A Good Day!

Hello friends

A very good day! It was the first day I had an actual normal work day. I worked from 8am-8pm at the information desk.

I had a really great team with me (even a personal assistant from FEMA) and was able to FINALLY organize it and clear all the clutter. We decided to do paperwork differently which would better serve the pet owners who are still searching. I am in competition with the gal who is setting up a mini pet Walmart to see who can have the most organized area. So far she is winning. Her area looks really great and mine is just free of clutter. Of course her area is cool because it’s full of brand new pet items that people picking up their pets can take at no charge to start their new lives together.

I had my first mini-reunion though it wasn’t in person. A man who had to evacuate due to his handicap was forced to leave his two cats behind with a friend who promised he would take care of them while he stayed behind to care for his own dogs.

Days and days later the friend finally contacted this man and told him the animals were in Baton Rouge. Sure enough after a call and my checking the data base, we found that Snooks and Rosco were here. They came in together and were caged together. I have not actually talked to the man, as his sister was calling me on his behalf. He is in San Francisco and she is in Roanoak, VA. Anyways, he is thrilled to know they are fine and understandably relieved. I’m glad I was able to take this call. It totally made my day.

This shelter will be closing on October 15^th. Owners have until September 30^th to pick up their pets. If they can not find a place to live with their pet, or have a friend keep them, they will be adopted to other people with a clause that the owner will be able to have a specified amount of time to reclaim the animal. At first I believed fostering was the way to go, but now that I give it more thought, people really need to commit to keeping these animals just incase the owners are never able to get back on their feet sufficiently to take them back.

It’s looking pretty good for Gabby and I to take home “Monkey”. We are calling him Monkey because when you pick him up, he hugs your shoulders like a chimp. NO LIE! And he nuzzles my face just like Spooky used to. I think it’s a boy and I think he is about 4 years old. If nobody claims him by the time we leave, we will add him to our family. Right now, I would be willing to give him back to his owner after any length of time. Of course, I think it would be heart wrenching once we get attached to him, but when I think of all these people of New Orleans have lost, the one thing that they should never have to be without is their pet.

My friend whose house was checked by that New Orleans officer the other day finally made it back to see her home. The house was empty as the police officer had said, but one dog had hidden from him and remained and was alive. This was her sister’s dog. Her dog and the 15 cats were gone so I suspect that they were rescued. Now begins her search in the shelters and at petfinder.com. Please pray for her pets safe return.

If you are interested in seeing some photos of the place where we are working, visit the website: http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/katrina_pets_photo_page.htm Right now, there are only photos of the small dog arena. The cats area will be photographed soon. Also, so will the football field sized large dog barn where Gabby has been sweating the days and nights away installing fans.

Today, he installed fans in a special area where a woman named Iris is caring for the 22 dogs she personally rescued from her neighborhood. Because their cages are on the outside of the barn, they have had a little natural breeze so until now, they were low priority. But because some wonderful people are responding to our wish list, they all have fans now.

Things are getting better and better every day. The animals are all getting micro-chipped for identification. Once they leave the shelter, they will always be able to be identified. After the micro-chipping is completed, the animals we have with “no known owner” (about 150 of them) will be listed on petfinder.com.

Pretty soon, the missing owners will begin to show up, and then the payoff will really begin!

Ciao for now

Carol & Gabby