Dying Pets Break the Hearts of Helpless Rescuers...Please Help the Truly Helpless

NY Post ^ | 9/2/2005 | Heidi Singer

[Iluvlabs not libs]

September 2, 2005 -- Thousands of abandoned pets are on the brink of drowning or dying of thirst as a result of Hurricane Katrina, and many more are feared dead, animal-rescue groups said yesterday. Despite very limited access to evacuated areas, rescue efforts have begun, with teams from FEMA, Noah's Wish and the Humane Society racing against time.

Many people who ended up in shelters were forced to leave their pets behind because the Red Cross and the Louisiana Superdome don't allow animals.

"I'm guessing we're going to have tens of thousands of animals affected," said Dick Green, manager of animal emergency services for the American Humane Association. "There are literally thousands of animals in New Orleans alone stuck in homes . . . going without water. They don't have food. Every day that goes on, the situation worsens."

[elbucko]

And now some advocate putting animals before people.

There is a time and place for every purpose. Animals don't have human rights, but as their moral or evolutionary (have what you will) superiors, we have been made their caretakers. It's not the animal savers that worry me as much as the animal abusers. They are usually found out to be abusing humans as well. Your attitude contradicts the facts.

[CSM]

"Repeat: I never criticized donating money."

Nope, just the planned use of that money. Kinda like criticizing the behaviour of a child and then not understanding why the parents might have taken offense.

[doc30]

I am a volunteer for the DART team, the Disaster Animal Response Team, that is organized under Section 17 of FEMA. We are expected to be mobilized for this once volunteers are permitted into the area. It was started after Hurricane Andrew where upwards of 100,000 dogs and cats were euthanized because there was no means to take care of them. Also, many people do not evacuate for hurricanes, even Cat 5's, because they will not leave their pets behind. Most shelters do not accept pets. Our job is primarily education for disaster preparedness, but there are a group of us that will go out in the field. A lot of these animals can pose dangers to rescuers. The creepiest story I heard coming from national guardsmen helping with ANdrew were the thousands of pairs of eyes they saw reflecting back at them at nightime from neighborhoods completely destroyed and abandoned. They first thought it was poeple, but then discovered that it was cats and dogs that survived and the owners were either evacuated or dead. It was a distraction from the human rescue workers. Getting back to the history of the DART team, it was inspired by a colonel and an SPCA worker that met after Andrew. The SPCA worker was collecting strays so they wouldn't be in the way and when the national guard showed up, she asked the colonel in charge for some help. He was by coincidence a vet in civillian life and organized a MASH unit for animals but had the animal services workers and voluneers run it. A lot nof heartbreaking stories from that storm, just like there will be for this one. Many of the volunteers are from various SPCA and Humane Societies. PETA and HSUS don't have much to offer for these things and tend to get in the way when they do show up.

If people want to volunteer to help animals, that is a good thing. After hearing the stories from NOLA, I think the abandoned pets desrve rescuing more than the gang bangers haningng around. Regardless of whether people come first or not, it is human nature for many people to want to help these animals and peopple will do so. If people judge these people harshly, or think they are killing people by not helping those rescue efforts, then those judges need to accuse all the other people who stay at home and do nothing.

[shhrubbery!]

Yes, I love animals, but people are dying. They take priority.

I don't understand the need to pontificate on this topic as if this were somehow a moral choice. It is NOT.

If this were a question of human rescue personnel being diverted to save animals, you'd have a point about "priorities."

Or if this were a matter of taxpayers' money being diverted from humans for the purpose of rescuing animals, then you'd have a point.

But neither of these situations exist. There are thousands and thousands of human rescue personnel already in N.O. Thousands of victims have already been rescued by our heroic Coast Guard.

Humans who remain stranded are NOT stranded because someone is rescuing an animal instead.

No. They're still stranded because (a) it's very difficult to get to them and rescue them safely and/or (b) local officials are incompetent in implementing the BILLIONS of $$$ and THOUSANDS of rescue personnel made available to them.

So you have no point -- or if you do, try to make it again without trying to make a humans vs. animals conflict, where none exists.

[Fawn]

THe people that are complaining about saving animals think of them as material things and are the same people who think it's ok to bake your dog in the oven (which just happened). Some people are really heartless and sick.

[Erik Latranyi]

Would you two like to have a list of every charity that FReepers are donating to? That way you would be able to decide which ones are worthy and which ones aren't.

If you are keeping up with this thread, you would understand that I am not criticizing donations. I am criticizing rescue efforts for animals when people are still dying.

[technochick99]

OOoh - can you post more info on DART??

[shhrubbery!]

Thanks for your good work!

[GovernmentShrinker]

I wouldn't -- he might start tossing the animals out of the boat, or eating them.

[doc30]

No, I would conscript them into saving humans

Glad you are not in charge becasue then all those resource would not be entering the area for you to conscript. I guess you would also conscript all the people who are staying home and not helping out. Are you going in to help with the rescue efforts? If not, you need a dose of STFU.

[WKUHilltopper]

Agree...screw the animals. We need to save people!

[cicero's_son]

I am not criticizing donations. I am criticizing rescue efforts for animals when people are still dying.

That's a dodge. You can't criticize the organization without implicitly criticizing the donors.

I am giving to Noah's Ark. I do knowing (or at least hoping) that my money will go toward the efforts of on-the-scene rescuers who are trying to evacuate some of the animals.

[Fawn]

People first.

Are you saying that people trying to save people should ignore a pleading cat? And that people saving animals should ignore a pleading person? GET REAL. SAVE THEM ALL WHEN YOU CAN.......

[4mycountry]

I'll worry about taking care of human life first, thank you.

[shhrubbery!]

Yes, and if you have a boat in New Orleans right now, you should be saving people. PERIOD.

I have no doubt the Humane Society rescuers will take on whatever load they can on a boat, short of sinking the boat. Do you?

[Fawn]

:)

[doc30]

His dog is all this little boy has left and after surviving the SuperDome, I am sure he thought that he had saved his buddy

I agree with you whole heartedly, but there are too many callous people in FR. The rescuers sure made a good impression with this kid. It really is sad and sadness is not a liberal vs. conservative thing.

[CSM]

"Actually, no I did not drive today."

Well, you are using energy resources that could be better utilized by shelters in the Gulf, just by using your computer. How can you live with yourself FReeping while some humans are unable to get electricity?

[American_Centurion]

Ok, it's stupid..

[elbucko]

Well said, Doc! Good luck to ya' and your charges. God bless you all.