Absolutely URGENT -- please everybody read this now!

New Orleans has banned any out of state volunteers and veterinarians that want to continue feeding and rescuing the starving animals wandering the streets of new orleans. groups have found cats and dogs that have died as recently as days ago. It is tragic that these animals have survived this long, after TWO hurricanes, in new orleans, and they will now die of starvation and dehydration because the governor and the Head State Veterinarian are banning out of state rescue volunteers!!! SO if you go to New Orleans to help feed and rescue the starving animals, or as a vet to medically treat the sick and injured animals, you will face jail time and fines.

Instead of embracing FREE help offered by people all over North America, city officials are BANNING this outside help for animals.

Your calls are urgently needed. Please read on for details before you call the governor of Louisiana, and demand that she EMBRACE the out of state help, NOT BAN IT!!!

The rest of this is an email written by animal rescue groups to the governor. It is followed by the phone numbers to call. PLEASE CALL THEM ON MONDAY. LET US SWAMP THEIR DAMN PHONE LINES UNTIL THEY CHANGE THEIR MINDS ABOUT LEAVING THE REMAINING ANIMALS TO STARVE TO DEATH!!!!

_________________________________________________________

Governor Kathleen Blanco

Office of the GovernorP.O. Box 94004; Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9004

ph: 866-366-1121; 225-342-0991; 225-342-7015

fax: 225-342-7099

web email: http://www.managekeelson.com/websites/la.gov/index.cfm?md=form&tmp=home&cfmid=146

Dr. Maxwell Lea, Jr., State Veterinarian

Office of Animal Health Services, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry

P.O. Box 1951; Baton Rouge, LA 70821-1951

office: 225-925-3980; fax: 225-925-4103

email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

website: www.ldaf.state.la.us

Dr. Martha A. Littlefield, Assistant State Veterinarian

Office of Animal Health Services, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry

P.O. Box 1951; Baton Rouge, LA 70821-1951

wk: 225-925-3980; desk: 225-935-2168; fax: 225-237-5555

email: [email protected]

CC: Bob Odin, Commissioner, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry

[email protected]

Dear Governor Blanco, Dr. Lea, and Dr. Littlefield:

I respectfully request the continuation of Executive Order KBB 2005-35,

which allows licensed veterinarians from other states to temporarily

practice in Louisiana. Although this order was extended one month under KBB 2005-43, its October 25 termination means incoming veterinarians risk jail time and fines.

In essence, the Louisiana Governor, under advisement from the Assistant State Veterinarian, has told relief workers to go home. The state's unrealistic grasp of the animal crisis overlooks thousands of companion animals still fending for themselves in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita.

Some burrow under broken homes or linger in debris-filled yards. Starving dogs roam in packs in St. Bernard Parish, a hard hit area with no functional animal control system.

New Orleans' existing stray population now includes displaced pets, many

unsterilized and set to yield even more homeless puppies and kittens. One study shows a dog and her young can produce 67,000 puppies in six years. A cat and her litter can create 420,000 kittens in seven years.

The beleaguered LA SPCA, head of animal control in Orleans Parish, simply doesn't possess the people power or accommodations to feed, trap, and shelter this many animals.

With guardian requests to save lost animals still pouring in, a ban on any out-of-state animal relief workers is an affront to hurricane victims as well as animals.

In early November, rescuers discovered two dead cats alongside empty food and water bowls. A third died alone on a barren porch. These animals survived hurricane and flood only to succumb to starvation. There are many more like them, some huddled under structures slated for demolition. Local animal control agencies cannot manage this emergency situation alone.

Rather than turn down outside aid, please embrace out-of-state rescue organizations and veterinarians willing to devote their time and skills to Louisiana's animals. Let's work toward a common goal: Saving animals and reuniting them with their families.

=======================================================

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Claire Davis

(435) 899-1231

[email protected]

State of Louisiana blocks animal rescue while thousands of pets face

starvation in New Orleans

Bogalusa, Louisiana, November 8, 2005--Two animal rescue groups are issuing a call for the state of Louisiana to stop blocking attempts to save the thousands of sick, injured, and traumatized dogs and cats who still wander the streets of New Orleans.

