Pet rescue operation under way
Published: September 12, 2005
About 80 dogs have been airlifted from the hurricane-battered United States Gulf Coast and taken to new temporary homes in California.
The Sunday flight from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was chartered for about $50 000 by Texas oil tycoon Boone Pickens and his wife, Madeleine, in a movement dubbed “Operation Pet Lift”. The pets were flown to San Diego and San Francisco.
“The goal was to help rescue 200 dogs,” Pickens’ spokesperson Jay Rosser said. “They’re overjoyed that they were able to rescue 80, but clearly disappointed and dismayed at the bureaucracy, which prevented them from taking the full 200.”
Organisers complained of some legal requirements, such as waiting out a 30-day quarantine before transporting the animals.
Kelly Harrington, of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), said a makeshift shelter for up to several thousand dogs had been set up in Gonzales, Louisiana, about 72km northwest of New Orleans.
Tremendous logistical operation
“Every animal has to be vet checked, vaccinated and microchipped so we can track these animals in case an owner does find them,” Harrington said.
Andrew Rowan of the Humane Society United States, said animals must be moved out of the Gonzales facility quickly to make room for “maybe 50 000 or more dogs and cats in New Orleans that need to be rescued.”
“There are vans and cars and trucks all over the place,” he said. “Dogs are barking, cats are meowing. It’s a tremendous logistical operation to provide the care that these animals need.”
The Humane Society’s Dave Pauli, director of the Gonzales facility, said 200 animals were shipped out on Sunday by truck to Houston, but rescue teams expected to bring in about 300 more in the afternoon.
About 200 animals have been reunited with their owners at the facility.
“That’s what keeps us going,” Pauli said. “Every one of them brings a tear to your eyes and makes these sleepless nights worth it.”
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