Gustav

URGENT - Anyone searching for a lost pet following hurricanes Gustav and Ike should check here first:

Also, Under the direction of the Houston Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, Pethealth Inc. and Pets911, a Disaster Response
Pet Portal has been launched.

As animals are rescued and lost animal reports come in to the
Emergency Hotline — 713-435-2990 — being staffed by HSPCA,
information is entered into the PetPoint Animal Management system.
Every 15 minutes, this data is then uploaded.

Owners who recognize a lost pet on the Web site can call the hotline,
and their information will be immediately attached to the animal at
the shelter, expediting reunification.

The Disaster Response Pet Portal can be accessed at www.houstonspca.org or at www.pets911.com

Due to the Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, HPR has opened for a limited time only our membership to anyone who would like to join our HPR family.

There are lots of needs of help for the animals that will be affected by this category 3 hurricane.

If you can help in any way, by fostering temporary or permanent, or transport or help in any other ways please join our Yahoo group and let us know immediately. The pleas for help are urgent and are already many.

As you all know the areas where landfall is going to be, they have not recuperated from Katrina yet, please help these animals get to safety and stay safe.

We have created 2 databases on our Yahoo Group for those individuals that are willing to offer help.

Once you have joined the group you will be able to enter and access these databases to fill in your name, location, contact info and what you are able to do, i.e., fostering, transporting, etc.

The new databases are marked 2008 Foster Volunteers, 2008 Transport volunteers, and so forth.

The old databases you will not be able to use, as we have changed the settings and are they are not viewable any longer, we did this to avoid confusion because the old databases have not been updated.

There are also 2 other databases for shelters and rescue groups that are willing to offer help.

In addition we have a one stop information database that will have lots of valuable information for the victims and so forth.

IF YOU ARE A FLIGHT ATTENDANT, PILOT, AIRLINE GROUND PERSONNEL WITH FLYING PRIVILEGES AND YOU ARE WILLING TO TRANSPORT PETS IN THE CABIN FROM POINT A TO POINT B TO BE REUNITED WITH THEIR OWNERS PLEASE LETS US KNOW. WE HAVE A PRIVATE HPR AIR TRANSPORT DATABASE THAT IS NOT SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC, YOUR INFORMATION WILL REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL. PLEASE WRITE TO ME PRIVATELY @: HPRESQ@aol.com IFYOUR ARE WILLING TO HELP IN ANY WAY.

We hope that you join us and that together once again we can assist the Hurricane Victims of Gustav and Ike or and for the looks many more to come. Thank you and as always God Bless you all!

If you are being evacuated or find yourself in a situation where you need assistance with your pets, please email us at HPRESQ@aol.com and we will do our best to connect you with someone who can help.

Rescuers/volunteers, if you can assist the organizations on-site listed below, please contact them directly!

Houston SPCA is busy rescuing animals around Galveston and Houston following Hurricane Ike - If you can volunteer or help, please do...here is the link to the Houston SPCA and here is more info: houstonspca

Humane Society assisting with Southeast Texas shelters

By Ashley Sanders

The Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team is preparing to take in Orange County animals currently housed in temporary shelters.

Many shelters in the county were devastated by Hurricane Ike.

Teams will be operating in Beaumont, Bridge City, Port Arthur and Sabine Pass.

“We have a large team on the ground now with the expertise and equipment necessary to rescue pets whose guardians either didn’t evacuate or didn’t take their pets with them,” said Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services at The HSUS, in a Monday release.
“We’re determined to reunite those families as quickly as possible, and help this area recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Ike.”

The team has land rescue vehicles, boats, a mobile command center and a 75-foot transport vehicle capable of carrying 200 animals to safe ground.

HSUS Emergency Services personnel and equipment deployed to Nacogdoches,late last week to help run a temporary shelter at the Nacogdoches Exposition Center and to be ready to enter the area impacted by the storm as soon as possible.

A number of local and national animal organizations are arriving in the disaster zone to respond to the needs of animals.

The Humane Society of Southeast Texas is in need of the following donations: Monetary donations, towels, newspapers, Generators, fuel (diesel, regular), use of sleeping quarters (RVs), large fans, human food, bottled water, outdoor kennels and veterinary supplies.

Please call 409-838-2510 if you are interested in donating any of these items.

Pet shelters for evacuees, including one at the fairgrounds in Shreveport, will open on Saturday. Bossier City said it will take overflows.

