LA Daily News: Moment for paws: Katrina pets arrive

[question everything]

Article Last Updated: 10/08/2005 01:20 AM

Moment for paws: Katrina pets arrive

By Dana Bartholomew, Staff Writer
LA Daily News

VAN NUYS - They limped into Los Angeles on Friday - animal saviors from Hurricane Katrina beset by a journey of flat tires and big-rig pile-ups. And dozens of half-starved dogs and cats.

The caravan of barking dogs was met by a Hollywood reception of B-actresses and animal doters on hand to give them L.A. hugs and foster care.

(snip)

Bass, co-founder of Bichons and Buddies animal rescue, had joined Rescue for Ruffugees II - 10 rescue groups and more than 60 mostly women volunteers to triage, treat and take in 35 four-legged foster pets. Each will be kept a month before being put up for adoption to allow for a possible reunion with its owners, who are being sought via the Internet. As a New Leash on Life Emergency Rescue Team unloaded its cargo at a Van Nuys Airport hangar, the reception committee turned to mush at the site of 30 suffering pooches and five skinny kitties.

(snip)

There were thin German shepherds. Frowzy-haired terriers. Beagles with sores. Pomeranians with mouth tumors. And limping mutts that had nails pulled from their paws. There were also prancing chows. Sprightly pit bulls. And springer spaniels willing to lick the faces of strangers.

(snip)

"We found them in houses, in closets, locked in bathrooms, under beds. A lot of them running in packs on the streets we couldn't catch," said Jane Rosner, 49, of Calabasas, one of 22 volunteers to join Bobby Dorafshar and his New Leash rescue team in New Orleans. "Some came in happy, wagging their tails - 'Oh, my God, I'm so happy to be here,"' said Karen Betzold, 39, of Glendale, another rescue team volunteer. "Some came in sad - 'I just want to go back in my cage.' Some came in aggressive - 'Get the hell away from me, I've had enough. I'm hungry. I'm scared."'

(snip)

http://www2.dailynews.com/news/ci_3097667

Dana Bartholomew, [phone] [e-mail]

[roguevalley]

1. God bless them what take care of the innocent.

[mirandapriestly]

2. My thoughts exactly nt

[Lorien]

3. Our rescue brought back 40 pets from New Orleans less than two weeks ago

part of the story is here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=243x10315

We've found foster homes for all the pets, and located the owners of five of them (the owners are in shelters themselves and won't be able to claim their pets for some time now). The animals were so thin and starved for attention that it was heartbreaking! The LA HSUS director was so thrilled with the performance of our volunteers that he's asked them to return in two weeks. We'll try to send another team up, as there is still much help that is needed!

[question everything]

4. Thank you!

It is so heartbreaking to see pets that have long lost their natural instinct to survive in the wild, that were bred to be dependent on the generosity of humans, to be bewildered and confused at the inability of humans to care for them. The worse, I think, was to leave the animals chains.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

6. You and your group are heros. Thank you for all of your work!!!!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. Thank you for posting this! Here is a direct link to pix of some of these

babies.

http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/gallery2/?folder=news/100805_dogs