140 People on the Ground in Louisiana and Mississippi Searching and Rescuing Pets
Wayne Pacelle
President and CEO, Humane Society of the United States
Thursday, September 8, 2005
11:00 AM
Search and rescue teams from the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) are moving door-to-door through the streets and alleyways of New Orleans, rushing to track down and save as many stranded and trapped pets as they can. Desperate pet owners and recent evacuees have been phoning in by the hundreds to the HSUS's Disaster Call Center (1-800-Humane-1).
Wayne Pacelle , president and chief executive officer of the Humane Society of the United States, was online Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the pet rescue efforts in the Gulf.
A transcript follows.
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Wayne Pacelle: At The Humane Society of the United States, we work principally to halt human-caused harm and cruelty to animals. Occasionally though, nature deals a major blow to animals, especially those dependent upon us for shelter, food, and basic care.
For about 10 years, HSUS has had an active disaster relief program. Our Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) answers the call to help with the animal victims of hurricanes, forest fires, tornadoes, and other disasters.
While we have been on the ground in the wake of many major disasters, Katrina is the greatest American disaster we've ever had to cope with. If we just were attending to the needs in New Orleans, we could make full use of all of our available resources. But the parishes around Orleans and enormous areas in Mississippi and a portion of Alabama have been hit very hard. We have staging areas in Hattiesburg, Miss. and Gonzales, La., and we have about 250 people under our control. We are sending in more people from across the country every day, to add to our forces and to replace those who are exhausted and need a break. Our teams are doing search and rescue, door to door rescues, sheltering and care, and a wide range of other activities. At the Lamar Dixon staging area in Gonzales, La., we already have more than 1,000 animals, and our teams are sure to bring hundreds more back today.
We are principally focused on the pet rescue, but other animals are suffering too, including horses, farm animals, captive wildlife, and wildlife. We have vehicles and staff experts to attend to all of these animals, but we are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the needs.
On our web site, www.hsus.org, we have a disaster resource center, with video and slide shows of our activities, reporting from our field staff, dispatches from our team leaders, and much more, including an opportunity for the public to donate.
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Washington, D.C.: I would like to foster one of the abandoned animals, either "in person" or by donating money toward support for the poor thing until it can be reunited with its owner or sent to a proper new home. Is there a system in place for that? Do you have contact information? Thank you!
Wayne Pacelle: The pets who are rescued and not reunited with the owners will be taken by local humane societies and put up for adoption. We already understand that local animal shelters are hearing from community members asking if they can adopt a pet made homeless by Katrina.
The best way to foster displaced pet is to contact your local animal shelters. You can find contact information for your local animal shelters at www.pets911.com or www.petfinder.com.
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washingtonpost.com: Humane Society of the U.S.
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Silver Spring, Md.: Just a comment. Maybe one good thing to come out of this disaster is a big wake-up call to government officials to plan and cooperate better with animal rescue efforts to help people and their pets. The animal rescue organizations already know what to do to help animals--all they need is to be able to do it.
Wayne Pacelle: That's right. We've been working for more than ten years trying to get communities and human relief agencies to include pet-friendly approaches in their disaster protocols. Now the whole world can see how badly the refusal to rescue people and their pets can undermine the general rescue effort. We have the expertise but for the first few days in this crisis we were denied access to the impact zone and you've seen the result. Refusals to evacuate, lots of heartache, taking away a little boy's dog after he lost everything else (which caused the boy to start vomiting). We are pressing federal, state, and local responders to overhaul their disaster response programs in light of the concerns that are so evident in this tragic situation.
We are pleading with the government responders to help us with the rescue efforts. We have dozens of teams rescuing animals, but we need more help, and we need it fast.
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washingtonpost.com: Plight of Stranded Animals Worsening Daily (The Post, Sept. 8)
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Fairfax, Va.: Many of the residents who refused to leave flooded areas did so because they did not want to leave their pets. I suspect that for many people, their pets were all they had left.
I understand and agree that saving people is the priority, but why couldn't we bend the rules (i.e., no animals on evacuation buses) and allow pet owners to bring their beasts? It seems a win-win situation to me.
Wayne Pacelle: We shouldn't force people in a moment of crisis into such a terrible choice; more than 2,000 evacuees have contacted since last Monday desperately seeking our help with the animals they left behind. They were wracked with guilt and remorse and they were angry at having been told that they might be able to go back in for their pets in a couple of days. There are ways to organize animal evacuation procedures that dovetail with those protocols focused on human beings. The Louisiana state treasurer, John Kennedy, improvised just such a procedure along I-10 in the middle of the crisis and because of his cool judgment and compassion, there are fifteen or twenty people out there who will be able to see and hold their pets again.
