ATTENTION: Lousiana Pet Owners Important Legislation

Senator Fontenot (District 13, Louisiana) is searching for Louisiana evacuees who were not allowed to evacuate with their pets, in order to enlist their help with testifying in support ofupcoming emergency pet evacuation legislation.

The bill is to be introduced on 3/27/06. It will be pre-filed this Friday (3/17/06).

Cathy Wells is the staff member from Sen. Fontenot's office who is collecting statements of affected parties.

Please cross-post and forward this to everyone you know who had to leave their pet(s) behind.

Email: wellsc@legis.state.la.us
Phone: 225-342-1126

Email I received today

...only surprise is that it took this long for the Katrina twist to these scams

MY DEAR BELOVED,

How are you, I am Mrs. Mary Smith I need to pass this urgent information to you as I have just been told by my doctor that I will be going for an urgent operation which he says will be a 50 to 50 chance of me living, my beloved I want you to know that I am old and I am 78 years old, as I am writing this email I am very ill and I suffer of a stroke and a heart problem which effected my mouth and my right leg keeping me sitting on a wheel chair, i must tell you that this information about the operation of transplanting of my full heart just came to me as a surprise and so I had to open up this great secret off mine to an honest and trusted person with the fear of the Lord in his/her heart to handle this great project of of the Lord for children effected in the Hurricane and as well as the needy.....

Well my Beloved let me tell you little about me I am a woman with out a child and I also lost my loving husband last year in the Hurricane Katrina, this was part of the problems in my life that kept me in this conditions because I think too very much, at the moment I am in u.k England because the hurricane wiped away our home living us with noting well I want you to know that even with all the Money that I have I could not still have a child to call my own its really painful but I live all complains to the LORD. I decided to use my funds which I had deposited in a company last year...... I had this money deposited at the Month I lost my husband because I wanted to secure our property and that is a lot of money, my beloved I am talking about 15million u.s.dollars it is now in a security company/Bank were I know is safe because I did
not let the company/bank know the content of the box which I deposited with them I told the
company that the box was contained with gold bars and they do not know that the box is contained with 15million dollars. My beloved i really need you to help me on this project because I believe that you will be capable and since you are a true believer you will have a very good idea/wisdom from the LORD to have good buildings of churches and daycares for needy children and as well good ideas of management of the funds when it gets over to you, please I really need you not to be surprised at this urgent information because I myself have never told any one about this, but it is because of the information I got from the doctor that makes me to open up now to you..... it will not be fair on the children VICTIMS and the HELPLESS if I die and that money is left over in that company without it given to the charity but I look up to you to help me handle the project.... I am not to strong to write more words now I will need you to get back to me if you will be handling this project for me, I want you to write me back so that I can give to you the full details on how you will receive the funds for this wonderful project of the Lord for children and the needy I would also like you to send your phone number so that I can have discussion with you the best way I can.

Remain Blessed
Mary Smith.
Mrs. Mary Smith
marysmith4kidds@yahoo.com

Adopted Pets with Contact Information

These are photos of pets that have been adopted, along with any information that is known about them. If you see your pet here, call or email the contact person asap. If you need assistance or support in recovering your pet, email: noanimalleftbehind@gmail.com
Male Grey and White Tabby
Here's what was written in his Petfinder record which was posted on 10-18:
Fat Tuesday (our name for him) survived more than a month with only occasional food and water. He lost a good bit of weight but fared extremely well considering the circumstances. Like so many of the rescued animals, he truly enjoys any time he can find with humans ... and the security of a full dish of food on the floor.

The rescuer felt the need to include this bit of commentary but there was no mention of where this cat was rescued from or found. Real nice.
Contact:
Lori West 300 Orchard Dr, West Columbia, S.C.
rescue@smithandwest.net
803-739-9333
803-407-1152


Female White Lhasa-Shih Tzu Mix
In spite of wearing a collar with a New Orleans rabies tag, this cutie was adopted out by the Sacramento SPCA.
Contact: ddrake@sspca.org (916) 383-7387, ext. 9149


Female Pom rescued from St. Bernard Parish
Petfinder record was posted/created on 10-7.
Adopted by Santa Barbara County Animal Services
Contact: 805-934-6953

Read this if you have someone's Katrina pet

This is a letter from an evacuee who is still searching for her beloved Yorkie named Timmy, sent to a volunteer who has been helping her locate him.

