Devastated
Shelters in Louisiana Need Help Now Please!
Photo: Mary Karr
- Jarman Photography
With Gustav behind them and Ike
winding it's way to Arkansas and downsizing for the Midwest,
MuttShack Animal Rescue volunteers continue to set up camp
in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, in the town of Denham
Springs and are busy resurrecting the animal shelter that
was devastated by Gustav.
This year in
August, MuttShack's rescue efforts were rewarded with a
Pioneer Spirit award by the Humane Society of Louisiana. Now
having gone full circle, they are helping the very Parish of
former Senator "Clo" Fontenot who was responsible for the
State's first ever Pet Evacuation Bill signed into law in
June 2006.
Fifty-five square
miles of Livingston Parish is comprised of water and
MuttShack reports that the animal shelter, located on a
hill, has become an island of refuge that volunteers must
carefully ferry back and forth to, on a boat.
With cat and
dog areas destroyed and the infrastructure flooded out,
MuttShack volunteers, sleeping on the floor of city
government buildings, thanks to the Mayor, are rebuilding
one the most devastated animal shelters in Louisiana.
MuttShack volunteers, are comprised of highly skilled animal
lovers -- first responders, carpenters and technicians, and
have come from California, Washington, New York and even
Canada to rescue the pets and feral animals in Louisiana.
MuttShack is able to bring in some supplies like building
materials and kitty litter into the area, and with their
temperature controlled trucks, they can ferry furry loved
ones to safety. But MuttShack is on call 24 hours a day
trapping, rescuing and rebuilding as best they can with
limited people and resources.
In the past
few weeks, the most dedicated MuttShack volunteers were seen
cleaning up 5 days of dog poop from the shelter zone and
transporting a truckload of cats off to Little Rock Arkansas
for shelter, driving 19 hours round trip. Carpenter/Animal
Rescuers repaired a section of the roof - living the phrase
"cats on a hot tin roof".
MuttShack founder
Amanda St. John, was working 24/7 during Gustav, acting as
the personal hot line where people could get logistical
information for transportation, coordinating animal crates
and interacting with animal services and other agencies in
Jefferson Parish. MuttShack also provided over 100
temperature controlled trucks and helped coordinate the
evacuation transport of residents' animals out of and back
into the affected Louisiana coastal Parishes.
By making
donations you can help support MuttShack's disaster relief
efforts.
The shelter needs
money and supplies.
Livingston
Parish Animal shelter is the only City run Animal Control no
kill shelter. They need to to rebuild demolished
dog and cat areas, replenish their vaccines etc. lost when
their power went out. Find interim shelter solutions.
Here are a few ways to donate.
Boats and
dinghies, waders
Gas cards for fuel
Petco and Petsmart cards - food, cat litter, dog igloos
Home Depot cards - for building materials
Gas cards to help transport animals to rescues outside the
devastated area
Vaccines and medical equipment lost during the storm
Go to
donate via PAYPAL,
http://www.muttshack.org/donate.htm or mail check to: MuttShack Animal Rescue,
7922 Nelson St., New Orleans, LA 70125
Please
consider donating any way you can.
For more
information on their rescue operations, donations - please
call:
To volunteer contact Brenda Shoss (Volunteer Coordinator) @
info @ kinshipcircle.org
Louisiana: MuttShack Animal Rescue, 7922 Nelson St., New
Orleans, LA 70125
California: MuttShack Animal Rescue, 15981 Yarnell Street,
Ste. 188, Sylmar, CA 91342
Read More
