Sept 3 – Pets now declared "family members!"September 3, 2005 : 11:22 PM ET
As stranded people in New Orleans continue to be evacuated out of more dangerous areas of the city into temporary housing in Jefferson Parish, they are now allowed to take their pets with them on the buses.
The ban on pets was lifted Saturday, according to Bert Smith, director of animal services for Jefferson Parish, which is just across the bridge from the center of the city.
The change in policy comes too late for all of the people who have already had to give up their pets as they were evacuated, but it will help animal control officials to concentrate on rescuing those pets who were left behind.
Smith had been prepared to accept animals from these evacuees at the West Bank animal shelter in Marrero, Louisiana, near New Orleans.
Now that Smith no longer needs to do this, he will have more space to continue to rescue animals found on the city streets, particularly in those areas where the buses have been loading. He plans on resuming this effort Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Paul Berry, director of operations for Best Friends, is trying to coordinate the reopening of the East Bank animal shelter, also in Jefferson Parish. Berry has procured a generator to help power fans to cool the facility down, and plans to transport water in for the animals.
More space was made available at the West Bank shelter Saturday as Smith was able to evacuate some of the animals to a temporary holding area at the fairgrounds in Franklinton, Louisiana. A small team from Best Friends in Atlanta is caring for the hundreds of animals at that location, before they can be moved to the St. Francis Sanctuary in Tylertown, Mississippi.
The St. Francis Sanctuary is currently full with 600 animals, but a Best Friends team is due to arrive soon to build addition fencing to accommodate more animals.
Best Friends is looking for experienced shelter workers to help staff the above shelters and sanctuaries. If you are interested in volunteering, please call 435.644.2001 x398.
In other news:
-- On Saturday, Smith rescued numerous animals – mostly birds and pocket pets – from two Petco stores in the parish that had been evacuated.
-- The North Shore Animal League is organizing an effort to transport between 40 and 60 animals from the fairgrounds at Franklinton to go north for adoption. The league is also working on mobilizing trucks to help evacuate animals from New Orleans.
-- PAWS Chicago is planning on sending a fleet of adoption vans to the St. Francis Sanctuary, to transport animals to foster homes near Chicago.
Supplies for the St. Francis Sanctuary can be sent to:
Best Friends Hurricane Katrina Relief
c/o Leigh Breland
1635 Misty Lane
Terry, MS 39170
Hurricane-related inquiries, including offers to donate supplies or to volunteer, and reports of pets left behind in evacuated areas, may be directed to: 435.644.2001 x398 or hurricane@bestfriends.org.