The state has announced that the Hurricane Katrina rescue phase is over. Out-of-state veterinarians are banned from volunteering their services on behalf of the animals of greater New Orleans. Rescuers have been threatened with arrest if they attempt to give food and water to animals in Orleans Parish. Outside rescue groups are told they should turn all operations over to local authorities and leave the state.

Meanwhile, the pets who survived Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath are dying on the streets -sometimes right next to food and water bowls that the handful of remaining rescuers couldn't fill in time.

AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com and Alley Cat Allies (http://www.alleycat.org/) are calling for the state to reverse its course and accept outside help in the form of veterinarians and more volunteers.

"We are literally seeing animals on the streets starving to death," says

Jane Garrison, director of AnimalRescueNewOrleans.com, one of a handful of rescue organizations still in the city. "We need more volunteers to feed and water the thousands of traumatized animals still on the streets, we need to keep trapping animals so we can reunite them with their guardians, and we need a massive spay/neuter program."

Garrison coordinated the animal rescue program for six weeks as a volunteer for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Since HSUS pulled out October 1st, she has been running her own program. With a steadily dwindling force of volunteers, Garrison races against time trying to provide food and water at more than 2,000 sites in the New Orleans area, as well as fielding a constant stream of owner rescue requests.

The state claims that local authorities can handle the problem, but rescuers on the ground know this is not the case. One of the hardest hit areas, St. Bernard Parish, has no active animal control agency or functioning animal shelter. The Louisiana SPCA, in charge of animal control in Orleans Parish, does not have anywhere close to the

staff, space, or resources required to address a problem of this magnitude.

As bad as the situation is now, in a few months it will be even worse.

Despite the horrific conditions, the dogs and cats on the streets are still

breeding, and rescuers are starting to see puppies and kittens born after

Katrina. Statistics show that one unspayed female cat and her offspring can produce more than 59,000 cats in five years.

"If the state government doesn't allow us to feed, treat, and find homes for the thousands of animals struggling to survive now, it is in for a rude

awakening the beginning of next year," says Becky Robinson, national

director of Alley Cat Allies (ACA). "The number of free-roaming cats and dogs will be devastating."

But the state of Louisiana is standing in the way. Louisiana Governor

Kathleen Blanco, acting on advice from Assistant State Veterinarian Martha Littlefield, has refused to extend an executive order giving out-of-state veterinarians permission to practice in Louisiana. That order expired October 25. Any out-of-state vet practicing in the area now would do so at the risk of jail time and thousands of dollars in fines.

Despite the state's claims that local veterinarians can fulfill the need,

ACA has been unable to find local vets who can provide consistent care for the cats housed at its temporary shelter, let alone enough to conduct the type of large-scale spay/neuter program that is so desperately needed.

"This nation's animal rescue community can help Louisiana meet this crisis if the state will simply acknowledge the problem still exists and allow us to work," Robinson says. "This is not only humane and ethical; it is in everyone's best interest."

For more information, please contact Claire Davis at (435) 899-1231 or

[email protected], or visit http://www.alleycat.org/ and

http://www.animalrescueneworleans.com/.

an interesting point to note---

Did you notice how the two veterinarians that dont give a damn about helping the remaining starving and sick animals wandering the streets in new orleans work for the Department of Agriculture.

Figures

Hey Nat, I don't understand this. I was watching Court TV and Animal Planet and they just showed a mans cat that was rescued by some workers, and they are still working out there. Hows that possible if what you say is true? Am I mistakened?

Hey Nat, I don't understand this. I was watching Court TV and Animal Planet and they just showed a mans cat that was rescued by some workers, and they are still working out there. Hows that possible if what you say is true? Am I mistakened?

