Lost and found pets – who is spearheading the effort after Sandy?, read the status update. Good question – maybe behind it another question unspoken: Will there be a better outcome for animals than after Katrina? We know ASPCA , HSUS and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) are working with other agencies, city, and State officials to rescue and return potentially thousands of pets.
According to a Today report by Laura T Coffey, hundreds of pet-friendly shelters sprang up before the storm began, and if areas did not have them, alternate arrangements were made. This lesson taken from Katrina was implemented in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
Information across social media and sites like Hurricane Sandy, Lost and Found Pets tell hundreds of stories. There are calls to spread the word, volunteer, donate, and announcements of desperate conditions in animal shelters, like Baltimore Humane, that are without light, heat, and water. Take a look at this article in Huffington Post to find out how to help, or get help if you need it.
Not all lost and found pets will have happy endings.
When two best friends felt the worst of the storm was over Monday night, they decided to go out. Jessie Streich-Kest, 24, and Jacob Vogelman, 23, took Jessie’s dog, Max, an adopted pit bull, over to Ditmar Park in Brooklyn. A tree fell on all three, killing Jessie and Jacob. Twelve hours later they were found, and Max, still alive but broken and bleeding, was pulled from underneath the tree. Verg South Veterinary is treating the dog without charge, and will return him to Jessie’s parents.
A wonderful kindness in the face of such loss.
On a happier note, in Ocean City, NJ, an eight-person team worked calls from people with lost and found pets, returning more than 30 pets to anxious families. There are collaborations between agencies, the ASPCA reports, and cooperation with local officials to implement systems to expedite returning pets to their homes. It will likely be months before we know the full effect of Hurricane Sandy on pets.
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