, paychecks, even an expensive gold necklace."

I'm almost sure you have not ever actually had a lab. I have--he CHEWED everything. He's almost 4 now and he still chews --but now that he is bigger he also knocks people over (because he is sooo enthusiastic about everything,) he gets dirty and jumps on the doors and windows. We have a fairly large yard but we have to wash the floors and vacuum at least twice a day because he has torn up the grass in the back yard so now he's muddy everytime he comes in. He requires LOTS of exercise --heaven forbid an elderly person would win your puppy!

Labs are famous for CHEWING. Huck chewed a brand new, very expensive mattress AND the box spring. He didn't actually chew it-- the little adorable fuzz ball ATE them. Also the comforter, carpet, shower curtains and door jambs.

We love our lab and we knew what we were getting into-although we did think he'd outgrow the rambunctious a little faster. Did you know that black labs are the most common and least adopted animals in shelters?

PLEASE find a nice piece or artwork or a condo unit for a week someplace. If I had one I'd donate it.... but NOT a living breathing adorable dog who even a well intentioned winner (and that 's a big assumption) will have to invest a lot of time,. patience and money in.

Thank you and please let me know you have found another prize.

Monica Harris

Robin,

As an Internist I am offended that the American Heart Association would auction a puppy at a fundraiser. I have a painting of a lab I will gladly donate in place of the puppy. A puppy is not a thing. A puppy is a living creature which requires devotion and care which cannot be bought on a whim.

M.Caroline Burton, M.D.

2300 Hospital Drive

Shreveport, Louisiana 71111

318-458-4063

Robin please reconsider the action of auctioning a puppy. Aside from the fact that this could lead to ruining the reputation, the exemplary reputation of the American Heart Association, if you auction off a puppy not knowing whether or not the people who receive the puppy are trustworthy and will be good owners, then you are no better off than the secret auctions held at Midnight in which animals are auctioned to the highest bidder to be used as bait or used in labs. Especially in light of the recent news regarding the use of puppies and drugs I along with thousands of animal lovers ask you to reconsider. Although I am aware of the fact that the concept was thought of with the best intentions in actuality it is nothing more than using a life form to raise funds without making the commitment to ensure that the puppy will in fact go to a good home, thus having a shot at having a good life. Thank you for taking the time to read and to consider this request.

Sincerely,
Mary Elizabeth Van Everbroeck, MA, LMFT
Pet Guardian Education & Animal Advocacy Services, Inc. Warminster, PA

Canine colleagues gather to honour Nitro's courage

VANCOUVER — It began with a lone howl.

Then down the line of cars, dogs leaned out the windows to listen and the barking began.

Canine units from the United States and British Columbia proceeded through downtown Vancouver yesterday, as dogs howled in the backseat on their way to the Seaforth Armoury, to mourn the death of police dog Nitro.

The police canine died in the line of duty Jan. 23.

Nitro was set to retire this spring after developing arthritis in his elbows. But that didn't slow the German shepherd down as he chased two accused car thieves who jumped on a train in New Westminster.

When the train began moving, eight-year-old Nitro slipped under the wheels and was instantly killed.

Vancouver's police department hadn't expected Nitro's death to hit the public so hard.

Mourners from as far away as Britain began sending hundreds of e-mails and sympathy cards to the department. Nitro's death inspired some to write poetry and make crafts, such as wooden urns for the dog's handler, Constable Howard Rutter.

Others remembered beloved pets, posting pictures of their own dogs on the message board.

It was all a bit too much for one Vancouver newspaper columnist, who wrote that mourners were descending into emotional quicksand when they began comparing Nitro to a human being.

In response, Sergeant Mark Tonner made what he called a bold statement: that he is convinced all dogs go to heaven. "Yes, I said it," Sgt. Tonner wrote. "Does that mean Nitro is chasing bad guys through sunny meadows, young and arthritis-free?" No, Sgt. Tonner reminded mourners, "there aren't supposed to be any bad guys in Paradise."

His voice cracking with emotion, Vancouver Police Chief Jamie Graham said Nitro inspired a special kind of grief.

To those who say that Nitro's death was just that of a dog, Chief Graham said that's like saying it's just a husband or just a daughter.

"The stages of grief we feel over the loss of this great animal is not unlike the loss we would feel over the loss of a human partner," he said, as mourners nodded and wiped away tears.

The ceremony included more than 70 dogs paying tribute to Nitro, as their handlers led them to sit briefly in front of the memorial where the canine's badge, collar and urn were on display.

The piper leading the procession was almost drowned out by the barks and howls. Some of the mourners came during their lunch break wearing business suits and work uniforms. One woman carried white lilies with eight dog biscuits tied at the stem. More than 50 of the mourners purchased a $20 DVD about Nitro's life, which included images of his puppy days and a slow-motion montage of him running in a field.

Lorraine Mitchell, whose Rottweiler-shepherd mix, Moose, died three years ago, had tears in her eyes as she watched the procession pass on Burrard Street.

"I know there are some people who would think it is ridiculous to have this," she said. "But it's sad and real to many people, and it's a good thing that we can be so touched by a living being."

Nitro is being mourned not just as a pet, but as a police officer, said Stanley Coren, a University of British Columbia psychology professor who has written extensively about dogs.

Prof. Coren believes that is because Nitro represented more than an officer and a pet when he died in the line of duty.

"This is a dog whose name we happen to know because he did something we all know our dogs would do for us, protecting us for no other reason than because of their loyalty," he said. "This dog suddenly became a dog to make us remember all other dogs."

Great Letter from St. Bernard Parish Animal Control

This is an email that Ceily sent to a volunteer who is involved in (yet) another problem situation with a shelter. Please forward this to every shelter, rescue group or individual who is refusing to return and reunite a Katrina pet.

What people don't seem to understand is that these pets were never abandoned. They are owned pets and the owner will have every right to claim them. The dates set by HSUS to allow them to be adopted are actually in place to protect the satellite shelter from liability arising from sterilizing the pets or, should the pets die while under treatment for heartworm, for example. No one, especially loving owners, ever wanted these animals to spend such a long time in a shelter situation.

No one is asking shelters to hold the cats indefinitely in cages. Go ahead and adopt them out, but the law is on the side of the original owners. So far one case has gone to court and the owner won (Chopper in New Jersey). At least one other case I'm aware of has been filed. Louisiana law is plain; I have no doubt that any cases that end up in court will be won by the original owner.

The right thing to do is to tell potential adopters the FACTS. Let them be aware of what may happen if an owner comes forward. I know you think that enough time has passed, but only 8,000 residents (out of 67,000) have returned to St. Bernard Parish; the rest of our residents are scattered across the country! Our parish is still devastated and will be for years to come. We have lost literally everything; all we have left is our pets.

Granted, many will never look for their pets. But I guarantee you that the owners whose pets are considered a part of their family will never give up and never stop looking for their pets.

If the cats from St.Bernard Parish are such a burden to this shelter, I will be glad to have them returned to St. Bernard where they will be cherished until claimed by their owners or adopted by loving families that have enough compassion to realize the scope of the devastation we have experienced.

Thank you for keeping them so far, but let's make arrangements for them to come home.

Ceily Trog

Manager, St. Bernard Parish Animal Control

504 278-4317

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).