am I the only one who thinks the situation for people with pets in Louisiana is inhuman and appaling? Have been watching Fox news coverage of the disaster and hearing that people are now being forcably evacuated and told that they have to leave pets behind!!!!!!! This means that they are expected to depart leaving dogs/cats etc to die slowly of thirst/starvation/poisoning!!!. Not only have the people got to cope with losing home, possesions and possibly family or friends but to be expected to 'happily' walk away leaving pets abandoned in that situation as well. Its beyond belief.
Chris

That is terrible, I didn't know they had to leave their pets behind. I would never leave my pets in any circumstance. To make things worse, Bush is to head the inquiry into the disaster. Tell him he had to leave the white house without his dogs, and I am sure that he would have a few things to say about that.

Whilst its tragic, I really don't think there is any alternative :(

They apparently had to open the kennel doors in the local dog shelters to just let the dogs and cats fend for themselves as there was no way to evacuate them to safety. I read an article that said dogs are seem standing on floating debry and they are not being recued because the priority if for people. These dogs have no food, no water, are subject to the elements (many have burned feet because of the heat) and are at risk from dorwing and poisoning, as well as starvation and dehydration. I am very surprised, as after 9/11 animal charities moved very quickly to rescue pets from buildings, and yet nothing similar has been attempted in New Orleans as far as I know. I is sad for everyone involved in that terrible situation. I know peole will argue that it is the human cost that is the most important, but to some people their pets are their lives, and to suffer a terrible disaster and to loose their family pet can be heartbreaking. My mother-in-law worked as part of a berevement team sent by the British foreign office to the states after 9/11 and many people were distraut their pets had been left/were missing/had died.

If it happened here I wouldnt leave behined my pets. If there was no other alternative Id stay with them.

I did see on the news a dog sat ontop of a car and another dog laid dead on  top of a car. It is very very sad.

I dont think they have a choice, they are being forcibly removed :(

I couldnt imagine having to leave my pets behind :(

Have you been following the story of Snowball and the little child that he was torn away from?  I keep looking for updates every 2 minutes - it is just so sad especially the photo off the vidoe footage where the dog is at the wheels of the coach the young lad is being driven away in.  I hope they reunite them both.

I haven't seen it, but this thread is making me feel really sad. :(

By leaving these animals there to die, they are not only causing major heartache for the families that have to leave them, but it will also create more disease. If I could, I would go in there and help these poor defenceless animals.

I just could not imagine what those people and animals are going through.  www.katrinafoundpets.com is a web site that has the info about Snowball.

I was appalled to hear of the truck driver who was 'rescued' after 5 days in a tree. He'd had his 16-year old chihuahua X dachshund with him all that time. The helicopter crew wouldn't let him take her with him The poor man was given two choices: leave her to die, or kill her. He wasn't allowed to stay where he was. He killed her, because he couldn't leave her to suffer. :( :( He's devastated. :(

That is SO sad!!!!! :-( :-( :-(

OMG that is absolutely terrible.

I just read a paragraph in a news story about the military vets being busy as people have their animals with them so I assume some managed to keep their animals :)

http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/09/06/wkat206.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/09/06/ixnewstop.html

Breaks my heart just to think about it

THey are dispatching teams to go in to rescue animals..a team from florida left yesterday..a rescue group from my town left today i donated several bags of food as did many people.and the LRC is helping as are many breed clubs

It's absolutely heart rending, esp. the story of the man in the tree - you would have thought the rules could have been bent for such a small dog

Lindsay
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I guess if you bend the rules for one, then you have to do it for others :( The whole situation is dire and it is terribly sad for the people who have to leave their pets behind but with such a huge number of people to evacuate and accomodate elsewhere, there really aren't any other feasible options :(

Hi Kelly mccoy

Sorry who are LRC ? :)

Lucy
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I agree that it is dreadful to have to leave pets behind, but I think its probably the only thing realistically that can be done. these people are going to live in shelters...how could they take pets? they dont even have proper toilet or washing facilities.its all very well to say from the comfort of our living rooms that we would stay with our pets in that situation....but are people going to stay with their pets leaving their kids to go to shelters alone? I dont think so. I worship my dogs, but some things are much bigger. In that situation I would try to get them pts humanely, even though I would be distraught.

i would not leave my dogs,id rather die with them,id never forgive myself

Trevor and his team at WSPA ( World Society for the Protection of Animals) have already got teams working in New Orleans. The American office has set up a shelter and is trying to reunite those animals they have rescued or find them new homes - as you say the situation is pretty grim and they do need all your support folks. Look at WSPA's work on www.wspa.org.uk.

Cheers

Yvonne

Will look later today, Yvonne, :)

Trevor really does get right in the thick of it, doesn't he...I'd find it very hard to cope with emotionally.

Lindsay
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