I have been in counseling for PTS Syndrome and the one thing that has always haunted me is the "guilt" that I feel over my animals. My therapist who is an animal person himself told me he did not like it when I did that to myself and told me to stop doing it, but the one thing you can never, never get out of your mind is the last time you held those animals and saw those little faces looking at you. I could not say morning prayers for weeks because everytime I said them I was on the sofa and Timmy my Yorkie would come and I would pick him up and put him next to me. The last morning we were together. He was high up on the bed...the water was rising and he chose to jump off that bed and swim over to me - that little thing - and I picked him up - he was all wet and smelling from the water that was already beginning to have an odor and he sat next to me as I read the prayers...that is a memory that will never fade nor will the memory of when I kissed him and he was so happy and excited and turned his little head toward me - he had no idea but I did know what was happening. The cats they were not as trusting - they knew things were not right from the beginning because they were mad that there was water all over and they could not get down off the mantle and table where they were....those are memories which will never leave you no matter how many times you hear people telling you you had no choice. I think that editorial letter should be sent to every newspaper in the country, to every government official in Washington as well as State officials and certainly to the shelters who are now ready to quit answering questions so that people and animals can be reunited!!!!.

Timmy is elderly and has cataracts, so he couldn't see so well. He only weighed 5 pounds. 5 tiny pounds that they would not let her bring with her from the house on Alexander Street.

Being forced to leave Timmy has broken her heart. She still has faith in humanity and prays that someone has Timmy, and just a picture of him posted to one of those PF records of found Yorkies that never had a picture included, would help her heal.

She doesn't even have a picture of Timmy left to look at, so Mollie is going to draw a composite sketch of Timmy, which we can use to look for Timmy and the owner can have a picture of her beloved little boy, that maybe, will help erase that last mental picture she has of him in her mind.

If any shelters, rescuers or volunteers are reading this, have you seen Timmy?

Beautiful and sad letter from a foster on returning a dog to his owners

Hi. I just wanted to share my story with the group. I have been working with Stealth trying desperately to reunite Katrina pets with their families, and had no idea how hard it was to let go until today.

4 1/2 months ago I found a HUGE, beautiful black lab in the middle of a very busy intersection. He was so terrified of the traffic swerving around him that he was frozen. After having him scanned for a chip, vet checked, putting up posters, listing on PF - all to no avail, he came home with me. I have periodically checked the paper and web for lost postings for the last 4 1/2 months. It was amazing to me to not find someone searching for him. He became a wonderful, much loved member of our family. He was great with my cats, my daughter, and my boxer/pit mix who hates other dogs. He spent Christmas with us, had gifts and a stocking, and a picture made with Santa. He slept in the bed with my baby girl every night, under a blanket with his head on a pillow. He weighed 120 lbs. and took up most of her bed. "Big Man Blackie Chan" was the most gentle giant. I love him so much.

I had just made the appointment to have him neutered, and decided to make one last attempt at placing a found ad in the paper. I ran 12 ads. I guess I figured that I would never get a call - not after this long. I left out critical details in the ad and asked the caller to id. This morning I
got a call from a man who said that he was pretty sure that he was wasting my time, but that his wife insisted that he call. His lab had been missing since right after Katrina - from Fairhope, AL. That is about 20 miles away from me, including a bridge spanning Mobile Bay. How could his dog have gotten 20 miles away and crossed a very busy 4 mile bridge? He identified EVERY detail that I left out of the ad - color & brand of collar, scar inside of left ear, etc. Needless to say, I was floored and in disbelief. As his wife was screaming in the background, "Is it Buddy?", I heard a small boy ask if someone had found Buddy. I gave them directions to come and view the dog. I still thought that this was a long shot. I decided that I would know by Big Man's reaction to them - he doesn't like strangers and will not approach them.

When they pulled up I watched the couple carry their 2 yr. old boy to my door. My heart sank when I saw Big Man run and jump onto the man and his wife. I have NEVER seen a dog so happy. They were in tears screaming IT'S HIM! IT'S BUDDY! I then watched how gentle, loving and protective he was over the baby as he threw his arms around Buddy's neck. There was no doubt that this was their dog. They showed me pics of him as a baby and pics taken right before he got lost. There was no doubt.

Without a doubt, giving him back to his family was the hardest thing that I ever had to do. I could not stop crying. Right before my gentle giant hopped in the car (without coaxing) he licked my tears and put his paw on my shoulder. It was as if he was saying thank you and goodbye.