But what's done is done. The government responders did not help the animals, but now that most of the people have been removed, they can help us with the evacuation of tens of thousands of animals who are experiencing loneliness, thirst, and hunger, and who desperately need our help.
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Washington, D.C.: My sister, an LSU vet student, has been helping with many of the local animal evacuation shelters outside of New Orleans. She says they have received many dogs and horses with skin problems from standing in or swimming through the dirty water. What are some other major medical problems facing animals in the region?
Wayne Pacelle: According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, its Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT) have reported that the animals that have survived and have been rescued are in "pretty good shape." No serious injuries have been reported; however, they expect that to change.
Many of the animals that the HSUS teams have rescued were locked in homes. Our people have been breaking into homes to rescue the animals, and the animals so far seem to be doing okay. We believe we have a few more days before they start to perish from dehydration and hunger. In short, every day is critical.
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Berkeley, Calif.: Could you tell me about your efforts for farm animals, too?
Wayne Pacelle: Animals confined on factory farms are particularly vulnerable to disasters. For example, on most egg farms, where chickens are confined in cages so small they can't even spread their wings, if the power goes out or the water is no longer available, literally hundreds of thousands of animals can die within days. The HSUS is doing everything we can to try to help farm animals in the affected states, but many of the impacted factory farms are not allowing anyone on their property right now.
Mississippi is the fourth largest poultry-producing state, with 873 million birds sent to slaughter last year.
Again, as with the animals at zoos, animals on large confinement operations cannot be moved prior to the arrival of a hurricane because of the sheer number of creatures.
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Annapolis, Md.: First of all, thank you so much for your efforts in rescuing all of the terrified and starving animals affected by the Hurricane. I've already given hundreds of dollars to your organization. What else can I do? I'm haunted by the animals trapped in houses, animals left behind after people are rescued because animals aren't allowed to go with evacuees, and people who are staying behind to be with their pets.
I feel helpless. How can I help you get access to rescue more animals? What can I do?
Wayne Pacelle: First, thank you for your generosity. Your support, and that of tens of thousands of others, is allowing me to send hundreds of people into the field, to purchase new trucks and other essential equipment, to feed, care, and house the animals, and much more.
You can help by spreading the word to others. If people are particularly good at animal care and handling, we are allowing some volunteers to head to the stricken areas, in both Louisiana and Mississippi. But it's hard work, and the accommodations are spartan.
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Silver Spring, Md.: I at a loss as to where to send a donation. There are too many options and I would like to choose the organization that will meet the needs of these lost pets and will not euthanize the pets if they are not claimed or adopted.
Wayne Pacelle: There are many good groups, focused on both human welfare and animal welfare, and ultimately you must decide how to spend your finite resources. As for HSUS, we have pioneered disaster relief for animals and have been doing it for 10 years. We have skilled people on the ground, and our staff gain more training and insight with each disaster experience. We want to re-unite every animal with his or her caretaker, and we want to adopt every animal without an owner.
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Detroit, Mich.: I read that the fish of the New Orleans aquarium have died. What happened to the animals of the zoo?
Wayne Pacelle: The Audubon Zoo did not fare too badly, given the circumstances. It is situated on high ground, and did not floor. With more than 1,000 animals at the zoo, the reports indicate several otters and one or two other animals as casualties. The curator, Dan Maloney, has staff in place and they made good arrangements for disaster preparations. Dan's wife, Laura Maloney, is the head of the Louisiana SPCA and we are working closely with her on pet relief throughout the state.
The Louisiana SPCA evacuated all of its animals prior to the hurricane; they all went to Houston.
But the Audubon zoo cannot evacuate large, powerful exotic animals. There is no place for them to go. That makes zoos particularly vulnerable to hurricanes, and a great deal of work needs to be done to secure the animals.
The accredited zoo community has stepped forward to assist and is channeling donations through the Lincoln Park Zoo.
To make a donation, people can visit the Lincoln Park Zoo web site at www.lpzoo.org and click on hurricane relief, or mail a check, made out to The Lincoln Park Zoological Society, and send it to: Lincoln Park Zoo, P.O. Box 14903, Chicago IL 60614, Attention: Hurricane Katrina Relief.
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Houston, Tex.: I live in Houston, have an SUV, am willing to take time off to help. What can I do personally to assist?
