Rescue Success

Each time we fed, watered or rescued an animal, we spray painted the house it was in (or the house that the food and water (FW) drop was closest too. The messages were anything from "2 Dogs under house--FW 9/29" to "1 Cat Rescued 9/27--please call: 555-555-5555 (I used my own cell phone #). There were often other notes we would write, such as "DO NOT REMOVE-ANIMAL BEING SEDATED, 555-555-5555", or "Mama with 3 puppies--do NOT remove". These notes helped us in many ways, the best of which was helping an owner locate their pet after they were allowed to return to New Orleans.

Last weekend, a woman called my cell phone regarding a daschund we'd picked up. She had gotten my number from a house nearby and when were able to identify the dog and owner as an exact match, the daschund was returned to the very, very happy owner.

Unexpectedly, this same owner called me again today. She'd been allowed back into her neighborhood for a second visit today and a neighbor informed her that the SPCA had picked up one of her beagles. The owner called me because she thought I might know who picked up the beagle. Sadly, I did not. And worse, since the rescue group who picked up the animal had not been told to leave a phone # or forwarding information, this owner had no idea of how to find her lost pet. The options I gave her--seaching the www.petfinder.com database or going to the Lamar Dixon Equestrian Center in Gonzales, LA (outside Baton Rouge), were difficult options for her. She has no computer and is not internet savvy. She probably has limited transportation as most vehicles were destroyed in the flood. And worse, the HSUS has done such a poor job logging animals and matching owners, that I worry for anyone who has been told that their pet was sent to Gonzales. It was a huge clusterf*ck, and terribly managed. And quite honestly, the odds are slim that matches will be made if a dog or cat has no tags. It's heartbreaking.

So, while our group was small, our effort was huge. We are able to personally deliver news on where the animals were and who is fostering them. We have kept decent notes and photographed all the animals we've brought in. And when we say that we're committed to reuniting pets with owners, it isn't an empty promise.