Granted that human life and rescue is much more important than saving dogs and other animals, but it breaks my heart everytime I see a dog sitting and watching a boat go by. They are trying to save people that refuse to leave. It's too bad they can't pick up animals too. I just saw a Golden Retriever sitting on about a 4 square foot porch and he was too weak to stand up when he saw the boat. I'm surprised he wasn't already dead from drinking the water. That would break my heart even if I wasn't a dog owner. Not to mention the animals that are walking around with bullet holes from the gangs with guns.

 

If I had a boat and the means - i'd have a "Wolf Pack" right now....

 

Come on. dogs drink out of the toilet all the time, Just ask Greywolf.... J/K.

 

Saw News last night and they did a story on the animals. It is sickening how things on rescues both human and animal is being done there. even the body removal.
It b roke my heart where they filmed a Golden Lab. swimmimg in the water following boats. It had the look of pleading and confusion. It is such a shame these animals trust us humans and relie on us, because we have made the reliant upon us to care for them as they offer compassion to us.
What I see happening after Katrina are there are too many chiefs in power ordering what should be done. I never witnessed other disasters rescue and clean up so sloppy done.
I did search and rescue in the 70's and today work in a hospital that also has become top heavy with people who have no idea how to run a hospital, they think they know.
The way we did rescues was yes you went in an area and got the survivors out. Body's were marked and the crew behind came and removed the body's.
Animals were removed also at this time, for reasons to prevent them from eating the dead and getting sick which only help spread the diseases.
What they are doing there is backwards and the authority's are the ones helping the spread of diseases, by leaving the body's bloat and float and eventually sink thus further contaminating the water. Yes they have some morgues set up, but no one getting body's just the hapless survivors who pass away at the evacuation shelters.
The tsunami they right away started collecting the body's and survivors, I do not think they have as much disease as they do now down in NOLA.
Some animal rescues are being let in, but not to do actual animal rescues, just as baby sitters of the ones that wander in.
It was sickening to see those dogs on roofs some near death others already there and others going in circles with no where to go.
I see lots that is not being done that should be.

 

I read on a news website, about a couple of sites that have been set up for pet rescues. One is through Petfinder.com, and the other is katrinafoundpets. I visited the latter one. Seems legit.

 

best thing that those of us who cannot help can do is donate to the groups that are able to go in and help.

 

It doesn't say much for any compassion of the rescuers. I wouldn't care what any "authority" said, I would never let an animal suffer and die if I had the means to save them. What would a few more pounds in a boat mean? There was a lot of freeboard on the boats in the pictures I saw.

 

I don't see why they can't pick up a few of them dogs since some of those people refuse to leave.

 

If it was me I would not leave without my dog, PERIOD. I consider them my kids and I would not leave them. They would have to take us all or nothing.

 

I agree, My dogs are part of the family. We play with each other and love and give affection to each other just as a family does.
My last dog was such a nurse maid to my kids when they felt down or sick. And when he got sick with cancer the kids traveled from where they lived to say goodbye and hsow they loved him as much. He did not move from where he laid, but his tail and head and eyes sadi it all how happy he was to see them again. Next day he died. This is no different than us humans, so those dogs require the same.

 

There aren't words to describe a picture like this. I'm still stunned at how botched this whole rescue effort has been. If I sound cranky and angry, it's because... well, I'm cranky and angry.

 

Just knowing that poor dog was following a boat with people that refused to pick him up brings tears to my eyes. I can't imagine his fear and confusion. Especially a lab, those dogs are trained everyday to put their lives on the line to benefit people.

I would never leave my dog behind because I know that everyday I would feel guilt for not saving her. I do, however, understand why people would take their kids and leave their dogs if they had no choice. If I had kids there would be no hesitation to save them.

 

same here tears come to my eyes as well when I see apic like that if the dumb people don't want to leave save the animals that want to!!!

 

I read a story about a lady that refused to leave without her 15 cats. They ended up boxing up her cats and taking them. I then read a story about a man that was stuck in a tree with his little dog. They would not take his dog so he killed it so that it wouldn't suffer. How much room does a little dog take up on a boat? Much less than 15 boxed cats.

 

I know when back in the 70's and even today as a 1st responder we get training on triage lurge numbers of injure. The serious ones would get a tag of one color and the less serious down to walking wounded get different color tags, depending on the severity of injury's.
It would seem some of these rescuers veiw the animals with the tags that go on the dead or dying. Others do not see the animals this way. So the rescuers that refuse animals seem to have less compassion. Maybe they do not like dogs or animals or see them as lesser than human extended familys.
So it is depending on the person operating the boat. I work with some people if told to jump of a bridge by authority's says that is the rule they would where other like me would look at if that is the rule then I look at the options of climbing down the bridge, than jumping. Meaning I would try and at least move the animals to higher ground where they have a chance to survive than be left on a patch of roof to die of starvation and dehydration.