Wayne Pacelle: Please call the Houston SPCA and tell them you are willing to shuttle animals between our staging area in Gonzales and the Houston SPCA. The Houston SPCA is serving as a distribution center for animals, and will move the animals from there to local humane societies across the country.
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Olney, Md.: Hi Wayne, I visited your site earlier today and was unable to find information about making disaster preparations for pets. Can you point us to a good source for advice?
Wayne Pacelle: You can find information about preparing for a disaster on our web site at
http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/hsus_disaster_center/.
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washingtonpost.com: Lincoln Park Zoo
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Bethesda, Md.: I am with a dog rescue organization here in the mid-Atlantic region. My counterparts down in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, and other areas closer to the affected areas stand ready to take in/foster/rehome any dogs of our breed who might need it. How do they get on a list so the organizations like yours know they are there, ready, willing, and able to help? Who should they contact and how?
Thanks!
Wayne Pacelle: We have a volunteer form set up on a Web site called www.animalsheltering.org and you can post your offer of assistance there. Someone will respond to you in a timely way as soon as we can assess the needs of our people and partners on the ground. Thanks for mobilizing.
http://www.animalsheltering.org/programs_and_services/disaster_services/hurricane_katrina_form.html
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washingtonpost.com: HSUS Disaster Center
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Washington, D.C.: Do you know if stranded animals are drinking the toxic water in New Orleans and what the health effects have been?
Wayne Pacelle: It can't be good for the animals, since the water is now so severely contaminated. It's too early for us to make a determination if many animals are experiencing ill effects, but it must be occurring.
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Wheaton, Md.: If a disaster struck the D.C. area, I hope I would never leave home without my furry friends. It must be agonizing to be separated from the animals you love. How else can we learn from the Hurricane Katrina experience, and prepare for a disaster where we live?
Wayne Pacelle: We have a section on our web site, which I posted in an earlier response, that give disaster preparedness information.
The rescue and recover work is very expensive and difficult. Making preparations for your animals before a disaster strikes is critically important.
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Pittsburgh, Pa.: Perhaps it is too late for me to offer physical assistance in this disaster. But do you have a training program for volunteers? If so, where do I sign up? I would love to be able to help during the next disaster.
Wayne Pacelle: We have a major training conference each year. The last one was in Philadelphia, with more than 300 attendees. When this crisis settles down, contact our Disaster Services staff and ask when the next training program is conducted.
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washingtonpost.com: Animal Sheltering.org
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Washington, D.C.: I have heard reports that there is very little in the way of actual rescue effort for the animals in Mississippi cities affected by Katrina. Dogs and cats running the streets emaciated -- no food or water -- in Waveland. Animals crying, abandoned by their owners in mobile homes.
What efforts are being made to get into some of these towns?
What kind of access is there to these areas for private rescue organizations or individuals who want to go down there and help the animals?
Wayne Pacelle: While there has been much media focus during the past few days on New Orleans, there is a drama that's been unfolding in Mississippi, too. Our teams were there on the ground the day after the hurricane, and we were responding as soon as we gained access to the most stricken areas.
We rescued 120 dogs -- some of them swimming in the cages -- from the local humane society devastated in Gulfport. We have search and rescue going on throughout southern Mississippi, and we are now in the areas you are mentioning.
Our team leader in Mississippi, Laura Bevan, has a log on our web site, and she'll be updating it periodically.
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Howard County, Md.: Thank you for your efforts to rescue and care for the pets affected by Katrina. I would like to give a comfortable and loving home to a pet that cannot be reunited with its family. Will there be a way for people to adopt pets that were left behind?
Wayne Pacelle: Pets that can't be reunited with their families are being housed in temporary animal shelters or are being transferred to other animal shelters across the country. Contact your local animal shelters to see if they have received any of the displaced pets. In addition, many animals, including those from the Louisiana SPCA (www.la-spca.org), are being taken to the Houston SPCA (www.spcahouston.org) for temporary shelter. Check with those agencies and visit www.hsus.org frequently for updates. If you can't adopt an animal from the affected areas, we encourage you to adopt a pet from your local animal shelter. You can find contact information for your local shelters at www.pets911.com or www.petfinder.com.
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Alexandria, Va.: Your efforts are very much appreciated, we thank you. In cases where pets may be displaced and not claimed ... what will happen to them?
Wayne Pacelle: They are being rescued, held at temporary holding facilities (and our hope is that we can reunite the animals with his or her owner at that time), and then moved to Houston, where the SPCA there will transport the animals to local humane societies across the country.