Shelter evacuation reports are available along hurricane evacuation routes. Information for evacuees is available at the Tourist Welcome Center at U.S. 65 and U.S. 84 in Vidalia; Tourist Welcome Center at I-20 west in Tallulah; Paragon Casino in Marksville; Sammy's Truck Stop on I-49 at Louisiana 115 near Bunkie; Med Express on U.S. 71 in Alexandria; LSU-Shreveport's gym in Shreveport; Pickering High School on Lebleu Road in Leesville; and Mowad Civic Center, Fifth Avenue and 10th Street, one block off U.S. 165 in Oakdale.

The state has lined up hundreds of buses to carry people out of New Orleans and other parts of South Louisiana who don't have transportation. Shelters would be set up at Hirsch Coliseum at the fairgrounds, the old Sam's Club on Jewella Avenue and the former Sports Mall off Interstate 20 in far west Shreveport.

Caddo Parish prisoners were at Hirsch today, unloading 5,000 crates that will be used to hold pets that would be evacuated.

For people who have their own transportation, shelters will be set up at LSU-Shreveport and Southern University-Shreveport. Those with medical needs will go to the Bossier City Civic Center.

Susan
A Stealth Volunteer in CA
www.stealthvolunteers.com
Still reuniting Katrina families with their pets

Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 9:19 PM

Subject: PasadoRescue new info for volunteers on their site

Pasado Rescue is on the ground in New Orleans in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav. They are currently at the St. Bernard Parish Shelter evacuating our animals moving them to a 600 acre farm which will be used as a triage animal aid station. They are in place to be first repsonders in the Parish once Gustav makes landfall.

Kind Regards,Susan BongiornoSt. Bernard Parish Animal ShelterTransport & Out of State Adoption Coordinator

Best Friends Rushes 3,000 Animal Carriers to New Orleans To Support Families Encountering Pet Evacuation Problems

http://www.bestfriends.org/

Amid reports that some families boarding evacuation buses are not being allowed to take their pets aboard unless they are in proper pet carriers, Best Friends Animal Society will rush 3,000 of the carriers to Terrebone, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes in New Orleans as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the city.

“It’s unfortunate, but many people forget to prepare for natural disasters by keeping a carrier handy for easy pet transport,” said Rich Crook, rapid response manager for Best Friends and a veteran of Best Friends’ six-month deployment in 2005 to rescue animals during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“Our team will rush in 3,000 carriers tonight to supplement immediate needs at evacuation centers and we’ll get more tomorrow as needed,” said Crook. “This is looking like a very serious storm, much more powerful than Katrina, and people need all possible help to make sure their pets are out of harm’s way.”

With Gustav predicted to reach landfall as a possible Category 5 hurricane as early as Monday, Best Friends’ rapid response personnel deployed to New Orleans this week to help finalize animal evacuation plans in Jefferson Parish, the west suburb of New Orleans. In addition, Best Friends has conducted on-site assessment in St. Bernard Parish to ensure that an evacuation plan is under way.

Sept 1 update:

I've been in touch with Rich (Best Friends emergency response manager) who's on the ground in New Orleans throughout the day today. He's kept me updated regarding the arising situations with Hurricane Gustav. Rich is stationed at an animal control facility and planned to evacuate tonight, however when I spoke with him at 10pm, he informed me that he was staying to ride out the hurricane! There are 7 people and about 12 animals with them! PLEASE say a prayer for Rich and the other rescuers.

Truth Is: *People were being told at some check points that they were not able to bring their pets!

*People with more than 1 pet were being told that they could only bring the one.

*Animals are left behind! Dogs are left chained in yards! We have a list of 27 addresses thus far to respond to once the storm allows! Pray hard that these animals somehow make it thru this hell.

And don't forget about all the strays.....there was noone to evacuate those babies! They're waiting for us.

I am leaving Wednesday for New Orleans and we desperately need financial help! We do not have a "nest egg" of funds to send teams down and with gas being so expensive, we need your help!

Whatever you can do to help.....the more we raise, the more people and vans we can send down to rescue!

* If you signed up to help with getting donations, etc.....DON'T wait for a go-ahead from us.....GET TO WORK! We need you!!!! Thank you again so much.

Caryn Majeskie, Founder

Operation Bring Animals Home S&R Team

www.obahrescue.com

262.224.1964

DONATIONS CAN BE MADE THROUGH PAYPAL AT www.paypal.com and our account address is bringanimalshome@wi.rr.com

Dear Friends,

We are grateful to all of you who have already contacted us with your concern for the group and our animals. Some of you who were here to help us after Katrina have already offered to return if that should become necessary. We pray it does not come to that.

Like everyone in the Gulf Coast, we are carefully monitoring the projected path of Hurricane Gustav, and we are actively making needed preparations for our animals at the former Camp Katrina. Our staff members and some other rescuers are relocating from the city to our Tylertown site as we speak, and some of our volunteer chapters in Louisiana are also busily making evacuation arrangements. Help with the cost of these preparations is urgently needed.

