AVAR President Helps Coordinate Rescue of Hurricane Katrina Animal VictimsDogs and Cats Arrive at LAX Airport
LOS ANGELES, California (October 10, 2005) -- Nearly 100 dogs and cats will arrive via cargo plane today at Los Angeles International Airport following a hectic weekend of phone calls and mammoth coordination to save these Hurricane Katrina animal victims. Paula Kislak, DVM, of Santa Barbara, was part of a three-person team who coordinated the airline transport out of New Orleans and committed to find foster and adoptive homes for these animals in the Los Angeles area. Kislak is president of the national Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR). The dogs and cats who were shipped out were among the "leftover" animals residing at a temporary shelter in Gonzales, Louisiana. They had not been claimed by their families or shipped to rescue groups who could foster them more than six weeks after the disaster, and the shelter is now closing. Dr. Kislak found out Saturday morning about the immediate need to place these animals and worked throughout the weekend with David Meyer and Pia Salk of 1-800-saveapet.com to coordinate the rescue mission. Dr. Kislak, who spent 10 days in New Orleans directly rescuing and feeding abandoned and starving animals, said she got involved in bringing some of these final rescues to the Los Angeles area because she saw the desperate conditions under which they survived and couldn't turn her back on them even when she returned home. Thirty-five of the dogs who are arriving in Los Angeles are pit bulls who will be taken into foster care by the group, Pit Bull Rescue of Agua Dolce, California. These dogs were slated for temperament testing at the shelter in Gonzales but because of the stressful conditions it was likely they would have been euthanized. Other animals will be fostered by and boarded at Canine Animal Rescue League in Ventura, California. Approximately 10 cats and 20 dogs are still in need of shelter space, foster or permanent homes. Any rescue groups who are interested in taking responsibility for some of these animals can contact Paula Kislak at 805 705-5530 (cell phone). 20 AVAR Veterinarians Assisting with Medical Care of Hurricane Katrina's Animal VictimsDAVIS, California (Sept. 21) -- Veterinary members of the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) responded quickly to the pleas to help Hurricane Katrina animal victims with several setting off with only a few days notice to help care for rescued animals in hard hit areas of Louisiana and Mississippi. Several AVAR veterinary volunteers have already traveled to work at temporary relief shelters for hurricane victims and several more are signed up to do so in the coming weeks. At least 20 AVAR veterinarians are joining the huge animal relief effort now underway to care for thousands of injured, ill, and stressed animal victims. Dr. Barbara Jones, of Davis, California, has teamed up with United Animal Nations and its Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) volunteers who are operating a shelter for animal evacuees in Monroe, Louisiana. Dr. Jones is overseeing medical care for hundreds of cats, dogs and other animals who were rescued from the receding floodwaters or were brought to the shelter by families who lost their homes. Dr. Frank McMillan also is volunteering his time -- and leaving behind his veterinary practice in Southern California for two weeks -- to volunteer at a second EARS shelter in Jackson, Mississippi. The Jackson shelter is also a temporary home for animal evacuees, including dogs, cats, and birds. Meanwhile, Dr. Bill Pearce, of El Paso, Texas, is in Slidell, Louisiana, for a two-week stint at a shelter operated by Noah's Wish. Several hundred animal evacuees, primarily dogs and cats, are housed at this shelter. And, Dr. Suzanne Cliver, an AVAR board member, drove from her Virginia hometown to hook up with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) relief effort in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In addition to providing medical care for the animals, Dr. Cliver also pitched in to clean cages and walk and feed the hundreds of animals at the HSUS shelter. Other AVAR volunteer veterinarians who have provided medical care in the region include Dr. Kim Danoff of Virginia, Dr. Mary Dryoff of New York, and Dr. Pam Schott of New Jersey. Dr. Danoff offered her veterinary expertise to some of the smaller animal rescue groups operating in Mississippi, and Drs. Dryoff and Schott are volunteering at the animal shelters being operated by the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. Other AVAR members heading to the region include Dr. Paula Kislak, AVAR board president, of Santa Barbara, California, who will arrive in Gonzales, Louisiana, on Thursday to