In addition, local humane society animal care and control officers from across the country have responded. They may take some animals back with them after they return from the disaster. The Oregon Humane Society, Missouri Humane Society, the Animal Rescue League of Boston, the Broward County Humane Society, the Michigan Humane Society, San Diego Humane Society, and so many others have responded with personnel and trucks.
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Fairfax, Va.: Petfinders is also helping in the effort. Is there any conflict with the Humane Socieity in both organizations doing the same job?
Wayne Pacelle: Thanks for asking this. We're working hand in hand with Petfinder.org and other groups to centralize all data concerning rescued animals so that people can see who's been rescued and can even post photographs of their missing animals to facilitate search, rescue, and reunion. We expect to have this database in place by late today but in the meantime, we're already synchronizing our record systems to get it rolling. In the meantime, you can read some of the information at http://www.petfinder.com/disaster/index.html to see how this is going to shape up.
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washingtonpost.com: Louisiana SPCA
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Washington, D.C.: I heard that the animals at the Gonzales shelter would only be held for 14 days. Is this true and what will happen to animals after that time is up? ALso how can people who have lost their pets find out which location their pet might be at since I see there are shelters in Slidell, Gonzales, Monroe, Alexandria, Natchitches, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Abbeville, and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana as well as Austin, Tex., and Jackson, Miss.
Wayne Pacelle: Because the staging area will soon be completely full -- we have more than 1,000 animals at the Louisiana facility alone -- we probably won't be holding them for two weeks. Instead, it will be 5 - 7 days, and they'll probably be moved to Houston. We'll be photographing every dog, and keeping a log of the location where he or she was found. Information will be posted on www.hsus.org and www.petfinder.com.
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washingtonpost.com: Houston SPCA
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Williamsburg, Va.: There needs to be some sort of national set-up with a humane society to be in place at shelters to take in pets for residents that aren't able to get out of town. That means portable kennel systems to be rolled into place a section where they are monitored by humane society staff. Why can't this be achieved? Don't people realize that pets are just as important to us as our family members are?
Wayne Pacelle: We have called upon every community to implement a disaster plan and we work with local societies to develop their own. That's how the Louisiana SPCA was able to get all of its animals out of harm's way just before Katrina struck. Some of the animals in one Mississippi shelter weren't so lucky, with 200 perishing at one operation. We make our resources available to all local societies in an afflicted area, for example as we did during last year's four hurricanes in Florida, and that includes mobile veterinary clinics, cages, and shelters, etc. The positive thing about this crisis is that local societies with emergency plans and equipment are getting into the impact areas and helping out. We've worked with our partners to improvise holding facilities and shelters, and developed a system for getting animals stabilized and into safe places. We had just conducted a disaster preparedness training workshop in Mississippi a few weeks ago. Maybe these events will be better publicized, in light of the extensive media coverage of the issue.
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washingtonpost.com: Pets 911
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washingtonpost.com: Petfinder.com
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Bethesda, Md.: What will happen to rescued pets who aren't claimed by their owners right away? How long will they be held in shelters and will they be put down?
Wayne Pacelle: They'll be moved, after a week, from our staging area to Houston and then off to other local humane societies for adoption. We will do our absolute best to find a home for every rescued animal not reunited with his or her owner.
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Washington, D.C.: Do any smaller dogs need a temporary foster home? I'd like to take one in but I live in Washington, D.C.
Wayne Pacelle: The Washington Animal Rescue League generously responded to the disaster and has already brought some animals back for adoption. Contact WARL, which is a fine organization in our community, and see if they have any animals left.
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Silver Spring, Md.: At our distance from the affected areas, what's the best thing we can do? Donate money? If we're able, foster pets? Is it really feasible for us to foster pets from here?
Wayne Pacelle: Donating is the most tangible thing you can do. Please send us an e-mail through our web site and let us know if you might be willing to foster. If the need arises, we'll contact you. As a general matter, the local humane societies in the region, such as the Washington Humane Society, the Washington Animal Rescue League, the Montgomery County Humane Society, and the humane societies in Alexandria and the rest of northern Virginia need foster homes and adopters. That's an ongoing issue, and they need your support.
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Washington, D.C.: I'm awed by the leadership the Humane Society has shown in the midst of this disaster. I will be a loyal financial supporter of your organization from this point on.
One question: we hear about the plight of farm animals here and there. Surely, there are farming associations whose members have been affected by this disaster. What are they doing to aid in the rescue and recover of the animals whose hides and bodies they make a profit from every day? Am I being too harsh?
