Hi everyone,
I know we're all thinking about what we can do to help the people of the Gulf Coast right now, and I'm guessing that many of us have already made donations to the Red Cross, America's Second Harvest, or similar organizations. But I wanted to toss out another idea to those of you who feel you are able to give just a little bit more to help out. The animals of the Gulf Coast -- strays, pets, service dogs, search & rescue dogs, horses, livestock -- need help right now, too.
Obviously the PEOPLE are the priority right now, but if you're interested (and if you have a little extra change) I've collected some information about how we can help the animals out, too. One can of good quality dog food costs no more than about $1. So even the very SMALLEST donation to one of the organizations below will be a big help. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Here is the information:
The Houston Humane Society is offering 10 days free pet boarding, food, medical care, and vaccines for pets belonging to ANYONE from the affected areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Therefore, the HHS needs LOTS of donations -- not to mention lots of heavy-duty fencing. I think it's a fantastic (and CRUCIAL) way to help human hurricane victims keep ownership of their animals while they try to sort out their lives. This will mean fewer animals will be abandoned by heartbroken owners, and thus fewer homeless animals will end up in America's already swamped animal shelters or be needlessly euthanized. You can read the Houston Humane Society's appeal and donate online at: http://www.houstonhumane.org/index.aspx . There's also a list of supplies needed by the HHS, in case you -- or someone you know -- live/s in the Houston area, or if you would like to send supplies directly to them. That link is: http://www.houstonhumane.org/wishlist.aspx
The Humane Society of the United States is working with Days End Farm Horse Rescue, adding trucks and horse trailers to the fleet of rescue-specific vehicles that are designed for sheltering all kinds of animals including horses and assorted livestock. These rescue and shelter efforts will obviously have a big impact on the livelihood of the people who depend on these animals for income. Information on helping the horses and livestock can be found at the Days End Farm Horse Rescue website: http://www.defhr.org/ . More generalized donations can also be made to the Humane Society of the United States, as well, at http://www.hsus.org/.
The American Veterinary Medical Foundation trains, organizes, and funds "VMAT" teams that go to disaster zones to provide veterinary services to the animal victims of disasters. Each team includes a veterinarian, several vet techs, other specialists, and -- often -- their own search and rescue dog/handler teams. Every VMAT team member is a volunteer -- they leave their own families and jobs in time of crisis to help out. VMATs played a major role in treating animals in the aftermath of 9/11 -- including over 300 search and rescue dogs working in the dangerous and toxic conditions of Ground Zero. They also work to reunite owners with their pets, and find foster homes for those pets until their owners can be located. Donating online is quick and easy (it only took me about 3 minutes), and the donation may be made in memory of a special person or pet. Their information is below.
The American Veterinary Medical Foundation
1931 N. Meacham Road – Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173
(800) 248-2862
www.avmf.org
Noah’s Wish is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping animals during disasters. Donating online requires a "PayPal" sign-up, so mailing a check would be a bit easier if you don't already have a PayPal account. Their information is below.
Noah’s Wish
PO Box 997
Placerville, CA 95667
(530) 622-9313
www.noahswish.org
Thanks,
Kate
