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The LA/SPCA is more than an animal
shelter, which alone is vital to a community’s well being.
But beyond that the LA/SPCA is involved in animal disaster
planning on a local, state and federal level; advocacy and
legislative issues, educational programs to a variety of
audiences; veterinary services to indigent animals; animal
control services for a city with a high stray population;
the statewide voice in humane law enforcement, and the
investigation of hundreds of animal cruelty cases a year.
The LA/SPCA serves the community through a variety of
programs. While many of the goals have long-term impact, the
next three to five years will continue to involve
rebuilding, launching education initiatives, and making an
impact legislatively. Below are just a few of the
highlights.
Disaster Planning
 The Louisiana SPCA has served on a local, state, and
national level as a model for disaster planning for animals.
Pre-Katrina, the detailed pre-planning to evacuate the
shelter in the event of a disaster led to the safe
evacuation of 263 shelter animals three days prior to
Katrina making landfall. Post Katrina, the organization has
been called upon by private and governmental entities across
the country to present planning models and serve as a
keynote speaker on the topic of incorporating animals into
disaster planning. Following work in helping craft language
on Louisiana’s pet evacuation bill – billed as model
legislation for the country – the LA/SPCA has continued to
fine tune all aspects of disaster planning, covering both
pre-disaster and post-disaster scenarios. This has resulted
in the signing of partnership agreements with Southeast
Louisiana Task Force (Human Search & Rescue) to serve as a
support agency in local disaster response requiring Animal
Search and Rescue (ASAR) expertise, as well as a
post-response disaster agreement with Southern University in
Baton Rouge should a post-disaster response shelter have to
be created. Agreements have also been signed with other
organizations including United Animal Nations and The HSUS.
Shortly following the first anniversary of Katrina a
full-time disaster coordinator was hired to oversee
extensive efforts in disaster related work. Additionally,
LA/SPCA’s plans are being used throughout the country by
shelters and municipalities.
The LA/SPCA also serves as an advisor to other parishes and
state agencies by collaborating on issues such as evacuation
planning, transportation, credentialing and training of
animal responders in an effort to standardize evacuation and
response across Southeast Louisiana.
In September 2006 the LA/SPCA participated in the country's
first-ever joint animal and human rescue drill. Coined
"Operation Lilypad," the drill was designed to test
communications between Urban Search and Rescue teams
operating in a flood environment. The drill incorporated
real-life scenarios, duplicating many of the tragedies that
were witnessed repeatedly in the aftermath of Katrina.
“Operation Lilypad” was the culmination of months of
planning by many organizations working together to not only
discuss, but actually incorporate animals into all future
disaster planning.
Through collaboration with the City of New Orleans,
emergency management plans now account for evacuation of
companion animals. The City-Assisted Evacuation Plan (CAEP)
which is designed to transport residents without
transportation, those without financial means to evacuate,
and those who are elderly, ill or disabled and requiring
additional assistance, now takes into consideration the pets
owned by these at-risk individuals. In June 2007, LA/SPCA
participated in a full-scale CAEP drill and followed up with
a detailed review of what worked and what did not.
Advocacy and Legislation
In legislative work, the LA/SPCA worked closely with
legislators on crafting the language for anti-cockfighting
legislation. When New Mexico outlawed the inhumane
bloodsport in March of this year, the LA/SPCA called upon
state leaders to finally put an end to a cruel and barbaric
practice that 82% of Louisiana residents agreed should be
banned. “The whole country is already focused on Louisiana
due to our massive rebuilding and recovery efforts, and no
one wants to see Louisiana blemished with the stigma of
being the only state that still allows such a brutal and
inhumane practice,” said LA/SPCA’s Laura Maloney. In June,
the state saw a measured victory, but a victory nonetheless,
with a cockfighting ban finally approved by lawmakers.
Though the actual ban on the sport will not happen until
August 15, 2008, the LA/SPCA was encouraged and by the
benefit of the immediate ban that will make it illegal to
gamble at cockfights. Without the potential for betting and
winning money, the sport will lose its allure for people.
In other advocacy and longtime recovery work, the LA/SPCA
formed the “Louisiana Partnership” with the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in April
2007. The two separate and independent organizations
partnered together to assist animal welfare agencies dealing
with surpluses of homeless pets by providing financial and
human resources to positively impact agency conditions and
save rates for animals. The partnership will offer training
and operational advice for six communities in southwestern
Louisiana. The ASPCA will provide grants for special
projects as each agency is evaluated. The St. Bernard Parish
Animal shelter, located in one of the hardest hit areas by
Katrina, is the first organization being assisted through
this partnership. St. Bernard is struggling to manage a
shelter in a building without electricity and limited and
new staff. The Partnership is providing detailed advice, as
well as hands-on assistance, on how to improve the physical
conditions of their shelter and daily shelter management
practices. Partnership staff meets regularly with parish
officials to offer recommendations on how to improve animal
control services and day to day operations.
