Volunteers desperately needed for Katrina Animals

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

sorry for the late notice. I just got this email yesterday afternoon,

and have been talking with them about coming down later this week

myself, since I HAVE to work tomorrow.

If you can come down and relieve some volunteers or help with the

overload, please do. IT says it's for 10 days, but you don't have to

stay that long. Please don't contact me. Call Carolyn or Jeff

(below). If you can't reach them, call Chris. He left for Mississippi

this morning. His number is 678-559-9057.

 

If you want someone to go down with, and want to fly into, or can

drive through the Atlanta area, I'll go with you, or you can go with

me.

thanks!

kim

 

(p.s. expect dirty grunt work for hours, not suitable for an

afternoon diversion. Children, incl. teens and adolescents are NOT

allowed to help, as they too often get bored, and no one has time to

chaperone or babysit them.)

 

A convoy is leaving Atlanta

for Hattiesburg, MS, on Sunday, 9-18-05 at 10AM.

Please be at PAWS by 9:30 AM.

 

PAWS has extra room for 10 volunteers in PAWS

vans or you may drive your own

vehicle and caravan. Volunteers will go through

orientation in Hattiesburg;

you will be asked to sign a disclaimer. Food,

water and shelter will be

provided. You must provide your own personal or

special needs. Please bring camping

equipment if you have it.

 

The Humane Society of the United States has asked

for volunteers to help the

animals displaced by Hurricane Katrina for up to

10 days.

 

If you can help, please contact Jeff Roberts with

PAWS at (404) 409-5818 or

Carolyn Danese with HAGA at (404) 827-0603.

 

Volunteers will leave PAWS on Sunday, September

18, at 10AM and return from

Hattiesburg on Thursday, September 22, at noon.

PAWS Atlanta, Inc.

5287 Covington Highway

Decatur, Georgia 30035

 

Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed

with original receipts.

Volunteers will be needed on an ongoing basis as

volunteers are rotated. Volunteers

with some animal or communication experience are

requested.

 

Hurricane Katrina is a long-term recovery

project. Volunteers will be needed

to relieve the current volunteers at this

emergency animal shelter. 1,000

animals are being housed at this shelter with

approximately 100 rotating in and

out daily.

 

Deployment details:

 

1. This is a 10 day deployment, but shorter tours

are accepted.

 

2. Equipment - prepare as if camping -- these are

suggested items to take

with you. Better safe than sorry. Self

sufficient is always best. Unscented

baby wipes (don't know when you'll get a shower)

- Changes of clothing: MS is very hot and humid.

You may want to change

T-shirts throughout the day. Appropriate

clothing: t-shirts, long pants, good

walking shoes, waterproof shoes/boots. Longer

shorts are OK.

- Please be professional: No short cutoffs,

halter tops.

- Bug repellent

- Sunscreen

- Batteries - for anything you take and extras to

share

- Camera

- Cell phone and the charger for the car

 

3. Shelter supplies (food, crates, litter, etc.)

are NOT needed at this time.

The shelter is overwhelmed with supplies at this

time.

 

4. Job assignments will be based on your training

and experience: animal

handling, cage cleaning; walking dogs; paperwork

such as intake information,

release information, lost and found; escorting

families through the shelter;

protecting the animals.

 

5. Search and Rescue will only be done by

volunteers with the proper

qualification.

 

6. Individuals will not be asked nor encouraged

to remove animals from this

shelter or area. Animal transfer will be done on

a state and/or shelter to

shelter level.

 

7. There will be continued opportunities to

volunteer; the need now is great.

Thank you for any time commitment you can give

the animals.

 

This is the letter requesting help from the

Humane Society of the United

States:

The Humane Society of the United States is

currently assisting the state of

Mississippi Board of Animal Health with its

response to assist the animals

impacted by Hurricane Katrina. To that end, The

HSUS is coordinating three staging

compounds along the coast and a primary temporary

shelter in Hattiesburg.

This massive effort is requiring all our efforts,

as well as the help of humane

societies, animal control agencies, private

groups and individuals from all

over the country. At this time, over 1,200

animals have been processed and cared

for at our Hattiesburg facility.

 

The HSUS is in desperate need of volunteers with

animal sheltering/handling

experience to assist in our efforts in

Mississippi. Many volunteers have given

generously of their time, but they need to rotate

out. With such a massive

operation we are dependent on more volunteers to

take their place.

This is where the Humane Association of Georgia

can be of assistance. If HAGA

could please recruit volunteers to travel to

Hattiesburg, MS, to work at the

temporary shelter and possibly be deployed to one

of our staging compounds on

the coast. The HSUS will reimburse all travel

expenses related to activation

as long as original receipts are kept.

 

Please let me know if HAGA has volunteers that

can assist in Mississippi and

how many. The location to travel is the Forrest

County Multi-Purpose Center on

Hwy 49 south of Hattiesburg. The animal compound

is in the back of the Center

next to the RV park in the livestock/horse

buildings. They can look for the

volunteer coordination table for orientation and

assignment.

 

Thank you very much. We appreciate the support of

the Humane Association of

Georgia's and its interest in helping the animal

victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Sincerely,

 

Laura Bevan, Director

The Humane Society of the United States

Southeast Regional Office

Mississippi Katrina Response Team Leader

(850) 508-2482

lbevan

 

Want to help pets and other animals hurt by

Hurricane Katrina? Please donate

to our Disaster Rescue Teams today. Go to

https://secure.hsus.org/01/disaster_relief_fund_2005.

###

Sent by:

Humane Association of Georgia, Inc.

A coalition of humane societies, animal control

and rescue groups and

individuals.

Visit our website:

http://www.HumaneAssociationofGeorgia.org

 

HAGA is known for the Animal Protection Act of

2000 that makes some acts of

animal cruelty a felony and the Dog and Cat

Sterilization License Plate that

funds statewide spay/neuter projects. Our

formation allowed Georgia to be the

first state by law to allow animals in disaster

shelter. We were formed to

support good animal legislation, provide

education about good animal stewardship

and help animals in times of disaster.

 

Please join the Humane Association of Georgia.

Our membership fee is $25.00

per year. Donations are appreciated. Please make

your check out to Humane

Association of Georgia, Inc. and mail to the

address above.