assist Dr. Madeline Graham, another AVAR member, with rescue and feeding operations in and around New Orleans. In addition, several veterinarians -- including Dr. Cindy Delany, Dr. Jen Barich, Dr. Julie O'Connell and Dr. Sandy Accime -- will help care for the hundreds of animals housed by Best Friends Sanctuary in Tylertown, Mississippi, during the next few weeks. In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, many animals were left to fend for themselves as rescuers focused on evacuating human victims. As a result, many of the animals, mostly cats and dogs, are suffering from severe dehydration, starvation, and contamination from the polluted waters. In addition, the animal evacuees are dealing with varying levels of stress and anxiety as most are separated from their families, either temporarily or permanently. AVAR veterinarians will work to hydrate, nourish, calm the animals in their care, and provide additional medical care when needed. AVAR is covering the travel costs for AVAR veterinary members associated with this relief effort. Anyone wishing to help cover the cost of AVAR's veterinary mission to help the Hurricane Katrina animal victims can send a donation to AVAR, PO Box 208, Davis, CA 95617. Or go to to donate via the PayPal link on the AVAR website at www.avar.org. URGENT ALERTAVAR SEEKS VETERINARIANS AND VETERINARY TECHNICIANS TO CARE FOR ANIMALS SUFFERING AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA AVAR is offering to send two more veterinarians and a technician to areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Numerous animal protection organizations are working around the clock to save animals who are either sheltered or still need rescuing from the flood waters. If you are interested in going to one of the affected areas within the next week, please contact teri@avar.org . Your travel arrangements will be covered. You should be available for a minimum of two weeks. If you would like to make a donation to these effects, please send a check made payable to AVAR to PO Box 208, Davis, CA 95617. Please mark the check "hurricane relief." VETERINARIANS AND VETERINARY TECHNICIANS NEEDED TO HELP WITH ANIMAL RESCUE IN HURRICANE DAMAGED AREASA MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN at LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINEWe at the School of Veterinary Medicine, like everyone else in the country, are overwhelmed by what we have seen on the news in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In an effort to help our colleagues and fellow citizens, the School is working with the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association, the Louisiana Animal Control Association, and the Louisiana SPCA to provide shelter and care for those pets that have traveled with their owners from the flooded areas and animals that have been rescued from those areas. The School's faculty, staff and students are volunteering their time at the Parker Coliseum on the LSU campus and the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, La., where animals are being sheltered. This is not something that will end in a few days. The School will require on-going support from the community. We desperately need volunteers, especially veterinarians and veterinary technicians, to help us in this effort. Non-veterinary volunteers are also welcome, though only those people that have been vaccinated for rabies will be able to work directly with the animals. The animal shelters are in dire need of large crates and cages. The volunteers also need ice, beverages and food. Other animal supplies, such as food, cat litter, pooper scoopers, vaccines, antibiotics, bandages, and catheters are also welcome and needed. These items can be mailed to:
Mark any package: Monetary donations can be made to the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association by calling 1-800-524-2996 or 225-928-5862. You can also download a donation form at the LVMA website at www.lvma.org, or send a check or money order made payable to the Dr. Walter J. Ernst, Jr. Veterinary Memorial Foundation, 8550 United Plaza Blvd., Suite 1001, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. It is during times of adversity and tragedy that people must come together. The School of Veterinary Medicine, along with state and local animal organizations, wants to do our part by caring for as many animals as possible. Please help us in our efforts. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians who want to volunteer assistance can contact Dr. David Senior at the School of Veterinary Medicine at 225-578-9551 or dsenior@vetmed.lsu.edu. Non-veterinary volunteers can contact the School of Veterinary Medicine at 225-578-9900. Thank you for your prayers and support. Sincerely, Michael G. Groves, DVM, Dean, |
