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A Time of Need
One of our volunteers,
Tari Alper,
has just returned to Indiana from a trip to
Slidell, Louisana, to assist
Noah's Wish in helping the animals that
were left homeless by Katrina. She was
there for nine very long days.
Noah's Wish staff began their working day at
7:30 am and the shift would not end officially until 7:30 pm or later.
Sometimes much later, as people whose homes had been damaged would often
decide they could not keep their pets and would bring them in during the
early evening hours. She spent about four full days working with the
homeless kitties. She figures one person can clean about 8 cat crates per
hour if everything goes perfectly and it never did. Since many of the cats
had upper respiratory illness, diarrhea ,
stress and depression, more time than usual was required to clean
even a single crate. The feline team was tending 325+ cats which required
about 20 bags of Kitty Litter each day.
When Tari
arrived in Slidell, she guessed that about 60 people were looking after
over 800 cats, dogs, ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, a ferret, pot belly
pig, rabbits, snakes, geese, a flying squirrel, birds & parrots, goldfish,
an emu, a scorpion, and even a
tarantula.
The animals received excellent veterinary
care, even though conditions were primitive. The indoor
veterinary surgical table was half a
white fiberglass banquet table (the other half full of supplies). At one
point, two volunteer veterinarians arrived from Canada. Drs. Ken and Ben
set up their work area outdoors at the edge of the gravel shelter drive
using two large upside down crates with the pans sanitized and taped to
the top. Floodlights helped and medical supplies were set up nearby on
other crates. (Ben and Ken carried on a running conversation through which
each said the other was faster, a better doctor, etc. until everyone
within earshot was laughing) They added a wonderful charm to a daunting
situation. Clean drinking water was an issue in the area, so all of the
animals' drinking water had to be treated with chlorine, one gallon at a
time. All crate pans, litter boxes, bedding, food and water bowls, etc.
were sanitized with a 10% bleach solution every 24 hours to prevent an
outbreak of disease. Every animal was photographed, had a chart of origin,
recent medical treatments, etc. that stayed with the animal for the
duration. Listed on the chart was whether the animal was owned and being
fostered or was a stray and potentially adoptable. High temperatures and
high humidity were threatening to staff and so many animals in a large
metal pole barn, so in some cases distilled water was frozen in bottles,
sealed in sandwich bags and placed in kitty and bunny crates as well
as other more vulnerable animals.
Human living conditions were also less than
ideal but substantially improved as compared to the first responders who
slept in a furniture warehouse with no facilities whatsoever in the first
days after Katrina hit.
During Tari's visit, anywhere from 30 to 60
people slept on the floor in each of two adjacent conference rooms at a
local hotel. Air conditioning at night, two working bathrooms with
showers plus one additional foyer restroom served everyone. Local
restaurants (only 2 open nearby) closed at 7:30 pm so that employees could
get home before the curfew. Noah's Wish fed volunteers after the workday
and held mandatory briefing meetings from 8pm until completed. As the
weeks progressed, resources for volunteers became a bit more available
and certainly more comfortable than for the original first responders.
Gas lines were long and sometimes gasoline was rationed or completely
gone even after the wait. Stores were gradually beginning to open and
residents began returning to their homes during the last few days of the
visit. Many came to the shelter to look for their lost companions or to
request fostering.
By the end of the nine days, a number of new
stainless steel hospital crates had been donated and were being put
together, adequate water and electrical utilities had been rigged up for
all sections, additional supplies were coming in, and volunteers were
beginning to have things organized for maximum efficiency. First
responders and a few tired workers headed for home, one or two per day,
and new ones were arriving in small groups. The staff of Noah's Wish
Shelter was almost at full complement by the end of the week. CNN, NBC and
Animal Planet crews taped specials for their programs.
Tari was truly there for
the animals in their time of need. Well done, Tari.
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We
had a glorious phone call from Donna Kahn who happened to be on her way to the
grocery when spotting her on the side of the road. She stated she got out and
shooed her into the field away from the road. Donna works at one of the
little gas stations in Roanoke, which just happened to be the 2nd
place I posted a flyer, so she already knew that the dog she just seen was
missing. The grocery’s flyer was still up on the wall so she called us.
Instead of continuing her personal shopping, she went back to keep an eye on
Lady until we could get there. I spotted Lady lying in the field, just inside
the edge of the road. Once we stopped and I called her name the chase was
on. Donna and my husband drove to the road on the other side of the field
with me hot on her heals in the field then the woods. I called Steve and he
was on his way, apparently driving very fast because he made it in no time!
Lady had crossed the next street, so my husband, Donna and myself headed into
the field. Donna stayed by the road to make sure she did not backtrack. She
was running along the creek with Dale trying to bring her back toward me. She
jumped back up to the woods, spotted Dale and jumped back toward the creek.
This time with no where to go. She had landed on a steep ledge and she was
stuck. Once Steve arrived we formed a human chain and pulled her to safety.