I could see it in his eyes. I am so torn right now. I am happy that he is home with his family that so obviously loves him dearly. But, I still feel jelous - almost angry - and so hurt that I had to let him go. I know that this is childish and selfish, but I can't help it. I'm embarrassed to say that my 10 yr. old daughter is dealing with this better than I am.

It will be so hard to study for exams tonight without his head in my lap, or shower in the morning without him sticking his head in to lap at the water. I can't stop crying. I will miss my "Big Man Blackie Chan" more than I can express in words. I do, however, know deep down in my heart that I did the right thing. As hard as it is for me to take, I LOVED HIM ENOUGH TO LET HIM GO. I know that he will have a happy life and be spoiled! I wish that knowledge could somehow ease the pain of losing him. Maybe in time.

Alexis Houston

Four Dog Weekend

Tom Mcfee, Eric Rice and I met up at Eric's place in Annapolis on Friday night / Saturday morning to talk about and reflect on the past six months. And to hear about the film that Tom is making. I won't say anything about it but it's going to totally rock. To see the thousands of photos that Tom took of rescued Katrina pets along with intake tickets, visit cavestudio.net

Here's Eric with the dogs; Ruby (mine) is in the foreground with Murphy (also mine) right behind her, and his two are on either side of him. The photo was blurry (as they all were) because it was impossible to get all of them to be still at the same time.

It was really good to get together with others who have been and still are involved with this, as my friends and family no longer want to hear about Katrina animals. Sadly, people everywhere are forgetting about Katrina. It's as if it happened long ago and far away. Which is stunning.

Tom, Eric and I talked about what an incredible, organic experience this has been - strangers coming together in so many ways to help other strangers. Those who could, got on planes or cars and went to the Gulf Coast to help rescue or volunteer at a staging area. Those of us who couldn't, got online. Others sent money, supplies. Many people fostered Katrina pets while searching for their owners. Many others helped out in local shelters that took in Katrina pets.

What a long, strange trip this has been. And it ain't over yet.

From the archives: Letter from Michael Moore to George Bush

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Dear Mr. Bush:

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!

I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?

And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.

No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!

You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.

Yours,

Michael Moore

List of animals rescued by Muttshack with addresses

If you are searching for your pet, please look over this list to see if any sound familiar. Many pets were found in a house other than where they lived, so don't rule out one that is nearby your New Orleans address. If you need more info on any of these, please email: noanimalleftbehind@gmail.com

Male Dogs:

Brown Cocker Spaniel
23 Winners Circle, New Orleans, LA 70128

Back Rottie, Male
1900 Louisa St, New Orleans, LA 70126
May have been sent to Middleburg Humane in Vermont

Black & White Beagle
4818 Sevres St, New Orleans, LA 70129

Black Border Mix
4818 Sevres St, New Orleans, LA 70129

Black Lab Mix
7861 Shamrock Drive, New Orleans, LA 70128
found with female cat and White Calico

Red Chow
11430 Hayne Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70128
1 eye missing, maybe deaf

Female Dogs:

Black Lab
4812 Corinne St, New Orleans, LA 70127

Brown Beagle Mix
11327 Prentiss Ave, New Orleans, LA 70128

Brown and White Pit/Lab Mix
7724 Vincent Rd, New Orleans, LA 70128

Brown, black & white Toy Pomerian
Bearington Apartments, date 09/22

Dogs of unknown sex:

Brown Dachsund/Beagle mix
Tatoo in ear that read "JDB"

Pit Mix Brindle
7516 Vanderkloof Ave, New Orleans, LA 70127

White Chow
7524 Jonlee Drive, New Orleans, LA 70128

Black Chow
7914 Edward St, New Orleans, LA 70126

Black Rott/Lab mix, young
Wearing purple heart shaped tag that read "Cubbie Lewis"

Black Mutt, approx. 25 lbs.
3107 North Miro St, New Orleans, LA 70117

Black Lab Mix (found with Brown Lab Mix)
7653 Avalon Way, New Orleans, LA 70127, date 09/26

White & Yellow Rat Terrier Mix, short hair
Bearington Apartments, date 09/22.

Cats:

3 black cats
7900 Sandpiper Drive, New Orleans, LA 70128

Female Calico Cat
4737 Corinne St, New Orleans, LA 70127

White Cat
Republic St, New Orleans, LA 70122

White Cat with White feet
2641 Jonquil St, New Orleans, LA 70122

Update on St. Bernard Parish Dog Murders

Many victims of Hurricane Katrina who were forced to leave pets behind in St. Bernard Parish were devastated to learn that the animals they loved and entrusted to law enforcement officers were brutally shot to death. They want answers and justice. And they may be getting both.