At this time, as we monitor the storm's progress and prepare, our most urgent need is for monetary contributions! We have unanticipated expenses for supplies, provisions, etc., and we urgently need a reserve of cash on hand to deal with emergencies and operations after the storm makes landfall. Of course, our primary local donor base is in the process of evacuating, so we are unlikely to be able to rely on them for assistance for some time.

If you can make a donation online, we would greatly appreciate it. If you would prefer to send a check, please note that no one may be able to pick up and process mail sent to New Orleans for some time. If you would like to send a donation by mail, until further notice, it would be best directly to send it to our former Board member, Linda Dell at her Akron, OH address. Please send to:

Humane Society of Louisiana, c/o Linda Dell, 45 S. Balch Street. Akron, OH 44302

Ms. Dell has agreed to immediately deposit any contributions into our bank account, so that we will be able to access the funds.

We will update our site to the best of our ability with updates as we get them. It is difficult to believe--just as we were planning activities and fundraisers and activities in New Orleans to mark the third anniversary of Katrina, we are now facing another potential disaster.

We can be contacted at info@humanela.org or 1-888-6 HUMANE. We hope you will understand if we are unable to get back with you in a timely manner.

Thank you for your concern, and if you are in the process of evacuating, we wish you, your family and your animal companions the very best.
Take care!

Hurricane Gustav Evacuees with Pets

Help ARNO by informing everyone you know with pets that New Orleans area evacuees can bring their animals with them to the evacuation pick up sites.

New Orleans Residents: Please go to the City of New Orleans website for more information. Jefferson Parish Residents: Please go to the Jefferson Parish website for more information on assisted evacuations.

Now that it appears Gustav is headed into the Gulf of Mexico, Rescue Bank has started contingency planning for logistics support to rescue groups that will work in the areas impacted by the storm. Projections published Wednesday evening focused on the Louisiana coast. However, the storm shifted a bit south overnight and the Thursday morning models show increased chance for Texas landfall. Accordingly, our plans now include both accumulating food and supplies AND identifying alternate facilities from which to operate.

We need volunteers for activities such as coordinating with suppliers and donors, liaison with trucking companies, warehouse management, and establishing/maintaining contact with groups that will need supplies after the storm. Please contact John at jk@rescuebank.org or 713 385 5263, or email Elizabeth at info@rescuebank.org.

Sept. 5 - Update from Companion Animal Network (NY, NC, LA) and Kat 5 (GA), two disaster experienced agencies, are launching a joint collaborative effort to assist animal control agencies, rescue groups, and low income pet owners in all hurricane affected Louisiana parishes.

A 24 ft. mobile vet clinic with staffed veterinarians, registered nurses, and vet techs capable of providing on-site surgeries will be traveling the affected region, along with volunteers to help with the clean up of shelters and provide animal care. We are seeking volunteers to join us between Sept. 10 and Sept 21.

We have several Louisiana veterinarians to staff the mobile unit for the entirety of the 11 days it will be in Louisiana. The Mobile Vet vehicle will travel to the outer parishes to provide whatever assistance that is needed, beginning with Terrebonne parish on Sept. 10th.

Unlike many of the other parishes Terrebonne Parish is a vast area with no gas, no electricity at all, no drinkable water, no sewer. Dogs are tied up and left in homes, a picture from Reuters is below. Animal Control is addressing rescuing of the dogs issue. This effort's purpose is ONLY TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE AUTHORITIES. Anyone who volunteers with this effort will be obliged to operate as support to the needs of the local animal control agency. YOU MUST BE SELF SUFFICIENT. ALL SUPPLIES NEEDED MUST BE BROUGHT, INCLUDING SPARE GASOLINE TANKS AS THERE ARE NO GAS STATIONS FOR OVER 100 MILES IN TERREBONNE. All those coming can either drive with their own vehicles to Terrebonne Parish animal control and rendezvous with us there or meet us in Fayetteville, NC, where our mobile vet unit is departing from on Tuesday afternoon. Please contact me with your phone number if you can deploy with us. If another hurricane hits, we will on ground to provide relief immediately, but only UNDER THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE AUTHORITIES.

We need vehicles, vehicles, vehicles, large ones. Cages, dog food, cat food, medicine, feeding bowls, bring gas tanks, tarps, sleeping bags, most of all BRING DRINKABLE WATER. There are 7 gallon water jugs for $7 at Walmarts and Sams Clubs. Need a whole bunch of those. PORTABLE GENERATORS ARE NEEDED.

DONATIONS ARE ALSO NEEDED. AS USUAL, THIS IS BEING LAUNCHED WITH PERSONAL MONIES, MANY OF US GOING INTO DEBT ON CREDIT CARDS.

