Fwd: Special Report: Hurricane response shifts focus

October 16, 2005

Note: forwarded message attached.

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These lucky

pets and people have already found each other again. The HSUS is

doing all it can to match thousands of other pets and people who

are still looking for their own happy

reunion.

Dear Paul,

Today, The Humane Society of the United States

will wind down operations at what was, just three

weeks ago, the largest emergency animal shelter in modern

history. Closing our temporary facility at the Lamar-Dixon Expo

Center in Gonzales ends a major chapter in the dramatic first

phase of our massive response to Hurricane Katrina -- the animal

rescue phase -- and allows us to move on to the next crucial

steps of reunification and rebuilding.

The

HSUS is still on the ground in the region, and we will be there

for animals and shelters along the Gulf Coast for months and

years to come. But today I want to update you on what we've

accomplished so far. And I want to

personally thank you for standing with us during one of the most

challenging periods in our 51-year history.

Here is what we've accomplished over the past

six weeks (watch our video and slideshow, too):

The HSUS helped rescue more than 8,200 stranded

pets and other animals across the region. On some days,

more than 50 separate animal rescue teams traveled by boat, by

truck, or on foot -- literally breaking down doors to reach

stranded pets. At its peak, our emergency shelter in Gonzales

housed nearly 2,000 animals, and more than 300 veterinarians,

sheltering professionals, and volunteers attended to their

needs. Our facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, saw nearly

2,400 animals come through its gates. While some lucky pets were

reunited with their caregivers at our emergency shelters, most

were transported to animal shelters across the nation to make

room for more rescued animals. The last 94 pets at the Gonzales

facility were airlifted to Los Angeles on Monday.

Video and

Pictures

Video:

Responding to Katrina (3:00)

Windows

Media | Real

Player

Slideshow:

Bringing Them Back HomeView

Slideshow

We've helped reunite more than 800 rescued pets

with the people who love them. While our rescue phase

is winding down, our reunion phase continues in earnest -- and

we've pledged, with the ASPCA, to pay whatever costs are

necessary to transport animals to be reunited with their owners,

wherever they may be. Even as you read this, more than 40 HSUS

staff and a cadre of volunteers are working feverishly to match

lost pets with their caregivers. With most pets now safely

housed at animal shelters and in foster homes across the

country, the challenge is formidable. But we will not

stop until we've exhausted every lead.

At our Disaster Call Center, we've fielded more

than 45,000 calls -- including thousands from frantic

pet owners urging our disaster teams to rescue their animals in

the stricken areas. Disaster teams on the ground used these call

center reports to locate and rescue stranded animals. Today, our

call center continues to be the primary point of contact for

many people looking to reunite with their animals.

We worked shoulder-to-shoulder with many groups

in the affected areas. I was inspired by the other

national and local groups we worked with, by the hundreds of

animal care and control professionals who generously volunteered

their time in often harsh conditions, and by the dozens of

animal shelters and placement groups nationwide that opened

their doors to Katrina's pets. I was also heartened by the

outpouring of support we received from corporations

and the artistic community. And in one of the most

inspiring examples of cooperation, the Dixon Correctional

Institute became a hero to Katrina's pets; in a joint program

with The HSUS, the prison housed some 200 animals in a converted

dairy barn on the property.

We joined forces with the American Animal

Hospital Association (AAHA) to create the Katrina Pet Wellness

Program, which provides financial assistance for basic

veterinary wellness checkups of pets displaced by the storm.

Managed through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, the program offers

reimbursement to veterinary practices of up to $125 per pet for

several basic treatments. Thousands of pets and their caregivers

are eligible.

Show your support by

using this HSUS Disaster Relief stamp on your snail mail. Order

a sheet at Zazzle.com.

We're leading the way to change public policy to

ensure that, in future disasters, people are never forced to

leave behind their beloved pets. We are lobbying for

the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS Act),

which would require state and local authorities to include pets

and service animals in their disaster evacuation plans. (If you

haven't yet contacted your U.S. Representative about this bill,

please click

here.) We're also urging the Department of Homeland

Security to establish a policy that would enable multiple

federal agencies to help animals in disasters.

Finally, we've committed our organization to help

rebuild the animal sheltering and protection capacity of the

Gulf Coast region. We joined with the ASPCA in

contributing a combined total of $5 million to the Katrina

Shelter Reconstruction Fund, and hope to persuade corporations

and other groups to help bring that total to $15

million.

Most recently, we've worked hand-in-hand with the

Louisiana SPCA to set up a temporary animal shelter in New

Orleans, a facility that will meet the animal care and control

needs of the city until the organization can build a more

permanent shelter. In addition, we've donated or pledged more

than $500,000 to local organizations either affected by the

disaster or assisting with the relief effort.

It's hard for me to adequately convey to you the sheer

breadth of our disaster response, the chaotic nature and

enormous challenges we faced in meeting a crisis of Katrina's

magnitude, and the incredible personal sacrifices that disaster

responders made to help the hurricane's victims. On behalf of

all the staff and volunteers of The Humane Society of the United

States, please accept my most heartfelt thanks for your support

during this crisis.

Sincerely,Wayne PacellePresident &

CEOThe Humane Society of the United States

P.S. Throughout September and into

this month, we have published daily updates at www.hsus.org about what

was happening in impact zone. To read our latest story about the

closing of our temporary shelter at Lamar-Dixon -- and for

previous stories, videos, and more -- please click

here.

Copyright

Reserved. Humane Society Disaster Relief Fund |

2100 L Street, NW | Washington, DC 20037 disaster |

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