HSUS Sending Emergency Teams

Posted by Dean Pajevic | Aug 30, 2005 | 13 |

CAPTION: Jonathan Harvey rescues his dog Cuddles in Gulfport, Miss. on Monday. (AP Photo)

“The Humane Society of the United States has launched a massive relief effort to rescue animals and assist their caregivers. Our highly-trained Disaster Animal Response Teams are heading to Mississippi for a multi-state animal rescue and recovery effort. Our 38-foot Disaster Response Unit and other rescue vehicles are fully stocked and enroute.

“Our entire relief effort is funded by donations. Please make an emergency contribution to our Disaster Relief Fund today. Your tax-deductible gift will be used exclusively for our disaster animal relief work.”

I can tell you — because I did many diaries about the post-tsunami plight of wild and domesticated animals — that HSUS’s work in SE Asia was brilliant and done in sensitive, timely, generous allegiance with local groups that received HSUS’s emergency funds.

Video: How disaster teams help pets and people.
“Are you prepared for disaster? Take HSUS’s quiz.”
Donate to the emergency fund. (FOR CUDDLES!)
As always, donate to the Red Cross. (FOR JONATHAN!)
Comprehensive, very concise list of charities/contact/needs by Renarf at Daily Kos. (That’s a permalink.)

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Dean Pajevic

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ask on August 30, 2005 at 5:26 pm

If you have a chance, check out this video from WLBT showing the devastation along the coast.

Early Tuesday Skycopter 3 went to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to get an aerial view of the damage. What they came back with is almost unbelievable. We have about 20 minutes of video of the worst-hit areas. Skycopter 3 pilot Coyt Bailey describes what he sees.

This page from WWL gives running updates.
- Dean Pajevic on August 30, 2005 at 6:11 pm
  
  I hate to say it but I fear it’ll be insane to rebuild fully there … the area clearly can’t sustain that number of people.
Dean Pajevic on August 30, 2005 at 5:35 pm

I just ripped off the contents of this diary at Daily Kos — it’s got 673 comments so I went to the Permalink version –>

UPDATED: Martial Law Declared in New Orleans; Journalists Ordered Out; Suicide in Dome; ‘Looting’
by MeanBoneII [Subscribe]

Tue Aug 30th, 2005 at 07:37:42 PDT

Shepard Smith on Fox News, who yesterday was overly optimistic from his reports in the French Quarter, appears to be the first on the news networks to actually get it:

IT’S OVER FOR NEW ORLEANS. Please donate.

Smith said martial law has been declared, and all journalists have been ordered out of the city (no other confirmation on expulsion of journalists, but authorities are likely too busy to arrest them yet anyway). The situation is getting exponentially worse, there are no resources, it is only going to become more and more “impossible to sustain life” in New Orleans. There are people dying there right now, trapped by the rising floodwaters — up to a total of approximately 97,000 people, according to the mayor’s own (obviously rough) estimate. The worst-case scenario is unfolding, and New Orleans will be uninhabitable for the foreseeable future.

MeanBoneII’s diary :: ::
UPDATE: As posted in comments, WWLTV is reporting that Jefferson Parish and Plaquemines Parish are under martial law and the floodwaters are expected to rise to lake level.

UPDATE 2: The mayor has now ordered an emergency evacuation of the entire city. Important to note: Mayor Nagin estimated that about 80% of the city’s 485,000 people evacuated before the storm. That has to be a very rough estimate and HOPEFULLY VERY LOW. If about 20% of the residents are still in the city, that’s approximately 97,000 people. Up to 20,000 (see Update 6) or so are at the Superdome. That could leave about 77,000 trapped in homes rapidly flooding with toxic water, with no food or water or way to get out.

UPDATE 3: Bush is finally canceling his vacation and speeches in front of hand-picked audiences and returning to Washington as the enormity of this disaster becomes clear. Somebody apparently told him it’s time to look like he’s in charge again.

UPDATE 4: Conditions at the Superdome are drastically deteriorating. Local reporter on scene tells CNN a man intentionally jumped to his death from the second level balcony in the dome. Water is rising around the dome, as victims with serious injuries are brought to the dome where they could soon be trapped.

UPDATE 5: There are numerous reports of rampant “looting” in the city, but given the extreme life-or-death nature of these conditions, the vast majority of the thousands still in New Orleans are certainly just desperately grabbing any food, water and supplies they can get to stay alive.