Please send donations to Companion Animal Network or Kat 5 or both. Companion Animal Network's web site from which you can make a paypal donation is http://www.companionanimalnetworktv.org/Donation.html.

We will mobilize this Friday and Saturday and Sunday and Monday. Please bring everything. Imagine going to the moon with literally nothing available on site.

A dog is seen chained in a backyard in Houma, Louisiana, as Hurricane Gustav passed through, September 1, 2008. The dog's shelter was heavily damaged during the storm.(Mark Wallheiser/Reuters)

More organizations offering assistance to rescuers and families fleeing hurricane Gustav:

PETS Act (Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act): Background info on the PETS act.

Saw a post from them asking for donations to help cover the cost of evacuations. DO NOT send to their Louisiana address. They are asking for it to be sent elsewhere instead in case mail service is interrupted in Louisiana. Details in their alert which is stored here: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RescueCrossposters/message/64044

Hurricane Gustav Information - News Story - KXAS | Dallas

Hurricane Gustav Information

People who arrive in Dallas-Fort Worth area and need a place to stay should call 211 for shelter referrals. Dallas city officials are prepared to care for up to 1,000 people evacuated by bus at the Dallas Convention Center. Buses are expected to begin arriving Sunday evening. The city's backup shelter for people who self-evacuated is full, Dallas city officials said late Saturday night. People needing a shelter should call 211 for referrals

The city of Fort Worth is operating eight shelters. Buses are expected to begin arriving Sunday evening. Fort Worth Independent School District's Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center will be used as a staging area for acceptinmg, including those who self-evacuated. The center is located at:
5101 C.A. Roberson
Fort Worth, TX 76119 Evacuees can also go to TexasCampgrounds.com and GoCampingAmerica.com to make reservations for or get information about campgrounds and RV resorts. Texas has nearly 400 private campgrounds, many of which also offer cabin rentals.

Pets

People in local shelters should contact their shelter for details on how their pets will be cared for. Self-evacuees should first call pet-friendly hotels or pet-boarding facilities in the Metroplex or make arrangements with family or friends in the area. The SPCA is also offering foster-home placement for the pets of self-evacuees with local volunteers for up to 30 days. Foster homes will be matched on a first-come, first-serve basis, but the SPCA will respond to as many people as possible. To qualify, self-evacuees must provide a driver's license from an area affected by Hurricane Gustav. If the animal is not spayed or neutered, the owner must agree to allow the SPCA to perform the procedure at no cost. If the animal is not picked up within 30 days, it will be put up for adoption. Self-evacuees interested in the foster program can contact the SPCA at 214-742-7722. Representatives will be available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Evacuees staying in Fort Worth shelters can call 817-392-3737 to make arrangements for their pets. Pets, which will be microchipped to ensure they are returned to their owners, will be housed at the Fort Worth Animal Care and Control Division.

How To Help

People wishing to volunteer should contact the Volunteer Center of North Texas at 866-797-8268 or www.vcnt.org. Those wishing to volunteer will need to complete an application form, which can be found at www.vcnt.org. Volunteers will not be able to go directly to a shelter to offer help, because every volunteer must first pass a criminal background check. Volunteers to serve meals at shelters are needed immediately. As the evacuation continues, volunteers will also be needed for other roles. People wishing to make donations are urged to make cash donations to the American Red Cross at 817-335-9137 or the Salvation Army through its Web site, www.salvationarmydfw.org. Donations of items are not needed at this time. Food donations can be made to the North Texas Food Bank through its Web site at www.ntxfoodbank.org.

Medical Information

Fresenius Medical Care is providing dialysis treatment to anyone who has evacuated because of Hurricane Gustav, regardless of whether or not they are Fresenius patients. Patients can get treatment in Texas at Fresenius facilities in cities such as Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Gilmer. Anyone who needs dialysis can call the Fresenius Patient Disaster Hotline at 800-626-1297 24 hours a day.

Travel Information

The Texas Department of Transportation has canceled all previously planned lane closures near Houston and Beaumont. Southwest Airlines will temporarily suspend its scheduled flights to and from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport after 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The resumption of operations is contingent upon the availability of airport facilities and services. Travelers with reservations to and from the airport from noon Friday through Wednesday may rebook their flight or travel standby without paying additional charges. Travelers with reservations for canceled flights may request a refund for an unused ticket or itinerary. Southwest's scheduled service to and from Jackson, Miss., may be disrupted on Monday and Tuesday. Travelers with reservations to and from Jackson from noon Sunday through Wednesday can rebook or travel standby without paying additional charges. Travelers should call 800-435-9792 to check the status of their flight before checking in or leaving for the airport.