The Louisiana SPCA is warning New Orleans residents that several unauthorized groups have entered the city to remove pets from people's properties, presenting themselves as animal rescuers.

The LA/SPCA is the only group in Orleans Parish authorized to respond to animal rescue calls and animal emergencies. If residents see anyone who is not with the SPCA entering their own or their neighbors' property and attempting to take an animal, they are advised to call the police.

LA/SPCA began its ground rescue operations on Wednesday, and is working in cooperation with the New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness and the New Orleans Police Department, reports director Ana Zorrilla:

"Any other animal group not working with the LA/SPCA and not authorized to enter the city and found taking any animals from residents' homes and yards are stealing," says Zorrilla.

To report an animal emergency or an animal needing rescue, please contact the Louisiana SPCA at 504-368-5191 ext. 100, or by email at info@la-spca.org. Groups interested in helping with the rescue effort should do so through the system established by the Louisiana State Animal Response Team.

Labels: friday dogblogging, hurricane gustav, new orleans, spca

This Sunday, the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will be holding its second annual Gatsby Dog Second Line Parade and Celebration in the New Orleans neighborhood of Algiers. Originally set for May 15, the event was moved to May 18 because of rain.

The event is named in honor of SPCA volunteer Kathy Lynn Honaker's Yorkshire terrier, Gatsby. As Honaker told the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

"Having the Gatsby Dog's unconditional love for almost 18 years was one of the true joys in my life. This parade is for everyone who has known that same love. It is to honor our canine friends and celebrate their lives. It is also to help the Louisiana SPCA raise much-needed funds to continue doing the great work of taking care of abandoned and lost animals," Honaker said.

"Second line" parades grew out of traditional New Orleans jazz funerals that were accompanied by brass bands. The "first line" included the family and friends of the deceased, while the "second line" was made up of those who came for the music. Nowadays second line dances are also held independently of funerals.

Last year's Gatsby Dog parade drew about 60 people and 70 dogs. All participants -- human and canine alike -- are encouraged to wear costumes. This year's event starts at 3:30 p.m. with second line registration at the Algiers Courthouse and drinks at the Dry Dock Café, followed by remembrances and the second line at Algiers Ferry Landing, and wrapping up with food, drinks and music at the Old Point Bar and Warren's Corner. A $5 donation is requested to participate in the second line, and the first 75 registrants will receive specially designed 2008 Gatsby Dog beads.

The Louisiana SPCA facility -- the only animal shelter in New Orleans -- was destroyed in the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina and lost 80 percent of its staff in the displacement. Despite those devastating losses, the organization went to lead the largest animal rescue operation in U.S. history, saving the lives of over 8,500 animals with the aid of colleagues and volunteers from across the world.

On the storm's first anniversary, the organization held a groundbreaking for its new campus with the help of Lexie, the digging Golden retriever. It went on to celebrate the grand opening of its new 21,600 square-foot Animal Rescue and Care Center in Algiers on May 18, 2007.

"The amount of devastation suffered by our friends on the Gulf Coast was unprecedented," says Ed Sayres, president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "It's a triumphant story of recovery in the face of extreme challenges and a testament to the organization's undying commitment to improve the lives of animals, against all odds."

(Photo of Gatsby Dog courtesy of the Louisiana SPCA)

Labels: friday dogblogging, Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, Hurricane Katrina, louisiana, new orleans, spca

This Valentine's Day, a black and white border collie arrived at Dulles Airport from Iraq, where he had been found months earlier by Sgt. Edward Watson during a patrol. Weak and malnourished, the shivering puppy looked near death, but Watson gave it water and a portion of his rations and wrapped it in a blanket. To his delight, the animal rallied back to health and bonded with Watson and his fellow soldiers, who named him Charlie after their company. The dog became their mascot and morale booster, a symbol of love and compassion in the midst of violence.

But when it came time for Watson's company to move to a different location, they couldn't take Charlie along. Eventually the crisis came to the attention of the SPCA International, which helped coordinate the dog's transport to the United States -- a complex and costly process involving veterinary exams, behavioral evaluations, vaccinations, quarantines and a flight that can cost as much as $1,200. Watson is scheduled to fly back to the United States next month, and after a three-month stay at Fort Bragg in North Carolina will return home to Phoenix and reunite with Charlie.

Meanwhile, the effort to save Charlie from a life as a homeless dog in a war zone has turned into an ongoing program called Operation Baghdad Pups, which aims to keep U.S. soldiers from being separated from the animals that have become their companions. Other dogs rescued by the program include Liberty, who was adopted by U.S. soldiers after a house raid in which the owner was detained, and K-Pot, who was found tangled in razor wire. The program is accepting donations to help rescue other soldiers' adopted dogs; for more information, visit www.baghdadpups.com.

(Photo from www.baghdadpups.com)

Labels: friday dogblogging, iraq, military, soldiers' mental health, spca