UPDATE 6: Jeanne Meserve on CNN reports it is now estimated 15,000-20,000 people are at the Superdome. Rescuers are bringing victims to the dome, which is still above but surrounded by rising water. Hopefully the mayor was way off on his guess that nearly 100,000 people were in New Orleans when the storm hit yesterday.

FINAL UPDATE (diary is overbloated): WWLTV is reporting that Jefferson Parish President says residents will probably be allowed back in town in a week, with identification only, but only to get essentials and clothing. They will then be asked to leave and not come back for one month. I’d guess that the word “probably” is being used loosely and “asked” really means “ordered.” Looks like wishful thinking. Please donate for those victims who have lost everything but their lives.
- Dean Pajevic on August 30, 2005 at 5:37 pm
  
  The link to the permalink version so you can see/use the embedded links:
  
  DIARY
chocolate ink on August 30, 2005 at 5:42 pm

http://tinyurl.com/4upj This is ‘theanimalrescuesite’ which I’ve posted before. For simply clicking-for free- once a day this enables sponsors to feed animals at shelters and sanctuaries daily. Yesterday enough people clicked to generate 96,392 bowls of food to be given to our not quite human friends. That sounds like a lot but given the million/millions of people using the internet daily that is only a tiny percentage of people who do go to this site.

This site also has link to Humane Society.
Dean Pajevic on August 30, 2005 at 6:17 pm

CAPTION: Jake Edwards of Biloxi, Mississippi, makes his way to the beach to release a pelican that he dug out of the rubble the day Hurricane Katrina struck this Gulf city, Biloxi, Mississippi August 30, 2005.

Link goes to slide show of photos.
ejmw on August 30, 2005 at 6:18 pm

just really brings it home.

I don’t even know how many pictures I’ve seen of underwater houses, broken bridges, people on their rooftops just waiting and hoping to be rescued, water continuing to pour into the city, the Superdome with its roof torn open, boats on roadways, cars in lakes. I thought I was starting to get numb to it all.

Now this guy, looking out over the destruction, clutching what is probably about all he has left of his life : his dog.

I just can’t stop staring at it, but I have to because it’s just tearing me apart.
- Dean Pajevic on August 30, 2005 at 6:20 pm
  
  It makes me cry .. I’m starting to cry again …
  
  HSUS put that on their home page.
  
  I pray those two are alright. That was yesterday …. sigh.
Dean Pajevic on August 30, 2005 at 6:43 pm

C-posted at Daily Kos

TITLE: HSUS Sending Emergency Teams for Animals & People
mlk19569 on August 30, 2005 at 7:17 pm

Thank you for the link to donate. I’ll do it first thing tomorrow AM.
- Dean Pajevic on August 30, 2005 at 7:50 pm
  
  The response has been incredible! Thank you!
  
  And my daughter put the Red Cross and HSUS links up at her workplace site/RSS feed.
  - mlk19569 on August 30, 2005 at 8:07 pm
    
    I’ve already given to the Red Cross, but I sit here and cry over the loss of life (human & animal) and property and fear for the future of the Gulf Coast.
    
    Giving to HSUS is the least I can do.
Dean Pajevic on August 30, 2005 at 10:01 pm

Please forward to anyone you know who’d like to help this group or lives near them and can transport supplies. This is from the wildlife rehab group I’m on … what a group of incredible people:

Here is the address that Lloyd has left for donations of food, supplies, and medicine for rehabbers in need of emergency help:
Please mail donations to:

Dorothy Kaufmann
Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida
105 North “S” Street
Pensacola, Florida 32505
c/o Lloyd

In case you are wondering who Lloyd is…he is with the State of
Florida’s Disaster Animal Response Team (DART) and the Humane Society of the United States National Disaster Animal Response Team (HSUS, NDART).

In the past year their teams have responded around the world to Sri Lanka and Thailand to rescue animals in the aftermath of the recent tsunami as well as all four hurricanes that hit Florida and Alabama last year. They are first line responders, with the ability to reach people before anyone else can. They have the legal authority to do so whereas many groups do not. They have lists of all rehabbers, their locations and other detailed information so they can immediately respond in a disaster.

Since he is in Mississipi right now, he has asked the rehabber in
Pensacola to be a drop off point for him as he does not know of
another physical address any closer.

Mitzi Mobley
Jax Fl

HSUS Sending Emergency Teams

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Dean Pajevic

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