Other parishes receiving Partnership assistance include
Jefferson, Vermillion, Calcasieu, Caddo and Lafayette.
Humane Law Enforcement
As the LA/SPCA entered 2007, the organization continued its
work in humane law enforcement, aimed at reducing animal
cruelty. Because of the its extensive dogfighting
experience, the National Football League (NFL) reached out
to the LA/SPCA to gain an understanding and insight into the
underground crime of dogfighting as it was wrestling with
allegations of Michael Vick’s involvement, a popular
quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. CEO Laura Maloney met
with NFL officials in New York to discuss the “sport,”
introduced the NFL to ASPCA who together have now partnered
and developed a training program for NFL players.
 The LA/SPCA is no stranger to dogfighting investigations. In
February, the expert testimony of Kathryn Destreza, the LA/SPCA’s
Director of Humane Law Enforcement, led to the conviction of
a major dogfighter, Clinton Bartell Schneider, Jr., who has
been considered one of the principal violators of the
illegal activity in Louisiana. “This is a huge win because
Black River Kennels has been a major supplier in the
dogfighting world. This signals a major victory in our war
on this horrific bloodsport,” said Destreza. In April, the
LA/SPCA was called upon by federal authorities to
participate in a major drug trafficking bust in Louisiana
and Mississippi to manage the dogfighting component, due to
their recognized depth of expertise in handling such cases.
In February 2007, the LA/SPCA seized 33 horses that were
emaciated; two of the 33 were dead when humane officers
arrived on the scene. The LA/SPCA coordinated the rescue and
sheltering of the remaining 31 horses, financed their
veterinary care, feed costs, grooming and farrier service,
and stable rentals. Costs on this case have already exceeded
$60,000 to date. The case has yet to go trial and LA/SPCA
continues to coordinate the horses’ care working jointly
with Rescue Ranch, a rescue and care facility.
Along with the major cases, the LA/SPCA logged over 12,000
calls in 2006 alone. On any given day calls come in ranging
from that of abandoned and or neglected animals to reports
of dog packs to distress calls for injured animals. In this
post-Katrina landscape, LA/SPCA humane officers have also
seen a surge in reports of dogfighting and evidence of
suspected dogfighting.
Community Programs & the Human/Animal Bond
In this past year the LA/SPCA has seen how its
community-based programs have made a positive impact that
was significant and immediate. Since the LA/SPCA
incorporated the region’s spay/neuter voucher program into
its menu of programs and services, 3250 spay/neuter
surgeries were performed between March and June 2007 as a
direct result of the voucher program. Additionally, in that
same time frame the number of participating veterinarians
increased from 9 to 14 vets and the number of distributing
partners increased from 13 to 16 distribution points. The
voucher program was made possible by the support of the
ASPCA, PetSmart Charities, United Animal Nations, IFAW, and
The HSUS.
In a highly popular community/educational program for
adolescents, Care Cadet Camp, which is designed to develop
responsible pet owners and humane educators, interests
doubled, and LA/SPCA was delighted to offer two camps versus
the traditional one camp each summer.
 
Finding homes for animals in this post-Katrina landscape is
still a challenge and to that end the LA/SPCA has continued
with the transport of adoptable animals to partner shelters
across the country, to supplement local adoptions. Some of
those transport adoptions included those with the Houston
SPCA, SPCA of Texas in Dallas, the Humane Society of Knox
County in Maine and Labs4Rescue. All helped the LA/SPCA
manage its shelter population and practically guarantee
loving homes for an amazing and adoptable mix of companion
animals. By the end of September alone, 33 dogs had been
transported and successfully adopted by the Humane Society
of Knox County; 34 cats had equal success at the SPCA of
Texas in Dallas; and 41 dogs were adopted from the Houston
SPCA. Additionally, ten Labs were placed in forever home by
Labs4Rescue. These “caravans of love” continue to this day,
powered by the hard work of LA/SPCA’s committed volunteer
force. The volunteer team also coordinates adoptions away
from the shelter at area businesses to bring adoptable
animals to the community, thus increasing their chances of
finding a forever home.
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