A Rescuer's Diary from 9/23/05

Author's last name unknown: simply signed Teri

Just Returned from LA. Lamar/Dixon Expo Center
           Posted: Sep 23, 2005 at 5:44 AM

     I have just walked in the door from Lamar/dixon expo center...I
Really dont even know where to start...I guess I will start with Monday...We
had heard of some folks down in New Orleans at a Winn Dixie store that
needed help and supplies..they were bringing in animals right and left and
they had hardly no help.. so Monday morning we went in.. Those people were
doing an amazing job in the most awful place...they were having to evac their
animals to lamar dixon so we loaded up as many as we could haul and took them
back . When we got back I was sent to Barn 5... it was the intake barn..Now
this is a huge long barn like you would see at a fair grounds..when I walked
in I couldnt believe what I saw.. dogs in cages two and three deep..
smaller dogs stacked on the larger ones..after they were inprocessed then we kept
them until they had been vetted..I looked around and in one of the cages
was a little Shih-Tzu who was clearly in distress...She was covered in the
dried goo that covers the city...I got her out and tried to get a vet to
look at her.. NO LUCK..so I bathed her and got her as cool as possible..( the
heat in those barns was unbearable )I finally grabbed a vet and we gave her
fluids..she perked up a little but I thought she should go to VMAT to
be watched... they said NO.. shes fine..so I put her back in her cage
and went to work .. I found dogs that hadnt been fed since the day before and
hadnt been out of their cages in 2 days...(Now let me tell you there is no
other way to describe this other than organized CHAOS !!) the first night I
was there we took in 367 dogs... in about 6 hours time..Tryin to get them
bathed.. cages cleaned and fed and watered.. was a job..) another
volunteer from california named stephen and I jumped in and tried to catch up
!! I honestly dont remember what time I finally went to bed that nite..but
I kept checking on my little shih-tzu .. she seemed better..at 7 the next
morning we started again.. I cannot tell you guys how hard it was seeing
these poor lost homeless souls...I will never forget them..There was a blind
older poodle..who was soo scared.. there was a little mixed breed pup who
was sooo starved you wouldnt even think he could stand.. but he wagged that
tail everytime ya got near him..( we ended up callin Him super dog !!)
there was a great dane who couldnt walk.. there were so many pitt-bulls and
they were all so funny and sweet ( I didnt have the aggressive animals in my
barn)But I know it will be very hard to place all of them !all most all of
these poor animals were emaciated.. and covered with that dried sludge .. they
had sores, cuts, scraps.. some went straight to vmat for treatment.some
were in good shape..I noticed my little shih-tzu.. she was in distress
again..I once again chased a vet down and after a heated discussion she agreed to
give her fluids again..Okay I get her back on her feet and go about tending to
all the rest in the barn..Now while all of this is going on I have maybe
9 or 10 small animal rescue groups FIGHTING over the small dogs.. I mean
literally fighting..but they only wanted the small dogs.. not the medium or
large dogs
and certainly not any with any pitt in them..I was just appalled.. at
all the wonderful dogs that they wouldnt take because .. they just werent
the cute little fluffy ones.I had kept a very close eye on her.. it was obvious she was not used to being in the
heat and it was killing her.. Oh did I mention she was about to give birth
?Well anyway... When I noticed her starting to crash I would get wet towels
and wrap her in them.. get her cool and put her back.. I kept kinda
hiding her so they wouldn't export her..I finally found a rescue group from
Baton Rouge that was goin to take her but they were going to let me bring her home
because of the hurricane... so they were getting all of the dogs
together to export..which meant they just were shipping them out to
different rescues on planes or vans.. and I was of course sobbing because I was
afraid she wasnt going to make it...and the gal from the rescue told me I
could take her home..SO we get her and the other dogs that they were
adopting and went to out process..we sat for 3 hours tryin to get 7 dogs out of
there... I didnt have her wet towel.. I had no idea it would take that long..
well she crashed... and I grabbed a vet and asked her to give her fluids
so I could get her out of there.. the vet snatched her and said she had to
stay there.. they took her to VMAT..(the clinic on site) I tried and tried
to tell them that she would be fine after some fluids... we had been
through this for 3 days but they wouldnt listen..The girl from the LA SPCA
and I went to the BIg Cheese there and me sobbing and her tryin to tell him
to let
her go with me didnt work...And I Had to leave because my ride was in
a panic because of the impending hurricane..I got several of the vets to
promise me they would not give her fluids and throw her back out in
that cage..but I know that is what happened..MY heart is broken.. I know
that there were many others there.. and I feel sorry for all of them.. but
this one just stole my heart.. I will never forgive my self for not
fighting harder for her..I feel like I let her down.. Leaveing her there was
the hardest thing I have ever done...I will always wonder where she is
and if she is okay..But the whole reason I am telling this is maybe it will
make one person go volunteer..at a shelter or with a rescue group..Its
heartbreaking .. but you can make a homeless animal happy even if it
is for a short while..I am now on a mission to get some things changed with
the spca...the red tape was just unbelieveable.. Those poor animals had
been through so much and were so lost and confused..I wish I could tell
you all everything.. but my heart is still just broken...I am trying to find
out what happened to her but I know I never will ... I just pray that she
made it out and is okay... Please dont ever be afraid to go help... I met
the most AMAZING people...and they were from everywhere..I even met a
girl from hawaii..and these were all volunteers...they all paid their own way
there..I dont know who actually was feeding us but food showed up twice a
day... they had 2 HUGE air conditioned tents with cots that we could sleep in..
there were tents everywhere..the willingness of everyone to help has given
me memories I will never forget ! I have photos I will post .. I am sorry if this isnt very well written..and I know there is more to tell..its
just all still way to fresh !! but to all of those who donated time or money..THANK YOU !!!
those animals desperately needed it !! and now since they are getting hit
again they will continue... if you have any vacation time ... or just want
to go.. Dont be scared.. just GO !! You will never regret it !!