Our teams are moving southward and working to reach the most troubled areas of Gulfport and Biloxi.Īs New Orleans Superdome evacuees arrive in Houston, many of them will be sheltered in the Astrodome.

The Veterinarian’s Office and animal rescue teams plan to provide shelter for many more animals from the surrounding areas. A pet-friendly shelter and emergency animal shelter have been set up at the Coliseum in Jackson, and have taken in dozens of companion animals, with many more rescues to follow. The HSUS DART team is working with the Mississippi State Veterinarian’s Office and gathering resources in Jackson. Our teams are equipped to respond to the needs of all animals – including pets, horses, farm animals, and wildlife – affected by Katrina and the floodwaters. “She laid waste to a huge swath of the Southeast, and it won’t be easy to pick up the pieces.” “Katrina did not hit with surgical precision,” added Pacelle. But they face the awesome task of overcoming the fact that people are still in need of rescue and relief, that communications and transportation systems are in severe disrepair, and that the physical area affected is of enormous scope. Now, teams are also ready to assist in Louisiana.

The HSUS Disaster Animal Response Teams (DARTs) deployed immediately to the crisis, landing in Mississippi the day after Katrina did her damage. But there are also countless horses, wild animals, and farm animals who have been killed or are now facing threats to their lives.” We know that pets – owned and strays – have been victimized. “The story not as well known to the public is the devastation suffered by the animals in the stricken areas. “Katrina has devastated the Gulf Coast, taking human lives, destroying property, and crippling transport, water, and communications systems,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. When the city’s famed levees strained and eventually buckled and broke under the pressure of the surging water, an unyielding flood enveloped the city, rendering the city uninhabitable and prompting a mass evacuation of all who did not flee the approach of Katrina. The second disaster concentrated its impact on one of America’s great cities – New Orleans. The storm, fed by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, barreled into the Southeast with its 140-mile-per-hour winds, 25-foot storm surges, and pelting rains. There were really two disasters at work on the Gulf Coast.

Katrina and the Animals by Tai