These lucky pets and people
have already found each other again. The HSUS is doing all
it can to match thousands of other pets and people who are
still looking for their own happy reunion. |
|
Dear
Norma,
Today, The Humane Society of the United States will wind
down operations at what was, just three weeks ago, the largest
emergency animal shelter in modern history. Closing our temporary
facility at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales ends a major
chapter in the dramatic first phase of our massive response to
Hurricane Katrina -- the animal rescue phase -- and allows us to
move on to the next crucial steps of reunification and rebuilding.
The
HSUS is still on the ground in the region, and we will be there for
animals and shelters along the Gulf Coast for months and years to
come. But today I want to update you on what we've accomplished so
far. And I want to personally thank you for standing with us
during one of the most challenging periods in our 51-year history.
Here
is what we've accomplished over the past six weeks (watch our
video and
slideshow,
too):
The HSUS helped rescue more than 8,200 stranded pets and other
animals across the region. On some days, more than 50
separate animal rescue teams traveled by boat, by truck, or on foot
-- literally breaking down doors to reach stranded pets. At its
peak, our emergency shelter in Gonzales housed nearly 2,000 animals,
and more than 300 veterinarians, sheltering professionals, and
volunteers attended to their needs. Our facility in Hattiesburg,
Mississippi, saw nearly 2,400 animals come through its gates. While
some lucky pets were reunited with their caregivers at our emergency
shelters, most were transported to animal shelters across the nation
to make room for more rescued animals. The last 94 pets at the
Gonzales facility were airlifted to Los Angeles on Monday.
We've helped reunite more than 800 rescued pets with the people who
love them. While our rescue phase is winding down, our
reunion phase continues in earnest -- and we've pledged, with the
ASPCA, to pay whatever costs are necessary to transport animals to
be reunited with their owners, wherever they may be. Even as you
read this, more than 40 HSUS staff and a cadre of volunteers are
working feverishly to match lost pets with their caregivers. With
most pets now safely housed at animal shelters and in foster homes
across the country, the challenge is formidable. But we will
not stop until we've exhausted every lead.
At our Disaster Call Center, we've fielded more than 45,000
calls -- including thousands from frantic pet owners urging
our disaster teams to rescue their animals in the stricken areas.
Disaster teams on the ground used these call center reports to
locate and rescue stranded animals. Today, our call center continues
to be the primary point of contact for many people looking to
reunite with their animals.
We worked shoulder-to-shoulder with many groups in the
affected areas. I was inspired by the other national and
local groups we worked with, by the hundreds of animal care and
control professionals who generously volunteered their time in often
harsh conditions, and by the dozens of animal shelters and placement
groups nationwide that opened their doors to Katrina's pets. I was
also heartened by the outpouring of support we received from
corporations
and the artistic community. And in one of the most inspiring
examples of cooperation, the Dixon Correctional Institute became a
hero to Katrina's pets; in a joint program with The HSUS, the prison
housed some 200 animals in a converted dairy barn on the property.
We joined forces with the American Animal Hospital
Association (AAHA) to create the Katrina Pet Wellness Program,
which provides financial assistance for basic veterinary wellness
checkups of pets displaced by the storm. Managed through the AAHA
Helping Pets Fund, the program offers reimbursement to veterinary
practices of up to $125 per pet for several basic treatments.
Thousands of pets and their caregivers are eligible.
Show your support by using
this HSUS Disaster Relief stamp on your snail mail. Order a
sheet at
Zazzle.com. |
We're leading the way to change public policy to ensure
that, in future disasters, people are never forced to leave behind
their beloved pets. We are lobbying for the Pets Evacuation
and Transportation Standards Act (PETS Act), which would require
state and local authorities to include pets and service animals in
their disaster evacuation plans. (If you haven't yet contacted your
U.S. Representative about this bill, please
click
here.) We're also urging the Department of Homeland Security to
establish a policy that would enable multiple federal agencies to
help animals in disasters.
Finally, we've committed our organization to help rebuild
the animal sheltering and protection capacity of the Gulf Coast
region. We joined with the ASPCA in contributing a combined
total of $5 million to the Katrina Shelter Reconstruction Fund, and
hope to persuade corporations and other groups to help bring that
total to $15 million.
Most recently, we've worked hand-in-hand with the Louisiana SPCA
to set up a temporary animal shelter in New Orleans, a facility that
will meet the animal care and control needs of the city until the
organization can build a more permanent shelter. In addition, we've
donated or pledged more than $500,000 to local organizations either
affected by the disaster or assisting with the relief effort.
It's hard for me to adequately convey to you the sheer breadth of
our disaster response, the chaotic nature and enormous challenges we
faced in meeting a crisis of Katrina's magnitude, and the incredible
personal sacrifices that disaster responders made to help the
hurricane's victims. On behalf of all the staff and volunteers of
The Humane Society of the United States, please accept my most
heartfelt thanks for your support during this crisis.
Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States
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