Hurricane Gustav

Rescue Diary

September 8, 2008: Heading Back Home

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Arthur Anglemier was forced to evacuate and leave his three cats, Debbie, China and Lipsy, behind. Though he left them with large amounts of water and food, he was beside himself for the several days he had to wait before returning home. Grateful that all three cats survived, Arthur says he'll never again evacuate without them—and thanks to new protocols that have been set in place since Hurricane Katrina, he didn't have to. When Gustav hit last week, Arthur and his cats were able to take cover from the storm together at the the Mega Shelter in Shreveport, LA.

Arthur, preparing his three kitties—Debbie, China and Lipsy—for transport from the Mega Shelter back home to Violet.

ASPCA Forensic Veterinary Assistant Felicia Early helps Smoky and his pet parent, Red, check out of the Mega Shelter. Red was grateful that she could evacuate with Smoky since her house was eventually destroyed in the hurricane. While checking out of the Mega Shelter, she thanked the ASPCA staff and said: "I'm not sure what I'm going home to, but I still have Smoky and I'm forever grateful for that."

Puppy Scooter and his owner, Greg Johnson, checking out of the Shreveport, LA, Mega Shelter and goin' back home to Lafayette.

Daisy, a four-year-old Jack Russell terrier mix, smiles for the camera before going home to Lafayette, LA! Since moving to Lafayette in 1991, Daisy's pet parents, Richard and Susan Phelps, have lived through countless hurricanes, including the devastating Katrina. They evacuated to the "Super-Pit" sports coliseum at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX, while their beloved Daisy was housed at the Mega Shelter in Shreveport. According to Richard, Daisy "loves to take walks, play ball in the hallway, and survive Hurricanes Rita and Gustav!"

September 4, 2008:

Safe from the Storm: Vinny the Pug and Allen!
When Hurricane Gustav hit, Allen Kimble and his celebri-dog, Vinny the Pug, were visiting New Orleans—one of many stops on their tour to raise $100,000 for pet rescue organizations—and they were among the many families to evacuate to Shreveport. “I wouldn’t have evacuated without Vinny,” says Allen. “The Shreveport shelters quite possibly saved both of our lives.”

We’d like to give a special shout-out to Vinny, who we know from the ASPCA Online Community, and wish him well on his quest to get into the Guiness Book of World Records. This talented four-legged dude has climbed more than 8,000 boulders—and he’s got the photos to prove it! For more on Vinny and Allen, you can visit their ASPCA Community page.

Keeping People and Pets Together: When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Ken and Michael Morgan were forced to evacuate and leave their dogs Pooh Bear and Prissy behind. Though thankfully both dogs were rescued, it was tough to find them again. The men searched for 40 days (yes, they counted!) before locating their dogs at a Texas shelter. Three years later, the scenario has changed for the better. During Hurricane Gustav, Ken and Michael evacuated with Pooh Bear and Prissy to the Mega Shelter in Shreveport, LA, where the ASPCA Disaster Response Team is working to assist the pets of evacuees. Since the animal and people shelters are located next to each other, Ken and Michael are able to visit their dogs several times a day. Both dogs are deaf, but respond to Ken and Michael's visual cues to sit, bark and lie down.

ASPCA Director of Disaster Response Allison Cardona processes the paperwork of pet parent Esteban Gil as he prepares to return to New Orleans after Hurricane Gustav. Esteban, along with his dogs, Pirita and Black, successfully evacuated to the Louisiana Mega Shelter prior to the storm. In 2005, during Hurricane Katrina, Esteban was forced to part from a previous dog, who perished in the flooding.

New Orleans resident Deanne spends some quality time with her pup, Dutchess, inside the Mega Shelter in Shreveport. Evacuees and their pets are housed in separate shelters, but pet parents are able to visit their furkids.

September 2, 2008: ABC News Special Report

Keeping Pets Safe During Gustav
Everyone remembers the heartbreaking stories of the thousands of animals left behind during Hurricane Katrina in 2005—but this year, thanks to a special state-mandated response team of veterinarians and caregivers, Louisiana’s pets were kept safe during Hurricane Gustav. The ASPCA was proud to play a big part of that plan, as shown in this report by ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson. Many of the animals you see in the clip are currently being housed at the Mega Shelter in Shreveport, where thousands of dogs and cats (and other assorted species) are waiting until it’s safe to return to their homes.

September 2, 2008:

Thankfully, Gustav has passed, and now the evacuees--and their pets--must wait until it's safe to return to their homes. The parrot, cat and dog shown here are currently being cared for at the Mega Shelter in Shreveport.

September 1, 2008:

ASPCA Forensic Veterinarian Dr. Melinda Merck checks a puppy who was born at the Louisiana Mega Shelter in Shreveport. The puppy is the runt of a litter born just this morning! The litter of four was born to a dog whose owner lives in New Orleans.

Another happy ending—the ASPCA's Dr. Melinda Merck walks Gabrielle in the dog walking area outside the Mega Shelter. Gabrielle and her owner were separated during the evacuation, but because Gabrielle was wearing a collar, we will be able to reunite her with her owners.

August 31, 2008: 6:00 PM CDT

The ASPCA has now checked in more than 800 animals into the Louisiana Mega Shelter in Shreveport. The shelter for evacuees is at capacity, so they are being rerouted to shelters in other states. The shelter for animals still has room available, so we are continuing to receive evacuees' pets. The ASPCA, along with the American Humane Association, currently has a 24 hour presence at the shelter. 4 ASPCA team members and 6 AHA team members are doing 12 hours shifts to care for the animals. Team members have been conducting the intake of new animals, and also escorting pet owners to visit their dogs and cats. Along with the dogs and cats, we have also received rabbits, hamsters, birds, snakes, and other reptiles. The team will continue to staff the shelter while Hurricane Gustav makes landfall.

August 31, 2008

In its first day of pre-storm assistance on the Gulf Coast, the ASPCA helped care for 38 evacuated animals from St. John Parish Animal Shelter in La Place, La., which is now closed until after Hurricane Gustav. The 24 dogs and 14 cats from St. John Parish Animal Shelter were taken to the Louisiana SPCA in New Orleans, where they will join animals there for transport to shelters in Texas. In addition, the ASPCA coordinated a transfer of animals from Acadia Parish, where 23 dogs and cats will likely soon be on their way to the Wild Animal Orphanage in San Antonio, Texas.

Members of the ASPCA disaster response team are at the site of the Louisiana Mega Shelter in Shreveport, where more than 180 animals belonging to evacuees have arrived and are being cared for; homeless animals in shelters are being transferred to agencies outside of the areas at risk of the hurricane. One of the ASPCA’s disaster response trailers is also on site, and the ASPCA’s partner agency, the Saranac Technical Rescue Team, is en route.

We have been hearing from many of you, expressing concern about the companion animals who will be affected by the storm. Please check back on this page for updates about the ASPCA Disaster Response Team's activities and ways that the public can help.

Photos from the Louisiana Mega Shelter:

The ASPCA Disaster Response Trailer.

Checking in an evacuee's pet.

A Pug waiting out the storm at the Louisiana Mega Shelter.

August 30, 2008:

The ASPCA has deployed a team of disaster response experts to assist the state of Louisiana in pre- and post-storm evacuation and sheltering in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav. Louisiana state officials have declared a pre-storm State of Emergency, and Gustav is currently a Category 3 Hurricane that could make landfall as early as Monday morning, September 1.

Members of the ASPCA Disaster Response Team arrived at the site of the Louisiana Mega Shelter in Shreveport, LA, yesterday. One disaster response trailer, being driven by our team members, will arrive today. We have also contacted our partner agency, the Saranac Technical Rescue Team, to be on standby for post-storm activity.

Our disaster response team of ten, which includes a veterinarian, veterinary technicians, disaster responders and sheltering professionals, were deployed at the request of the Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART), which serves as the volunteer animal emergency response partner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry under ESF-11. Other agencies that are assisting LSART’s efforts include United Animal Nations, Code 3, American Humane Association, the Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Best Friends Animal Society, Noah’s Wish and numerous other humane and disaster response groups.

August 28, 2008:

The State of Louisiana has asked the ASPCA to assist in pre-storm evacuation and sheltering in advance of Tropical Storm Gustav. They are predicting that Gustav could become a Category 3 Hurricane and make landfall by Tuesday morning, September 2. The state has declared a pre-storm State of Emergency and would like a team of ASPCA responders to deploy to the site of their Mega Shelter in Shreveport, LA.

We have received numerous requests for assistance from local parish shelters and other animal welfare organizations in Louisiana. We will be working with Laura Lanza, ASPCA Southern Regional Manager, and the Louisiana State Animal Response Team to best determine how to assist and provide resources.

A team of responders and one Disaster Response trailer will be mobilizing and are expected to arrive in Shreveport, LA, by tomorrow, Friday, August 29. We have also contacted our partner agency, the Saranac Technical Rescue Team, and have asked them to be on standby for post-storm activity.

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