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News ASPCA As the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina takes a devastating toll on the U.S. Gulf Coast, the ASPCA is putting out an urgent call for donations to help animal shelters impacted by this natural disaster. Funds raised will go directly to the ASPCA Disaster Relief Fund, and will be used to help shelters in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama rebuild facilities and assist in their disaster recovery efforts. Your donation will go directly to help the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina. To lend your support, please click on the link below. We will keep you informed of recovery efforts on our website, ASPCA.org. Thank you for any amount you can give today. http://www.aspca.org/site/R?i=XAYjZLkupkCUPiWaussJPw .............................................. Emergency Animal Rescue Services A group that does hands-on animal rescue in the disaster-stricken area is www.ears.org (Emergency Animal Rescue Services). They rescue animals, set up temporary shelters and find homes for every single animal that is not retrieved by their owners. They are an ancillary group to United Animal Nationals, the group that does the premarin horse rescues, among many other good things. .............................................. Best Friends To help animals from the Hurricane, visit http://www.bestfriends.org and click on the "Hurricane Relief" link on the left. .............................................. Louisiana SPCA The LA SPCA will coordinate all animal rescue from affected areas to the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, LA. This will be the primary staging area. Donations of food, kennels, etc are needed. Please donate through the LVMA (see below). Contact: Kathyrn Destriza Lamar-Dixon Expo Center .............................................. LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Shelter for evacuees with pets, is at the LSU John M. Parker coliseum. The LSU SVM is coordinating efforts. All manner of supplies are needed. Veterinary medical supplies may be channeled for receipt to Dr. Drone. Other donations are being channeled through the LVMA (see below). Paula Drone, DVM .............................................. Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association (LVMA) The Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association web site has a list of area animal shelters available. They are working in cooperation with other animal state organizations as well as LSU SVM, VMAT, and FEMA. LVMA has set up an emergency fund for animals, the Walter J. Ernst Jr. Foundation. 8550 United Plaza Blvd. , Suite 1001 .............................................. Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT) Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT), established by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and funded primarily by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF), are working as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) to care for injured animals, as well as provide advice concerning public health issues. As Katrina neared landfall, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deployed two fully-staffed VMAT teams, VMAT-3 led by Dr. James Hamilton and VMAT-5 led by Dr. Garry Goemann, and stationed a separate disaster assessment team in Houston,Texas with VMAT representative, Dr. Barry Kellogg, VMAT-1 Deputy Team Commander. Twenty-five VMAT members are on the ground in Anniston, Alabama, while another 22 members are making their way from Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans ready to assist the local veterinary community with animal victims as soon as it is safe to do so. VMAT personnel consist of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, scientists, epidemiologists, toxicologists, pathologists, pharmacists and other support personnel trained to assist the local veterinary communities provide medical care to injured animals, help coordinate animal relief efforts on site, and address public health issues. Since 1994, VMAT teams have been deployed to both natural and manmade disasters such as Hurricane Floyd and the September 11th tragedy, to assist in the delivery of medical help to injured animals and to provide public health advice. A significant amount of funding for the Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams comes from the AVMF. Individuals wishing to support VMAT in their disaster relief efforts may make an online donation on AVMF's secure website, www.avmf.org or send a contribution to: The American Veterinary Medical Foundation FOR MORE INFORMATION: .............................................. Hurricane Info Center Louisiana State University is now the staging area for all
hurricane relief efforts. Several agencies are coordinating efforts
to aid and assist displaced animals. The need for your monetary
donations is not only enormous but immediate. Please consider donating
to the LVMA or another organization of your choosing. Supplies of
all kinds are equally welcome. LSU Establishes 24-hour Hurricane Information Center .............................................. |