E-newsletter Archive

Tail Mail - August 2007
Lead Story - Two-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
"Amidst the chaos emerged one of the most enduring of bonds - the human-animal bond. During the hours, days, weeks and months following the storm that bond has only strengthened. In our relationship with animals, it became painfully clear that we needed them as much as they needed us...That the memories and aftershocks of Katrina will remain with us for a long time to come is undeniable. It has impacted every facet of life for a community of people and its animals. The response and reaction to the animal tragedies of Katrina has hopefully marked a turning point in how we view and treat our animal companions. Reflecting on the past year compels us to do no less." - Louisiana SPCA, August 29, 2006

Tail Mail - June 2007
Lead Story - Opening of New, Permanent Facility
After 17 months operating a full-scale animal shelter out of a temporary, makeshift warehouse, the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA/SPCA) unveiled a 21,600 square-foot animal rescue and care facility that is being hailed by colleagues nationwide as a major triumph of recovery from one of the country's largest natural disasters, after the organization lost its shelter, 80% of its staff and its entire infrastructure in Hurricane Katrina.

Tail Mail - March 2007
Lead Story - Third Time's The Charm
One of the most difficult things to experience if you’re on staff at the Louisiana SPCA, or part of the adoption team, is seeing an animal returned after being adopted. When it happens a second time your heart literally sinks. This was the case with a beautiful, black cat named Billy. Billy who had been with the LA/SPCA since December 2006 was still looking for a home when he was adopted in January. The next day, Billy was returned...

Tail Mail - January 2007
Lead Story - Volunteering at the Louisiana SPCA:
 “I see animals given not only a chance,but every chance possible.”
If you’re lucky enough, you may find yourself in a place where you can look back on a moment that was not only an experience, but an eye opening, life- changing one. Call it your ah-ha moment. For Susie Folkes, a Louisiana SPCA volunteer since November 2005, her experience with the LA/SPCA has been, in her words, both “gratifying” and “wonderful,” and in just thirteen months she’s experienced quite a few ah-ha moments that have changed her views dramatically about what life is really like for animals cared for at an animal shelter.

Tail Mail - November 2006
Lead Story - Bella's Story: A Chance Meeting
[Editor’s Note: Bella’s Story is one of a chance meeting. A chance meeting between a woman and a dog and how in helping to heal a physically damaged creature, the journey changed both their lives for the better. It helped Bella, a “beautiful” creature reach beyond her physical scars, and it helped the human who embraced her gain a richer life. More than just revealing a diamond in the rough, Bella’s story reveals that special gift we receive when we allow ourselves to truly see one another’s inner beauty.]

Tail Mail - September 2006
Lead Story - ALL THINGS DISASTER: Q&A with LA/SPCA’s Disaster Coordinator Heather Rigney
Having a Disaster Coordinator on staff is not a common post in animal welfare organizations, but at the Louisiana SPCA knowing the difference between “incident” command and the “stay” command is crucial.

Tail Mail - August 31, 2006
Lead story - LA/SPCA one year later KATRINA one year later:
On August 29, 2005 a community and its animals were irrevocably and tragically altered. Katrina, one of the deadliest and strongest hurricanes ever recorded, exacted a devastating blow to the Gulf Coast leading to the loss of thousands of lives, both people and animals. The destructive storm and its aftermath were horrific and unprecedented. That it ravaged the physical landscape in a catastrophic blow was only one level of its strength. Its blow to the mental landscape was just as extreme. When people experience or witness a trauma on the scale of Katrina it strips away all the extraneous facets of life and brings us back to our core. Our connection to family and friends, our bonds of love and friendship become as essential as food and water. Amidst the chaos emerged one of the most enduring of bonds – the human-animal bond. During the hours, days, weeks and months following the storm that bond has only strengthened. In our relationship with animals, it became painfully clear that we needed them as much as they needed us...

Tail Mail - March 2006
Lead story - The ASPCA: Angels In Our Midst
Many of us are familiar with the parable of the footprints in the sand. Able to review the moments in his life, a man sees the best and the worst and he notices two sets of footprints except at the lowest periods. He questions this and ultimately learns that he was never alone. He was being carried...

Tail Mail - January 2006
Lead story - About the Louisiana SPCA /  Where We've Been... Where We're Going
We began our Katrina journey on Saturday, August 27, 2005, when we evacuated Japonica Streets shelter animals to the Houston SPCA - 263 in all. After renting two climate-controlled trucks from Baton Rouge and loading the animals, fifteen staff members left their personal cars at the shelter to drive SPCA vehicles with the animals. They picked-up their personal pets, packed a few clothes, and headed to Houston fully expecting to return a few days later as we've done countless times before...

Tail Mail - October 2005
Lead story - Search and Rescue Continues / Humane Officers Still Find Happy Endings
There are still some miracles left in the city. That’s the mantra that keeps rescue workers at the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals continuing daily missions into New Orleans, searching for survivors in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina...