LSART ACTIVITIES WITH REGARD TO PET TRANSPORT AND RELIEF AS OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2008

All families and pets whom the state assisted in evacuating from the 12 coastal parishes have been re-united with the exceptions of those from LaFourche and Terrebonne Parishes.  The evacuees from those parishes are now in the process of returning to their parishes and their pets will be returned when the owners are in a position to take them back.  The Shreveport shelter and the Alexandria shelter are closing today.  The remaining pets whose owners cannot yet reclaim them are being transferred to the care of Dixon Correctional Institution in Clinton, LA.


Dr. Sonny Corley and Mr. Dusty Castille successfully & safely delivered the LSU-SVM mobile small animal unit to Houma, Louisiana (Petsmart Parking lot). This unit & scheduled staff will be in place to support the local veterinarians until they can open back up for business. Ms Valerie Robinson (Animal Control for Terrebonne Parish) has the keys. It will be open from 8-5 pm daily starting Sunday and will be staffed by LSART veterinarians. Dr. Paccamonti & Mr. Winkler are working together to organize this work schedule. The mobile unit may need to be returned quickly back to LSU in the event that Hurricane Ike decides to target south Louisiana.  This will support Louisianians in need. The mobile unit was provided to LSU-SVM by a generous donation from the AKC.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Recovery operations in southern Louisiana parishes are in progress NOW.  Gustav was a major wind event and spawned numerous tornadoes as well.  Power outages are more widespread than those experiences after Katrina.  Baton Rouge and surrounding communities were unexpectedly very seriously impacted. Unfortunately, one of the facilities with power outage and communications outage is the LDAF building where LSART Command Post is located.

LSART equine/EHSP activities
District Reports were made and needs assessed.

District 6 Baton Rouge Area  Becky McConnico DVM – 
1) LSART equine branch assisted EBR animal control with the rescue of 10 horses from Green Ridge Rd where the Hurricane Creek was flooding – from the Comite River cresting.
2) LSART & LDAF communicated with a local agriculture  facility for possible equine shelter
3) 8 horses  evacuated to drier stabling areas in EBR parish.  (WBR parish & EBR parish). 4 horses had cellulitis on distal limbs from standing in water. 
4) LSU-EHSP 2 ambulatory calls for storm related equine injuries

LSART PARTNERS

AMERICAN HUMANE Gustav postscript (Sept 8); on stand-by for Ike.

HSUS fieldnotes. (Sept 11)

NOAH'S WISH thanking its volunteers. (Sept 11)

IFAW responded to Calcasieu Parish and helped coordinate at the State Level as well as helped shelter animals in northern Louisiana.

ASPCA managed 800 in Shreveport.  Read the 'Rescue Diary'  (Sept 8)

UAN/EARS deploys to help in LA (30 August)

SAWA and NACA are helping with any long-term sheltering needs.

PARISH PARTNERS

LASPCA will resume normal operations September 14. Monitoring Ike.  (September 11)

AMERICAN HUMANE is partnering with Terrebonne Parish to help coordinate the response to on-going animal issues and the evacuees re-unification with evacuated pets.

The LSU SVM has sent their AKC-donated mobile hospital unit to Terrebonne Parish where it is being staffed by Louisiana licensed veterinarians.

BEST FRIENDS responds to needs of Jefferson Parish and is still on the ground helping strays and re-unification (Sept 6)

MuttSHACK has been on the ground since before the storm helping in many capacities.