Wayne Pacelle: Yes, many farm animals have been severely impacted by the hurricane. Hundreds of thousands of chickens and other farm animals were killed by Katrina. Reports indicate that owners of these factory farms are moving surviving animals to other confinement operations or are sending them to slaughter. You can watch a video of factory-farmed chickens being collected from an affected farm at this link: http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=84038
As I mentioned, when you confine hundreds of thousands of animals in one location, as is the case with many farms, the impact of a disaster can be devastating. Factory-farmed animals are typically in a state of suffering because of their poor living conditions, and an event like this only makes the situation worse.
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Miller Place, N.Y.: Is there anyway to get the information on rescued animals into the newspapers so that those who do not have access to the Internet can also look for their pets via the media, papers and TV?
Wayne Pacelle: Lots of newspapers are publishing information about HSUS's disaster relief efforts and giving out our web address, www.hsus.org, and our 1-800-HUMANE-1 phone number. Please contact your local paper and ask to have this information published so people can help with this work. And write a letter to the editor and urge people to make disaster plans for their animals.
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Washington, D.C.: I just looked at the Louisiana SPCA site and since they lost their computer setup they cannot process donations. Can we donate at your site specifically for that SPCA?
Thanks
Wayne Pacelle: We will be making a substantial gift to the Louisiana SPCA to help with operations and rebuilding. Yes, donate to us and earmark it for the Louisiana SPCA and will be add to the total we will be giving.
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washingtonpost.com: Katrina Kills Thousands of Chickens in Georgia (KSDK.com, Aug. 30))
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Rockville, Md.: I just read that you will do all you can to reunite/foster/adopt out as many abandoned pets as you can. If the worst happens, and the time comes that a decision needs to made about those that are left to be taken care of, will you make some sort of nationwide appeal, with pictures, of those pets who still need homes? I'm afraid that Katrina may fade away from the front pages after a time and the animals be forgotten, and that a wake-up call might be necessary for the pets.
Wayne Pacelle: Yes, we will be diligent in getting the word out about adoptions and so will local humane societies who take refugees from the disaster. I do want to emphasize there are so many animals in shelters now that need loving homes. Please do what you can to help them. They deserve a good home, too.
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Annandale, Va.: The gov talks about how toxic the water in N.O. is, yet they're pumping it back into the lake. Isn't this pretty much the death of that lake? I doubt any fish or even plants will survive what they're doing to it.
Wayne Pacelle: It is a risk. The Post had a story on this yesterday, and many experts agreed that the lake would be able to withstand the pumping, and that nature is extraordinarily resilient. I refer you to yesterday's Post for an informative article.
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What about cats? Are you helping them, too?: Lots of references to dogs here. I assume that's shorthand and you're working with cats, too -- is that correct?
Wayne Pacelle: Yes, we are rescuing a huge number of cats -- it seems about 50/50 at this point. Many people left their cats with a food bowl and water and assumed they'd be back.
The cats that our rescuers are finding are scared, hungry, and angry and that makes catching them very hard. But they are still alive, and that's why we'll press on.
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Ellicott City, Md.: Do you know if the animals on the rooftop of a Medical Center and the person who stayed behind to care for them were rescued? I read that there were 50-150 animals was this true? Thank you
Wayne Pacelle: Yes, this was a heroic story. A doctor and nurse stayed behind to help dozens of animals. I believe they have been rescued, and we will report on it on our web site. We also want to give a commendation to these selfless and extraordinary people.
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Washington, D.C.: Why won't FEMA permit boat-based rescue crews in New Orleans to pick up pets as well as people, provided the skipper consents? It appears that many people and their pets may needlessly suffer and possibly die because of FEMA's strict rule prohibiting the concurrent rescue of pets with their owners.
Wayne Pacelle: We are hoping now that the responders will help us. If we don't get assistance from the Coast Guard, the Navy and others, many animals won't make it. Even if we have 500 people down there, we cannot cover these vast areas on our own. The Post and other papers reported my plea to the federal government to please assist with animal rescue now, given that most of the people have been rescued.
What's more, many of the people who are staying are staying because of their pets. They won't abandon them. We can rescue both the people and the animals, and that's the only way disaster relief should be conducted.
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Wayne Pacelle: Thanks for all of the good questions. Please stay informed by going to www.hsus.org, and thank you if you are a donor to this effort. You can't know how much it means to us.
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washingtonpost.com: Plight of Stranded Animals Worsening Daily (The Post, Sept. 8)
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washingtonpost.com: Humane Society of the United States
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