HURRICANE GUSTAV UPDATE Luckily, our animals and staff members successfully rode out the storm at our Tylertown facility. We did have some minor damage, but no injuries, and one of our portable buildings was destroyed. We did receive word from our volunteer Acadia chapter coordinator, Janet Lyons, that property damage to her animal housing areas was more significant. Kennels and perimeter fencing were destroyed and the roof of her barn, where dogs are normally housed, was torn off by hurricane force winds; In addition to her other animals, Janet is presently caring for 16 puppies, who were rescued from a local shelter; officials there would have been unable to evacuate them before Gustav.
Volunteers, staff and some rescuers who evacuated with their animals to our Tylertown site remain with us now, as we continue to field calls from our contacts and review reports from around the region. As repairs are underway at our site, our mission will be to offer urgently needed help, where it is most needed.
To those of you who have already helped us during our initial response to Gustav, we deeply appreciate your support! Here is an update on our current situation and needs:
VOLUNTEERS We are in the process of actively assessing the needs of animals here in Louisiana following Gustav. For those of you wanting to come and assist, you can be assured that there will be a need for help, particularly from the very initial reports about areas west of New Orleans, where Gustav came ashore. Assistance with our own shelter animals is also needed as our small staff shifts into emergency response mode. We anticipate a great need for help distributing supplies, assistance, and other support to agencies and groups in our area, using our Tylertown site as a base. We are analyzing incoming information constantly to assess other ways in which we will be able to help.
If you are a former Camp Katrina volunteer--you will know we have very limited space, but we may be able to provide the most basic accommodations (in the form of a shelter or roof over your head) in the main house or in one of our portable buildings. We will do our very best to provide for any other volunteers. If you want to head to Tylertown and can be completely self sufficient on the site--in a tent, trailer or other such accommodation--we will welcome you to stay on our property. We may be able to arrange for other accommodations for volunteers, but such arrangements must be cleared by us in advance. Unlike our Katrina relief effort, we at least having running water and electricity at Tylertown, and there should soon be easy access to food and accommodations at hotels, as evacuees from New Orleans begin to return home over the next several days.
If you are interested in volunteering, please review our Current Volunteer Needs and complete the Volunteer Profile Form at the bottom of our Volunteer page and someone will contact you.
PET ADOPTIONS/HANDS-ON ASSISTANCE We almost certainly will need the support of rescue groups and sanctuaries wanting to assist by taking animals from our area into your program. Also, individuals wanting to help by adopting or fostering an animal may fill out an application on our web site at www.HumaneLA.org. Most of the rescue groups from southern Louisiana have adoption sites at www.Petfinder.com. Anyone adopting from these groups will surely be assisting, by providing them with more space to assist animals impacted by Gustav. If you are looking for a specific type of animal, please indicate that on your adoption application.
SUPPLIES AND CONTRIBUTIONS HSL will be collecting and distributing supplies for groups and individuals in the areas impacted by Hurricane Gustav; we will publicize specific needs on our WISH LIST site as we receive them, but at present, we are welcoming the donation of supplies and equipment listed on our web site.
Monetary gifts are particularly needed, as contributions can be used to address specific emergency needs as they arise, such as: veterinary expenses, animal transport costs, direct aid to rescue organizations, volunteer program costs, equipment, shelter operating costs and more. DONATIONS can be made by clicking here or by calling
1-888-6-HUMANE. If you would prefer to send a check, please note that none of our staff will be able to pick up mail sent in New Orleans for at least a week. If you would like to send a donation by mail, until further notice, it would be best to send any check directly to our former Board member, Linda Dell at her Akron, OH address.
Please send to:
Humane Society of Louisiana
c/o Linda Dell
45 S. Balch Street
Akron, OH 44302
Ms. Dell has agreed to immediately deposit any contributions into our bank account, so that we will be able to easily access the funds.
Please note: during hurricane Katrina; animal relief agencies sadly reported that SO much of the animal food, which was generously donated for local relief, was lost. A lack of storage space too often resulted in it being damaged by the elements or rodents. While donations of food will certainly be needed, the best way to help feed our animals is to make a monetary contribution, so that supplies may be purchased as needed. Unlike during Hurricane Katrina, our Tylertown facility only briefly lost electricity, and we expect that nearby stores will be back in operation soon. We plan to purchase supplies as we need them, thereby eliminating waste and extending our resources as far as possible.
In the event that you are only able to donate food---canned food and cat litter would be the best choices, as they can better sustain poor conditions where they may be stored. Gift cards for Petsmart, Walmart and Petco are also a great choice for helping us feed local animals in need, as they can be used to donate specific supplies.
Supplies can be sent to: Humane Society of Louisiana/Gustav Relief Effort, 115 Obed Magee Road, Tylertown Mississippi, 39667.
If you need to discuss volunteering the donation of supplies and/or equipment with us please contact Jennifer Rowan at 1-601-876-2781 or by contacting us a info@humanela.org. If you cannot get back in touch with us quickly enough at the shelter, please contact us at 1-888-6-HUMANE.
PLEASE BE PATIENT IF WE CANNOT RESPOND TO YOU AS QUICKLY AS WE MIGHT LIKE!