Some evacuees left their pets in the care of police at one of three schools in the parish. When the residents returned for the animals two to four weeks later, they found that most of them were dead, their bodies scattered in classrooms, tethered or shot in groups.

I trusted the deputies, said evacuee Jodie Jones. It is such a shock and such a heartbreak that anybody could just shoot them.

Jones and others want those responsible to be held accountable.

Investigators with the Louisiana Attorney Generals office in Baton Rouge are trying to do just that. They are in the midst of two lengthy probes; one looking into street shootings and the other into school killings.

The findings of the investigators are leading to St. Bernard Parish Sheriffs Office deputies, many of whom were entrusted with the care of more than 60 dogs, some cats and a few birds at three different schools.

Incriminating Evidence
Photographer David Leeson, Jr., who was on assignment for the Dallas Morning News immediately following Hurricane Katrina, has produced the most damning evidence to date of police wrongdoing. The paper, under subpoena, has turned over to the Attorney Generals office Leeson's raw video footage of dogs being gunned down on the streets around September 7.

While driving the streets between St. Bernard Highway and Judge Perez Drive near Chalmette, Leeson stopped to help a dog but was dismayed to see what happened when two people in a Jeep and two officers in the back of a pickup drove up.

They shot the dog I was stopping to help right in front of me, Leeson said.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer then recorded other events. On the raw tape you can hear the shootings [of] eight to nine dogs, he said. Also disturbing in the video is the admission by then-Sergeant Mike Minton of the sheriff's office that he had, in fact, shot dogs to death.

When Minton noticed Leeson's camera, [Minton] just kind of jumped in front of me and said, What's going on?, Leeson said. I told him who I was. I said, Tell me about the dog shootings. He started talking.

When Leeson asked Minton how many dogs he'd shot, Minton replied, "Enough."

And, Leeson said, on the unedited tape, Minton implicated a senior officer. The sergeant, who was suspended by his department after an edited version was posted on the newspaper's website, has since resigned his post.

The video appears to contain enough evidence for the attorney general's office to continue its case.

For the dogs in the street, we have evidence, said Assistant Attorney General Mimi Hunley. We have the film.

Evidence from the Schools
For the probe into the school shootings at Sebastian Roy Elementary School, Beauregard Middle School, and St. Bernard High School investigators, according to sources close to the case, are said to be relying on ammunition and spent bullets found at the scenes, and, equally important, on eyewitness accounts.

Kris Wartelle, spokeswoman for the attorney general, noted, We can't comment on how many [officers may be involved], except to say we do have a list of deputies we are questioning in connection with this investigation. The St. Bernard Sheriff's Office, Wartelle said, is the only law enforcement agency under investigation. That rules out earlier speculation that National Guard officers may have been involved.

Sheriff Jack Stephens, for his part, declined to be interviewed but said through Captain Mike Sanders: We are prohibited from giving any information to the press. That investigation is ongoing.

Earlier, however, on September 29, after the bodies of animals were discovered at Sebastian Roy Elementary School on Bayou Road, Stephens told CNN: I'm certainly not prepared to say without reservation that it wasn't one of our officers that did it. But what I do know is that it's a despicable act. And someone who did this just has some imperfection in their psyche. And if that someone is a law enforcement officer, they can't be in this business. They're in the wrong business.

About 60 people evacuated with their pets to Beauregard Middle School, including Kit Bauer. She was rescued on August 29 from her attic when neighbors in a boat heard one of her dogs barking. They took her to Beauregard, where she and the dogs spent three days.

Bauer left a note written in chalk on a wall outside a classroom with her phone number. It read, In this room are 6 adult dogs and 4 puppies. Please save them. Kit. The puppies were three-week-old dachshunds and were still nursing. She left water and opened three boxes of Fruit Loops cereal for the dogs. One dog, Indy, was located two weeks after the storm at a shelter and has since been returned to Bauer.

Jodie Jones also left a note at a school. She and her husband, Clay, evacuated the Saturday after the levees broke. A half-mile down Bayou Road, the Joneses left their three cats and a dog in the hands of deputies at a makeshift evacuee center at St. Bernard High School. To their horror, two of their cats were found dead four weeks later inside the carriers they had delivered them in. They haven't found their third cat. All were 10 and 12 years old.

I asked the deputies to promise me they'd get my animals to safety, Jones said. They assured us nothing was going to happen to them.

