PRESS RELEASE
Louisiana SPCA
Announces Milestone
in Post-Katrina Animal Rescue
Efforts
NEW ORLEANS
(1/30/06) - The Louisiana SPCA today
announced a milestone in
post-Katrina animal relief efforts.
The announcement is based on a
number of factors indicating that
the stray population is
significantly lower today than
pre-Katrina times thanks to the
efforts of the LA/SPCA, its
colleagues from across the country,
and volunteers who helped save
animals immediately following the
hurricane.
The declaration is based on a number
of factors:
-
The
completion of a 10-day intensive
canine trapping campaign
conducted with
The Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS). Of the 350
humane traps that were set by
professional humane trappers,
only 21 dogs were captured.
-
The number
of dogs captured by partnering
animal agencies working in the
unpopulated sections of New
Orleans.
-
An
assessment conducted in November
which determined that animal
numbers were lower than expected
based on our city’s typically
high stray population. The
assessment team included two
professionals each from The
Humane Society of the United
States, the American Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, Best Friends Animal
Society, American Humane
Association, United Animal
Nations, U.S. Public Health
Service, LA/SPCA, St. Bernard
Parish Animal Control, and
visiting staff from the Nebraska
Humane Society and Humane
Society of Missouri.
“There are
some people reporting that
“thousands of starving animals”
still roam the streets of New
Orleans, but thankfully evidence has
not proved that story to be true,”
reports Laura Maloney, Executive
Director of the LA/SPCA.
Although the concentrated trapping
campaign has ended, the LA/SPCA will
continue to rescue animals in need
and offer services to the community
that helps both animals and people.
Among the recommendations made in
the HSUS report were:
-
That LA/SPCA
should dispatch the need for any
and all traps set in Orleans
Parish. Only those authorized
locations should be permitted.
-
Eliminate
all outside feeding programs.
All feeding locations need to be
cleaned-up. Any future feeding
stations need to be coordinated
with specific trapping projects,
with just enough food to support
the capture. The HSUS report
mentions a “massive” number of
feeding stations that have been
placed throughout the city.
-
Encourage
community participation. Help
the community take ownership of
the issues by reporting stray
cats and dogs to LA/SPCA.
“While the daily
work of responding to reports of
stray animals and dog packs
continues as always,” she said “the
special trapping team reported that
the number of animals at-large is
below normal.” She said that the
focus of the LA/SPCA is to continue
to reunite animals with their owners
or find homes for unclaimed pets as
well as offer a series of innovative
programs for residents and their
furred companions.
The LA/SPCA is holding off-site
adoption days and is still sending
animals to other shelters for
inclusion into their adoption
programs. In the past few months,
adoptable animals have been sent to
Animal Rescue in New England, Animal
Rescue in West PA, Anti Cruelty
Society in Chicago, Austin Humane
Society, Belmont County Animal
Rescue, Best Friends Animal Society,
Boxer Rescue, Companion Animal
Placement, Doberman Gulf Coast
Rescue, Denver Dumb Friends League,
Labs for Rescue, Lafayette Animal
Aid, LA, Missouri Humane Society,
Montgomery County Humane Society,
Nebraska Humane Society, Plaquemines
Animal Welfare Society, San Diego
Humane Society, and the SPCA of
Texas.
The public is urged to contact the
agency with any animal sightings,
reports of animal cruelty or any
incidents involving criminal
offenses against animals at
504-368-5191. The LA/SPCA’s range of
services includes:
-
Dog and cat
trap rental (Orleans Parish
only) (ext. 160)
-
Stray animal
collection (Orleans Parish only)
(ext. 100)
-
Rescue of
injured animals (ext 100)
-
Criminal
related offenses toward animals;
cruelty investigations (ext.
100)
-
Lost and
found (ext 150)
-
Adoptions
(ext. 150)
-
Humane
education (ext. 154)
-
Volunteer
programs (ext. 140)
-
Special
programs including spay & neuter
(ext. 201)
-
Obedience
Training (ext. 154)
-
Feral Cat
Program/Trap-Neuter-Return (ext.
100)
“We’ve always
depended upon the involvement of our
community in identifying dog packs,
feral cats in need of sterilization,
and other stray sightings and we
encourage the public to call us in
times of need,” said Maloney. In
addition to its ongoing work, the
LA/SPCA is in the process of
rebuilding its facility that was
heavily damaged by the storms and
floods.
The Louisiana SPCA worked in
cooperation with a variety of
wonderful humane
agencies to rescue more than 8,500
animals after Hurricane Katrina hit
New Orleans on August 29th. The
Louisiana Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals (LA/SPCA) is a
private non-profit organization
dedicated to the elimination of
animal suffering. Chartered in 1888,
it is the oldest and most
comprehensive animal welfare
organization in the state of
Louisiana providing care and basic
medical services for approximately
11,000 homeless and unwanted animals
each year. The LA/SPCA is a
membership organization that depends
upon the support of the public.
###
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