Well, there is a current ban, from my understanding of the above info, on out of state rescue efforts, so anybody that is there trying to rescue animals now can get fined and maybe even jailed.

which is ridiculous -- the state should be welcoming and embracing these people, not "banning" them from helping to save animals still wandering the streets hungry and injured!!!!

please call the governor and the vets above listed and ask them to embrace the much needed outside help so innocent animals neednt suffer and die any more. They simply dont have enough manpower to do this WITHOUT outside help because rescuers are finding animals that have died recently due to a lack of being able to get food and water to them on time!!!!!!

Hey Nat, I don't understand this. I was watching Court TV and Animal Planet and they just showed a mans cat that was rescued by some workers, and they are still working out there. Hows that possible if what you say is true? Am I mistakened?

 

Well, there is a current ban, from my understanding of the above info, on out of state rescue efforts, so anybody that is there trying to rescue animals now can get fined and maybe even jailed.

 

which is ridiculous -- the state should be welcoming and embracing these people, not "banning" them from helping to save animals still wandering the streets hungry and injured!!!!

 

please call the governor and the vets above listed and ask them to embrace the much needed outside help so innocent animals neednt suffer and die any more. They simply dont have enough manpower to do this WITHOUT outside help because rescuers are finding animals that have died recently due to a lack of being able to get food and water to them on time!!!!!!

Ok Nat thanks.

I really do not understand this though. You can watch CNN, Animal Planet, etc. and they show it all the time of new rescues. They even said that they found more animals alive than dead, and a lot just missing. There are some groups that I sign up with letters to (credible ones) and they have news all the time of rescues.

Either way, thanks!

the thing is that there may be rescues still happening, but with a ban in place, it becomes "illegal", which just isnt right. Many veterinarians had offered to come from out of state to treat aninmals in new orleans for free, but they now risk jail time and fines so many have changed their minds about coming to help, and who can blame them.

We should make sure that the state officials do not IMPEDE or discourage out of state rescue efforts, which they are doing.

Rather, new orleans officials should be FACILITATING and embracing these efforts. Not threatening to fine volunteers and throw vets in jail for offering their time and services!!!!

that is just tragically ridiculous!!!

SO PLEASE EVERYBODY CALL THE GOVERNOR MS. BLANCO TOMORROW AND SWAMP HER PHONE LINES!!!!

Thanks CG. The situation in NOLA is critical for the animals. It appears that we humans, who have based our species name on the word humane, have decided to abandon the animals in NOLA. These stories bring out the worst of my misanthropic tendencies. I will be penning my thoughts today & making calls tomorrow.

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=56547

snip..

Meanwhile, the pets who survived Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath are dying on the streets -- sometimes right next to food and water bowls that the handful of remaining rescuers couldn't fill in time.

Meanwhile, the pets who survived Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath are dying on the streets -- sometimes right next to food and water bowls that the handful of remaining rescuers couldn't fill in time.

exactly. That is why it is ridiculous for the governor to discourage and even ban outside rescue help. They NEED as many people as they can. How tragic that animals who have survived not one but TWO hurricanes and all this time thereafter are hgoing to die because rescuers couldnt fill their food and water bowls on time!!!!

They need the manpower and there are people willing to give it. Ask the givernor to EMBRACE this help -- please everybody make the calls tomorrow.

Think about what you want to say before you call like Crispy Q is jotting some thoughts down.

Little kid from Meet the Fockers... "Ass hole". That's so mean. I can't believe they're doing that... Actually I kind of can. It's New Orleans.

Kicked to remind everyone that the animals need our voice.

I tried calling several times & have yet to get through, but I did modify the letter Nat posted, faxed it & then sent it snail mail. I will try again this week to get through via phone.

I sent emails to everyone on the list and only received replies from Dr. Maxwell Lea, Jr., State Veterinarian and Dr. Martha A. Littlefield, Assistant State Veterinarian. They both kindly attached the same form letter in their email reply to me. *sarcasm*

Would anyone like me to post it ?

How nice of them to respond in a way that indicates they didn't even bother reading your message. Arghhh!!!!

I don't know. I can't sit idle & not do anything, but sometimes I wonder how effective corresponding to these people is. I feel your frustration.