The deputies told us, If you want to get out alive, you have to go now. We're saving people, not animals. I knew two of the officers. We thought we were doing a good thing by taking our animals to the school.

Their dog, Suzie, somehow escaped being shot and was located in a foster home. Suzie made it to California, Jones said. But she died three days before we were scheduled to get her. I think she died of grief.

Carol Hamm stayed at the high school for two days, waiting for her husband and son, who used their boat to rescue people stranded on rooftops and in attics of flooded homes. While at the high school, Hamm said, One moment [the deputies] told us we could take our pets, and the next moment they said we couldn't. My husband was still at the house with our dogs.

Her husband ended up paddling a boat and dropping off their four dogs at Beauregard Middle School, because sheriff's deputies told him they would take the dogs to an animal shelter for safekeeping. Then he and their son went to the high school and were evacuated out a day later with Hamm.

On September 30, Carol Hamm returned to the school to look for the family's pets. It's the worst memory I'll ever have, she said. The bodies were being removed. It was horrible. I was crying over strangers dogs. Only three of our dogs were in the room. We saw a golden retriever, two Yorkshire terriers, all breeds, and a lot of pits and rotties. Some were shot running, one up the stairs. Bullet, our husky mix, was shot in the head.

Many animals were also taken to St. Bernard High School. People were there with dogs, cats and birds, too. You name it, people brought them," Hamm said. There was an old woman who wanted to take her Yorkie. The dog was so tiny she could fit it in her purse. They made her leave it.

While still at the high school, Hamm overheard a deputy say to another officer, As soon as these people leave, I'm shooting these dogs. Hamm and others confronted the officer. A medic was also there, Hamm said, and he told me he wouldn't let anything happen to them.

At both the middle and high schools, evacuees were eventually ordered to get in the back of garbage trucks. The water had receded and by then was about a foot-and-a-half deep. They were driven in the trucks to barges that took them across the river to buses. Some were bused to Oklahoma and Texas, others to Baton Rouge.

Christopher Acosta also left his dog Mercedes at Beauregard Middle School, along with 10 dogs belonging to his mother, uncle, cousin and best friend. His uncle's German shepherd somehow escaped and made it back to his house.

Acosta returned to the school two weeks later to look for the remaining dogs. What he found were bodies. It made me mad, Acosta said. The more bodies I saw, the angrier I got. He opened every classroom, searching. By his count, about 40 deceased pets were in the building. They included his mother's Pomeranian. Mercedes, his pit bull, missed being shot because her leash got stuck in a file cabinet, trapping her behind it.

A resident walked by the school sometime after the shootings and heard a faint whimper. He flagged down the driver of an SUV that had animal rescue scrawled on the window. Kelle Davis of Animal Rescue New Orleans went inside and found the whimpering dog, who turned out to be Mercedes. Mercedes was later taken to Best Friends' rescue center in Tylertown and reunited with Acosta three months after the evacuation.

Picking up the Pieces
While the investigations into the shootings continue, those who lost their pets in the carnage are trying to get on with their lives.

Carol Hamm and her family, who now live in Temple, Texas, are about to be reunited with Daisy, the sole survivor of the four dogs they left at the school. Daisy was rescued and taken to Tylertown, then placed in a foster home. The family is looking forward to getting Daisy home.

Christopher and Crystal Acosta are waiting for electricity to be hooked up to a FEMA trailer so they can live in it on their St. Bernard Parish property while they repair their house. I love this dog with all my heart, Acosta told reporters the day he and Mercedes were reunited, and I'm just grateful to get her back.

Jodie Jones returned to her home on Valentines Day after she and her husband received keys to their FEMA trailer. Going home brought back many memories. Jones said, You know how when you pull up in the driveway you're used to them barking, and when you go inside they're happy to see you? It was like we expected to see them, but they weren't there. It's been difficult. My pets were my children. I can't get over the abuse.

Kit Bauer now lives out of state and has no plans to return to St. Bernard Parish. There's nothing to go back to, she said. As for the investigation, Bauer said, I don't want to dwell on what the deputies may or may not have done. They took care of us while we were at the school and found us food. I just pray my dogs didn't suffer.

by Cathy Scott, Best Friends

Attention: residents of St. Bernard Parish

SBP Animal Control has the following limited minimum hours.
8 am - Noon Mondays - Fridays
8 - 11 am Saturdays and Sundays

The phone number: 504 228-1093
Email: sbpanimal@aol.com.

