Monday, August 28, 2006

Animal Supplies in Ghostown


The Dryades YMCA school served as a supply station for animals after Hurricane Katrina, but was abandoned as the city was evacuated. I took this photo the day before Hurricane Rita hit New Orleans. Eric, Billy, Lacey, Jennifer, Matt and I stopped to rummage through the wet supplies that were strewn across the lawn. We managed to salvage crates, food, treats, dishes (for food and water) and other basic supplies from the soggy mess. The palate of bottled water was a saving grace, and we used tons of it to quench the palates of the thirsty animals all over the city. After a few days of picking through the soggy, moldy, bug-infested and very ripe-smelling supply pile at the Y, we formed a human conveyor belt and transferred the bags of dog and cat food (seen in top photo), and stacked everything that we could salvage on the porch of a home across the street. This served as a food supply outpost for us, and many other animal rescuers we never met or knew the names of, to feed and water many of the sick and stranded pets throughout New Orleans. I often wondered what the owners of that purple-and-pink home would have thought if they could have seen all the pet food stacked high across their front porch, and someday, I hope to be able to hang this photo on their front door with a big note that says "THANKS FOR HELPING US SAVE THE PETS". Their neighborhood then was nothing more than a ghost town as I shot these photos. No sound, other than the rustle of the wind, or our quick footsteps padding across the Y's lawn, could be heard. The city was as quiet as death as we endlessly combed it in search of signs of life. These supplies, likely donated by thousands of strangers who will remain forever unknown, were key to both rescuing the pets we found, and keeping countless others alive. It's hard for me to look at the photos and not feel the height of the moments. In this rare case, the pictures pinpoint and capture life-changing moments in my life.

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