$10,000 needed to support
local animal rescue team in Mississippi and Louisiana
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The following chronology describes the search and rescue efforts by Indigo Rescue volunteers to assist animals affected by the recent hurricanes. We are continuing to raise money to help pay for the costs of the trip and the medical care of our rescues. You can help by donating to Indigo Rescue today.
September 23, 2005: Six Indigo Volunteers Travel to New Orleans to Participate in Search and Rescue
The following letter written by Paige Powell provides information about how you can help Indigo Rescue save animals affected by the recent hurricanes in Mississippi and Louisiana.
URGENT!
Dear Animal Friends,
The situation in Mississippi and Louisiana is still of catastrophic proportions (see web sites below). Please donate generously to local animal rescue group Indigo Rescue and their team who are braving hurricane conditions in Mississippi and New Orleans to help with the immediate crisis of saving the lives of several thousand trapped pets and those that are in animals shelters that are so overwhelmed.
There is little to no government support with this massive operation. Please refer to the following websites for updated animal rescue reports from the area:
www.hsus.org
www.bestfriends.org
www.uan.org
www.ears.org
www.peta.org
www.ifaw.org
www.ddal.org
www.noahswish.org
www.pasadosafehaven.org
www.nola.com (click on pets) for up-to-the-second emergency reports in the stricken area.
Many of us would like to be there to help in this crisis but are unable. This is a way we can help our local heroic rescuers from Indigo Rescue who will be there on our behalf. There are now six experienced animal rescue people in Heather's rescue team flying out Saturday Sept 24th, the same day Hurricane Rita is expected to hit.
Let's show our support for our allied animal rescue team and make the goal to get them there: $10,000.
Trip costs include: Six R/T plane tickets, two rental vans, gasoline (to travel between Hattiesburg, Gonzales, and New Orleans; transporting animals to rescue centers) medical supplies (including bags of fluids, antibiotics, bandages and crates,) camping and survival gear (there are no motels currently available in these areas so the group must camp) human food and purified water for eight days.
The Indigo Rescue Team includes: Heather Hines, Brenda Smith DVM, Stephanie Irvine, Faon Lewis, Gretchen Treser and Jennifer Parsons.
Indigo Rescue is a Washington County based non-profit 501c3 organization. All donations are tax deductible. Please go to Indigo rescue web site (www.indigorescue.org) and donate generously through Paypal or send a check to: Indigo Rescue PO Box 554 Beaverton, OR 97075 You may indicate Hurricane Rescue Fund. For more information contact Indigo Rescue at: 503-626-7222 or email: info@indigorescue.org
Because of the work load and difficulty communicating from rescue sites, Heather will be making every effort to email an update from the major animal rescue center now called the "largest in the world" bu HSUS. In the event she cannot communicate with us, she will keep a log and report back as soon as the group returns.
Thank you.
Paige Powell
animals@teleport.com
"The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of man."
Emile Zola
1840-1902
October 2, 2005: Indigo Volunteers Return from New Orleans
Hello everyone.
I just wanted to send a quick note to let everyone know we have made it back from New Orleans safely. We will be working on an online photo album and written summary of our trip that we hope to be able to share with you very soon, but suffice to say that it was unlike anything we might ever have imagined. We worked every day in excessive heat and humidity, with very little sleep or food, and no end in sight. We worked with law enforcement agencies on the city streets of New Orleans, going from house to house trying to find survivors and provide food for those who would not accept help. We witnessed incredible tragedy and loss.
There are still hundreds, if not thousands of dogs and cats roaming the streets...too confused and afraid to trust. We do not know what will happen to them and it hurts our hearts.
Still, we are gratified that we could help the few we were able to help.
The rescue centers in Louisiana and Mississippi will be closing in the next few days. All of the remaining animals in the centers are being shipped out to shelters around the country. We brought five dogs and one kitten home with us. The greatest majority of dogs in Louisiana are Pit Bulls. Most shelters chose to pull "adoptable" dogs. We wanted to give the others a chance. The dogs we chose were some of the few remaining dogs at the shelter. It was an amazing ordeal applying to get these dogs to safety. These "undesirables" are today, ecstatic to be in cool, clean, quiet homes, able to roll in fresh grass...it does our hearts good just to see it. More to follow.
We are required to hold our dogs until the 16th of October in case owners can be found. We are still looking for foster homes for some of these dogs. Please let us know if you are able to provide a safe home for one of these tremendously disadvantaged dogs. Bio information is available.
Thanks again for all of your support.
Heather
October 7, 2005: Dogs Rescued from Katrina Positive for Heartworm
We have determined that in addition to being intact, our rescued dogs have all tested positive for heartworm, a deadly parasite. The treatment is lengthy, expensive and very painful for the dogs, but without it, they will die. We began their month long treatment on Friday. For hours after the injection, the dogs tremble and cry out from pain, even on pain meds. They must also be kept inactive during treatment because if a piece of the dying heartworm breaks off it can cause a clot that might kill the dogs. It is very difficult to watch but even more difficult, is knowing that 95+% of the dogs in New Orleans (not to mention the entire Southern region of the country) are positive for heartworm and not receiving treatment. Since returning from New Orleans, we have been frantically writing and calling all over the country to try to raise awareness that dogs returned to their owners without treatment will die. We would also like to see all of the remaining dogs in New Orleans treated for this terrible disease, and prevention made available afterward.
Some of our dogs also have mysterious skin lesions. Vets around the country who are treating other dogs from New Orleans originally thought it might be Demedex (mange) or ringworm, but it tests negative for all the common skin conditions. They are consulting with one another about it. Two of our rescuers also have a skin rash that resembles Poison Oak but they were not exposed to Poison Oak while in the city.
Stay tuned for updates of our progress.