Animal Heroes

Recently when a Phoenix dispatcher heard barking on the phone, he had no idea that a German shepherd named Buddy was attempting to save Joe Stainaker's life. The dog had been trained call 911 if Joe had a seizure. And that's what Buddy did. His distress call was just what the doctor ordered.

Most animal hero stories are not quite as dramatic as Buddy's and Joe's, but time and again animals rescue people. Now, as it happened following previous natural disasters, it's our turn to rescue the animals.

Below are some smaller organizations that need donations to help them in their good work. Consider going to their websites, checking them out, and helping. Even though Hurricanes Gustav and Ike have passed, it's not over for the animals nor for the organizations that serve them.

Hopeful Haven, www.hopefulhaven.com Debbie Barlow has been organizing convoys to take food and supplies to farm animals stranded in fields in Louisiana and to farmers and ranchers who can't get to the livestock. Saltwater has saturated the pastures. Hay is ruined. Debbie is bringing cat and dog food to the farms too. It's a desperate situation.

Humane Society of Louisiana, www.humanela.org Jeff Dorson has teamed up with Kenneth's Studio for Hair, a popular salon in Metairie and New Orleans to have what they're calling a 30 in 30 campaign. They want to raise $30,000 in 30 days. They're selling 8-inch plush cat and dog toys named Katrina, Gustav, and Ike online. This special fundraising effort is to bring desperately needed animal supplies and pet food to coastal parishes for the animal shelters there and for returning residents whose stores are closed. They're also having a Hurricane Pet Rally and Reception with a pet food drive in Metairie on September 20th.

MuttShack, www.muttshack.org Amelia St. James continues to work with parishes that need animals rescued and animal shelters refurbished. MuttShack worked closely with Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART) which oversees pet evacuations and all other animal-related agencies during disasters. MuttShack and LSART provided animal transport trucks and services at pickup points. Their professionalism and training helped things to go much more smoothly.

Animal Rescue New Orleans, www.animalrescueneworleans.org Charlotte Bass Lilly and Robin Beleau are two of the dedicated people we met when we visited New Orleans after writing our book, Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster. Evidently their shelter has been destroyed, and they must rebuild. Meanwhile, they continue to coordinate volunteers to keep stranded animals alive.

Houston SPCA, http://hspca.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/homepage_new These are the Animal Cops people on Animal Planet. The organization has set up disaster hotlines for pets and wildlife. They sent rescue teams to areas of Texas that were hard-hit by the hurricanes to evacuate pets from animal shelters. On their website you can see what supplies they need.

Kinship Circle, www.KinshipCircle.org Brenda Shoss runs this organization that specializes in communication about animal rescue needs. Many animal rescuers turn to Kinship Circle for updates on who needs help and where it's needed. They coordinate volunteers for MuttShack's disaster relief. (See above.) Brenda writes in the September 10th issue, "At PPPs [Parish Pickup Points] we tagged animals with numbered bands that matched wristbands worn by their people - in case they became separated, as happened to stranded animals after Katrina. After detailed paperwork, evacuees boarded buses with small animals on their laps. Large animals traveled in airline carriers on climate-controlled trucks. Animals and people went to a mega-shelter in Shreveport, where they stayed side by side.

All of these people and organizations, and there are many more, deserve and need support. If you are reading this blog, at some time in your life, there was probably an animal who rescued you. Now, even though you help animals all the time, this is a special situation that calls for all of us to give back to the best of our ability. The animals, as always, will be grateful.