Sheri's story of her trip to New Orleans
I had been to Bourbon Street a couple times-my entire
Louisiana experience. And now, here I was on Canal Street dressed in knee-high
irrigation boots, elbow-length rubber gloves, a respirator and safety goggles
Just a few days prior, I was glued to the TV as Katrina blew out levees and
devastated lives, all in real time. As the havoc tore apart families and the
rescuers gave it their all, I couldn't watch anymore. I jumped online and
volunteered with the Red Cross and the Humane Society of the U.S. I offered our
river rafting boats, trailers and trucks.
The Humane Society called me back first, and I packed
up and drove 2,000 miles to New Orleans. And there I stood. I have spent many
years in search & rescue, am an old EMT, and Veterinary Technician. I've
taught Red Cross First Aid for 25 years but nothing prepared me for the sights,
sounds & smells. The silence of this abandoned city resembled a science
fiction movie. Boats cruised the flooded streets, calling and listening for a
response. Where the flooding was receding, it left abandoned boats stranded in
the mud and National Guard Hummers veering around fallen trees and upside down
cars. Then there were the flooded homes. We had lists from people who had
called the number on the TV screen begging someone to save their 4-legged
family members, giving permission to break-in any way we could. And we did.
As I forced the door open, the mold-ridden air blew
past my face. The rot of water-soaked worldly possessions froze me in place.
Even the respirator couldn't stop the stench and my eyes strained, searching
through the darkness for anything alive. At first nothing was
recognizable-upside down couches rotting into the moldy black carpet,
refrigerators in the living room, tables and chairs jumbled in a heap. Room to
room I searched. And then there was movement. A dog so sick and scared that the
callings only made her hide more. We rushed her to the triage center by the
Park where after being stabilized, she would be transported to LaMar Dixon in
Gonzales, a 50 mile drive to safety.
As the days repeated themselves, rescuers would depart
Gonzales at 5:30 am, carrying our tattered lists. Some dogs barked with joy
upon seeing us, cats mostly hid, and finding an animal alive was cause for
celebration. A month later, we were still finding them alive. Though sick and
starving, they were not willing to give up on their care-takers to rescue them.
We found dogs on roofs, a toy poodle hiding behind the toilet, cats in the
attics, puppies stuck in the mud.
A few weeks after Katrina, Hurricane Rita added to the
devastation. Narrowily missing New Orleans and Houston, it pounded the rural
areas of Louisiana and Texas. I drove to Abbeville, Louisiana to see for
myself. The black waters of the Vermilion Bay had washed 20 miles inland,
stranding, killing, and injuring 600 horses and 10,000 cattle. Ranch homes
flooded, pastures blackened, crops ruined, these people had no resources to
save themselves. Still today they are struggling to hold on to their lives.
This untold story and lack of government assistance opened the doors to the
Vermilion Animal Aid organization comprised of 'People Helping People.' I am
back in Moab right now, organizing funding and the delivery of hay & grain
for the large animals and food and homes for the dogs and cats. If you want to
help, let me know.
Current figures quoted by the Humane Society of the
U.S. state that an estimated 250,000 small animals lived in the New Orleans
area. Recorded rescues are around 15-20,000. About 500 horses were saved, along
with goats, ducks, chickens, snakes, and a pet pot-bellied pig. Many
organizations are still saving animals in New Orleans. As doors were kicked in
searching for people, animals escaped and now roam the streets. They are being
trapped, fed, and saved.
I wonder how long it will take to rebuild these lives.
I wonder how long the harsh dreams will disrupt my sleep. I am so fortunate to
have been able to help and continue to be of aid. I am the lucky one.
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