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Chattanoogan Helps In New Orleans Animal Rescue
posted
October 15, 2005
The
Chattanoogan.com
Tending animals at Muttshack |
Ginger Moss, owner of Curves on Highway 58, has returned from an animal
rescue effort in New Orleans along with Charlene Cantrell, Pete
Schreiner and Trish Snyder of Atlanta.
Ms. Moss collected donations for New Orleans Disaster Relief Animal
Rescue from Curves members, the Chattanooga Humane Education Society,
Woofles Grooming Salon, Ashland Pets, family and co-workers. Peachtree
Ford of Atlanta provided the cargo van for delivering the supplies.
Ms. Moss said the van "was packed to the roof with essential supplies
generously donated by people that were touched by the images on TV of
animals stranded on rooftops in New Orleans."
The group went to the Muttshack animal shelter last weekend and
delivered the emergency supplies. She said, "One vet began to cry when
the group handed him vaccinations donated from the Chattanooga Humane
Education Society. He had just discovered he was out and a replacement
supply was not due for another two days."
Ms. Moss said when the Louisiana State Vet made an announcement last
week that “the pet situation is under control,” it caused many needed
volunteers to cancel their trips to the region.
She said, "Now rescue organizations are struggling to find the bodies
required to help these animals in desperate need. There are more animals
being brought in now than before and the conditions of those being
rescued are worse."
She said the condition of the animals being brought to Muttshack's Hayne
Boulevard headquarters in Lake Castle Private School have deteriorated
since they have been on their own for over six weeks. The animals coming
in now are "skinnier and sicker and injured."
She said, "Muttshack needs volunteers now."
Amanda St. John, the founder of Muttshack, said, “In a normal city, a
stray can rummage through the garbage at a restaurant or convenience
store, but here there's nothing. We put out food everywhere, but there's
a handful of us. We can't rescue a city of pets."
Ms. Mossr said, “The dogs and cats in the two vet clinics at the camp
would break a giant’s heart.” She said one German Shepherd had
neurological damage from toxic waste and could not hold his head
upright. He was walked several times a day around the Muttshack camp and
quickly became the mascot. Rescue team leader Kris decided to foster him
when she returns home. There were several cats in the cattery with
similar damage.
On Sunday, a group of eight vet tech students left to return home
leaving the vet clinics without volunteers. Late in the afternoon, Ms.
Moss said she noticed a yellow Lab in a crate in one of the clinic areas
that she had never seen being walked around the camp. The Lab did not
have the use of her back legs. She probably had been injured from a pile
of debris falling on her. No one had been able to figure out how to take
her outside. They let her go to the bathroom in her crate and cleaned up
after her when possible. Ginger and Lisa, a volunteer from Baton Rouge,
rigged up a sling and a system that takes two people to get her out. The
first thing they did was give her a bath. “We were surprised when she
wagged her tail every time the bucket of water hit her.” Before long she
wanted to run around the yard. As long as Ginger had the sling holding
up her back legs she could explore the yard at any pace. Running turned
out to be her speed. They decided to nickname her “Scooter.”
Ginger said, “This was the point when I couldn’t control my emotions. My
own brother became paralyzed in May of this year so I understood what
the lab had been going through. I was delighted to learn that the rescue
group Angel’s Gate was going to foster Scooter and train her to use a
canine wheelchair. Scooter stole my heart.”
Ginger and Trish said they had an awe-inspiring experience on Saturday.
Chris a handsome, yet stoic, National Guardsman stationed directly
across the street wandered into the Muttshack camp and could hardly
speak. He finally composed himself and asked he if could “just pet an
animal.” He said he loves all animals, but Ginger took him back to Trish
in the Cattery because he had cats at home and had recently lost one of
them. Ginger said, "Trish was blown away by the image of this soldier
putting down his assault rifle to hold a kitten. She said she had to
look away when she noticed a tear rolling down Chris’s cheek. Chris must
have spread the word because every afternoon about the same time
National Guardsmen and New Orleans police officers began to show up with
requests to pet the animals. They said there is so much tragedy and
ugliness everywhere that this was the only way they could find some
sanity. One female 7th district police officer had lost her home, her
pets and now was separated from her family. She said she just needed to
connect with something.”
Ms. Moss said there is an animal trainer on site for a short time period
who is working with the most traumatized or aggressive dogs. Jim set up
a “Quiet room” for them to chill out. When the animal understands he is
now secure and safe he begins to settle down. This is when Jim goes to
work with training. Jim took one pit bull that had to stay in her crate
because she was so aggressive. Four days later he brought her to the
morning staff meeting so she could be the pet of the day. She went
around giving every one kisses to show her appreciation, Ginger said.
"Animals act differently now," Volunteer Rescuer Nancy O'Toole said,
"not because they're mean, but because they're scared. Cute little
poodles will tear your head off."
Muttshack is rescuing all pets that are found. So far the shelter has
cats, dogs, exotic birds, bunnies, hens, a rooster, two black swans and
other waterfowl, a turtle and several tanks of fish.
Ginger heard that someone brought in a pet snake. She said, “Don’t tell
me what it is or where you are going to keep it and I’ll be all right.”
She said, “Volunteering to help these animals is the most rewarding
experience of my life and at the same time the saddest. I worked in the
news business for many years and nothing I saw on the world stage
prepared me for what I dealt with daily in New Orleans.”
She also said, “I cried for an entire day after I returned. I was
sitting in my nice house, in cool air conditioning, eating a warm lunch
with my beloved dog 'Buddy' at my side when I began to feel guilty for
being so blessed. I know the work we did helped, but it is just a drop
in the bucket. There is such much left to do”.
Charlene Cantrell said, “I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I pretty
much shut down on the ride home. I think the matchsticks that used to be
homes in Slidell almost sent me over the edge. The only way I knew to
deal with my experience was to sleep.”
Pete and Trish brought home a foster cat they named “Katrina Boudreaux.”
She will be called “Boo-Boo’ for short. Trish said, “We wanted to give
her a name that reflected her heritage. Her personality is so similar to
our recently departed 'Pie' that I was immediately drawn to her."
 Ginger Moss said, "Volunteer vets, vet techs, rescuers and experienced
kennel personnel are needed. However, any animal lover that is willing
to walk dogs, clean crates, clean litter pans and feed animals is
welcome. They also need people willing to drive around to do food and
water drops. Handy men and women are also needed to keep the generators
running and to help clean and expand the animal areas as needed. Tetanus
and hepatitis A shots are required. There is no power or running water.
Volunteers need to bring camping supplies, food and water. Basically
they need to bring whatever it takes to be self-sufficient. All
volunteers need security clearance."
Muttshack is set up in the Lake Castle Middle School grounds at the
intersection of Crowder and Haynes Road in view of the Ponchartrain
levee.
Please go to www.muttshack.org for more information on the Hurricane
Animal Rescue Task force and volunteering.
Rescued dog at New Orleans |
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The MuttShack, Katrina Animal
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Dr. Sandy Taylor, Hugh Rogers
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Bonding with Dr. Taylor |
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