At Last the animal welfare groups are using the media in the Katrina rescue efforts

Well although the reporter said most rescuers would not appear on camera (WHY NOT?), three did and they told us what was really happening. The rescuers do not yet seem to understand that we need to hear how many animals are still stranded, where owners should look to be reunited with their animals (specifically the addresses of the shelters where they maybe located, phone numbers, web addresses) and where volunteers should go to help the rescue effort.

Evacuees can house their animals at the following temporary animal shelters, owners are required to come by twice a day to care for their pets.
Lamar-Dixon Expo Center 9039 St. Landry Road, Gonzales,
LABlackham Coliseum Cajundome Blvd. Lafayette
LSU Agriculture Center @ Parker Coliseum Baton Rouge
Ike Hamilton Center (large animals) 501 Mane Street, West Monroe
Monroe Civic Center (small animals) 401 Lea Joyner Memorial Expressway, Monroe

Looking for your animal ? Go to Petfinder's website but also go here.

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS ANIMAL RESCUE
The rescue of animals in New Orleans is being coordinated by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry. For more information consult their website at http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/ or sending an e-mail to Katrina@ldaf.louisiana.gov

They have done a rotten job. It should be clear to everyone that if you want to help you have to buy your own waders and gloves and sunglass eye protection and just go to New Orleans. You have to get around the checkpoints by any means necessary.

IMMUNIZATIONS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
Due to the unsanitary conditions, it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that all persons traveling into the affected areas have tetanus or diptheria-tetanus boosters. There is a list of precautions and additional immunization advice posted to www.dioms.org/shots.pdf

The three rescuers who talked to the media were from:
1. the LA/SPCA ●
Jefferson Feed remains a staging area for the animal rescue efforts in the Greater New Orleans area. Animal welfare organizations from Oregon, North Texas, Houston, as well as the LA/SPCA, HUSU and ASPCA, are only a few of many groups who have benefited from their generosity. A massive effort is underway. Over 1000 animals are now located at the temporary shelter in Gonzales. More arrive daily. Volunteers are working at photographing each animal and posting their pictures on Petfinder.org. If you are missing a pet, or know of one in need of rescue, please call.
(225) 647-0712 LA/SPCA Animal Search and Rescue (Orleans Parish)
(504) 733-8572 Jefferson Feed, Pet and Garden Center (Jefferson Parish)
1 (800) humane1 HSUS

2. Noah's Wish who conduct training sessions for those called to disaster rescue work has setup a Disaster Animal Shelter in conjunction with Slidell Animal Control at:
1325 Bayou Lane
Slidell, LA (Located next to Heritage Park)
Click here for map
*** Please do not send anything (donations, care packages, etc.) to this address. There is no mail or package service (UPS, FedEx, etc) in the area. Individual supplies should go to our St. Louis Area PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ A SUPPLY UPDATE

...[The other limitation that shelters face] is not having enough space to house
evacuated animals. At any given time almost every animal shelter in this
country is full. If you start to bring in animals that have been
evacuated, there ends up being no place to put them. That is why Noah's
Wish is prepared to set up temporary animal evacuation shelters. It is our
feeling that it is not fair to euthanize animals that were in a shelter prior to
a disaster to make room for evacuees. Noah's Wish can prevent this, and
the subsequent negative publicity, by housing pre-disaster animals at another
location, freeing up space in the permanent shelter for evacuees

3. The Humane Society of the US.
Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States gave an excellent update saying that Louisiana regulators had hampered efforts to rescue by not allowing him to move animals out of state to other shelters. He said he needed to do this because his shelter was overcrowded and he could not bring in new animals unless he could make the space by moving rescued ones out. I wondered how owners would ever find their pets if they were scattered all over the US but I understood Mr. Pacelle's problem. I hope he is taking pictures of the animals and records where they are sent so that owners have a chance to find them.
To join the effort, volunteers have to register with the Humane Society at 1-800-HUMANE (1-800-486-2631).

PETA also has a crew on the ground but more important is their website which is coordinating an effort to change the policies which led to this cruel betrayal of companion animals and their owners. Go to their website and take action to help them.

Best Friends is the best sanctuary in the world and of course they are there in force.

For a list of all the brave groups actually in the water, rescuing animals, go to Petfinders page here.