Search and Rescuers
Posted by Cathy
Late September, 2005 (five weeks after Hurricane Katrina)
I am in complete and utter awe of the search and rescue workers. These are truly some of the most amazing people I have ever met in my entire life. Ordinary people who have volunteered to put themselves in an extraordinary situation for the one pure purpose of saving the lives of the animals that were left behind.
Many of these people have left behind their own jobs, families and pets to come to New Orleans to do a job (unpaid) that many people would not have the physical stamina or emotional strength to do.
One rescuer was a police officer and had used all of her saved vacation time to go to Louisiana. There were so many others I met but did not have the time to get their story (something I feel strongly about doing when I go back).
Animal rescuers were not allowed into New Orleans until Monday Sept. 5th (day eight after Hurricane Katrina hit). That first week, rescuers were successfully pulling many animals out that were still alive and in fair health, some days each individual rescue group was pulling up to 100 pets a day (there are many rescue groups down there from all over the country). Animals were being brought to the Lamar Dixon Expo Center as the Humane Society had set up a staging area there. By Friday Sept. 9th, Lamar Dixon was filled to capacity (with 4500 animals) and began to turn away animal rescuers with new animals.
Many of the rescue groups in turn, began to set up their own staging areas wherever they could. Now they needed volunteers to help care for the overflowing animals so that the search and rescue teams could continue to go back in and pull more animals out to safety.
Please, do not let your children read any of this - nor should they be on this site.
By the time I had gotten there last week, it was already week three. I taped some footage on Wednesday Sept. 21st (day 23) when the search and rescue team returned late at night with the animals they were able to pull that day. (I will be posting this footage here soon) They are finding more and more dead animals, on that day they could only rescue 20 who were still alive. Nearly all of these animals that they are now finding are emaciated and barely clinging on to life.
One was a frail little female cocker spaniel. Her eyes were vacant looking and the vets said that she was in shock. They gave her some IV fluids immediately and then she started to come around a few hours later. I asked one of the rescuer workers where they found her. They have been forced to break and enter residences searching room by room for pets, because the pets are now too weak to bark (or meow). They found this little girl cocker spaniel shut into the second story bathroom of a house. There was no evidence that food or water had been left out for her, so it is a mystery how she stayed alive for 23 days. A guess was made that possibly the toilet lid was left open for her to drink from. When they opened the door to the bathroom and found her, she made eye contact and then just collapsed . . . as if to say "thank god, you've finally arrived!" I have two cockers of my own and seeing this little girl was especially emotional for me. I know that her owner meant well to shut her into the bathroom (to keep her safe from the hurricane) but what I don't understand, is where is the owner now? Why haven't they shown up to help the rescuers? I know I would be there cleaning out cages and doing whatever I could, so that the search and rescue efforts could stay on course.
There was another beautiful Australian Shepard, very thin, but not in dangerously bad medical condition. Rescuers found this dog hiding underneath a house, a frightened second dog that was there wouldn't go with the rescuers and they had to leave it behind.
I saw two animals come in, one was a black chow mix, the other I'm not sure of. On their cages rescuers had put huge signs saying "do not seperate these two dogs, one saved the other's life!". I didn't get the full details but that is one story I want to find out about when I go back. Animals are so amazing and courageous, they save people's lives all of the time - it is no surprise that in desperate situations they will go to great lengths to save the life of an animal friend.
There were three large dogs all found at the same house. They appeared to be a mix of black lab and something else, large heads, maybe part rott. The three of them were extremely afraid, had to be coaxed out of their cages at the staging center. The first one came out . . . he could barely stand up on his own, the volunteers had to wrap a towel underneath his backside and carry the back half of his body for him. He was all bones . . . the skin was sucked in between each rib. I have never seen anything like this before in my life - and I hope I will never forget it - and it will keep me grateful for the health and safety of my own pets. They brought this poor guy outside of the cage where a vet immediately checked him out. They got the second dog out of his cage (they looked alike, possibly littermates) and the same thing, all bones, he couldn't stand or walk on his own. They tried to get the third dog out and he was only convinced when he saw the other two. One licked the face of the other and that was a moment when I just lost my emotions. This was all that had left, was each other - nearly starved to death - not sure if anyone was ever coming for them . . . that moment when the one comforted the other by licking his face - just heartbreaking.
And the saddest story of the day's efforts - rescuers came across a school which appeared to have been a gathering place of animals. Either the owners had brought them there (many were in cages) or the National guard had brought them their for safety. It is unknown how they got there, but the gymnasium was filled with pets, too many to count. Evidence that people had been sleeping there at one point . . pillows, blankets. The rescuer I talked to said they were only able to get one dog out and I asked her "why? were the others too scared to go with you?" - and the answer was "no - only one was still alive, at least we saved one". My heart sank at this response, I couldn't even manage to say anything.
It was in this moment I realized what amazing people these rescuers are - trying to stay so positive in the face of coming up close to this type of pain and suffering. These are not animals who died a quick painless death . . .these are animals who have suffered, slowly starving and dehydrating. Oprah, I love you so much, but where are you now? These are true american heroes and someone needs to be telling their stories.
If no one else is going to do it - then I am. This is part of my mission when I go back - to document whatever I can and share it with you here.