There are books of photos of pets that have been rescued from SBP available to look through.

May you forever rest in peace, Leibchen. You were loved.

A letter from Leibchen's wonderful foster mom:

It is with great sadness and much love that I want to tell everyone that our Leibchen passed away this morning. It was a quick, but not unexpected death. She died here at home with her family surrounded by a lot of love and happiness. We will miss her and her raspy bark, wagging nubby as she tried to con us out of the human food treats she so loved. The smell of popcorn will always remind me of her. The smell of it popping would bring her to you from any area of my home.

Leibchen had a myriad of medical problems brought on by years of neglect, this was compounded by her advanced age. She fought to live through the neglect that brought her to us. Her will to live, an inspiration to all those who heard her story. She chose to live and fight when most would have given up. I believe her message to all of us was to spread the word about taking your pets with you during a natural disaster evacuation. In her memory, please spread this word to everyone you know. If it saves one life it will mean her message and fight will go on to save others.

Many thanks to Dr Melinda Knight of Bayou Cane Veterinary services. She has worked with me for months trying to find the right combination of medications for Leibi. She took the time to research different medications and to call and check on Leibi. She came out this morning and is handling Leibi's final arrangements.

My deepest thanks to Ms Kathleen O'Gorman for coming to visit Leibi and for loving and caring about her. Because of her kindness, Leibi will never have to go through another hurricane again. Ms Kathleen has kindly agreed to take Leibi's ashes with her to North Louisiana to her hurricane haven.

Leibchen died knowing love and that we valued her and her life. Her bed was soft, her bowl filled with food and water.

-Jeanette Tanguis

Leibchen's Story:

She was put out with the trash when her "family" returned to their home 7 1/2 weeks after Katrina. They found her unable to stand and near death. Their reaction was to drag her to the curb and leave her in the trash pile for pick-up. When a neighbor noticed she was still alive, and asked them about this, the owner stated they didn't believe she would be (alive) by the morning.

The neighbor took the Dobe to the Southern Animal Foundation Clinic where she stayed for weeks with a 50-50 chance of survival. She was named Leibchen and continued to improve daily. She was released to Gulf Coast Doberman Rescue and walked out of the vets office under her own steam. She totally enjoyed riding to Houma to meet her new foster mom. Photos from Gulf Coast Doberman Rescue, a 501c3 organization

From the archives: A letter from PETA to HSUS

September 27, 2005
Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO
The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20037

Dear Wayne,

We were disturbed to read the following statement, attributed to you, on HSUS.org this morning: “We are strongly discouraging rescuers from picking up highly aggressive animals, since they will probably be euthanized. We are also discouraging people from trapping feral cats, since these animals cannot be adopted through the system in place at Gonzales.�?

While we are delighted that homes can be found for many of Hurricane Katrina’s animal victims and have helped in that process, those on the front lines may need a reminder that euthanasia means mercy killing, putting animals out of their misery, and protecting animals from fates worse than death and from painful, traumatic deaths.

It is no service to animals for a humane organization to abandon to starvation, dehydration, death by shotgun, and so on those who are unsocialized and who are biting out of fear or who may have been abused in a variety of ways, including by being trained to fight. Locking these animals out of the Lamar-Dixon center and leaving them to reproduce and be cruelly disposed of is unacceptable by any humane standard.

On behalf of everyone at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which has never—and never will—abdicate the responsibility of euthanizing animals when it is the kindest option available to them, we urge The Humane Society of the United States to take the high road by doing what is right for these animals. We appeal to you not to abandon these animals to die horrible deaths but to instead—despite what the public relations fallout might be from those who do not understand the cruelty involved in turning away from the problem—step up to the plate and advocate a peaceful, painless release for them if there is no room at Lamar-Dixon and there are no adoption prospects.

Sincerely,
Ingrid E. Newkirk
www.peta.org

UPDATE: Zoey found safe at St. Francis Sanctuary in Tylertown

Zoey was left with a pet-sitter at her home in Metairie while her family was out of town. Katrina hit and the pet-sitter evacuated with her own dogs but left Zoey alone in the yard. The owner was not able to contact the pet sitter for two weeks, all this time believing that she had Zoey with her.

Only 8 months earlier, Zoey was rescued and saved from euthanisia after found wandering on Jefferson Highway (4 lane highway) badly injured. She was still only a pup. She had been severly abused and required on-going medical care. By the time she was well, she was already a much-loved family member who is now deeply missed. Please help find Zoey and return her to her family.

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.