MuttShack Animal Rescue supporters were glued to their computers on Monday February 13th as CNN News used most of their headline space on the vast amount of waste, fraud and abuse that occurred and is still taking place with relief funding for both human and animal Katrina victims.

Government investigators said on Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, better known as FEMA in its rush to provide Katrina disaster aid, wasted millions of dollars and overpaid for hotel rooms including $438-a-day lodging in New York City.

Federal aid totaling about $85 billion is being spent and investigations are revealing that in two audits alone, up to 900,000 of the 2.5 million applicants who received aid under FEMA's emergency cash assistance program, which included the $2000 debit cards given to evacuees, were based on duplicate or invalid Social Security numbers, or false names and addresses.

"When we read of this type of abuse many of our volunteers broke down and wept" said Amanda St.John, founder of MuttShack Katrina Animal Rescue. "These dedicated people have been sleeping in sleeping bags on the bare ground with only one purpose and that is to help. They are not paid or housed and work long hours with little thanks. It is difficult to understand that anyone would sink that low as to literally steal money from people and animals that so desperately need that financial help and support. When we think of the good use that the money could have been put to, it is difficult to maintain one's faith in human nature."

"Apart from the abuse, many organizations that are totally honest in their dealings have the disadvantage of being weighed down with administrative costs, whereas all the money that we, as a volunteer group receive, goes to rescuing, housing, treating and reuniting animals with their owners where possible," St.John added.

It is gratifying to read that in the Justice Department probe, fifty-three people at a Red Cross call center in Bakersfield California that tried to steal emergency money have been charged with fraud. Sixty websites that asked for money or tried to harvest personal information for identity theft have also been shut down. FEMA and the Red Cross reported that when realizing that they had received money they were not entitled to,$8 million has been returned. MuttShack Animal Rescue continues their work in difficult circumstances and still sends out the message that donations and volunteers are desperately needed. More details can be seen on their website www.muttshack.org

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