The Humane Society of the United States - Situation Report
Date/Time: September 1, 2005, 11:00 AM
Event: Hurricane Katrina
Location: Mississippi and Louisiana
Mississippi:
Working with the Mississippi State Veterinarian's Office the HSUS DART gathered resources Tuesday and Wednesday in Jackson (MS). Their first task was developing the pet-friendly shelter and emergency animal shelter, currently with approximately 80 animals, at the Coliseum in Jackson and establishing the basis for taking in many more animals from the surrounding area.
This morning seven DART field teams left to conduct damage and needs assessments from Jackson south to Hattiesburg area, and to provide help as they find needs. The HSUS team includes about 35 trained responders and 8-10 vehicles (plus trailers and RVs), including the HSUS Disaster Response Unit (truck & trailer), and members from the Okaloosa (FL) DART, Sumter County (FL) DART, Humane Society of Missouri , Day's End Farm Horse Rescue (MD), and others.
Team capabilities include companion animals, horses, livestock, and wildlife. The team leaders are pushing very hard to get help to Gulfport, but at this time Route 49 is open only to state-authorized emergency vehicles.
An HSUS DART member who lives in Gulfport and reports to us daily has told us that the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi (HESS) shelter has with stood major destruction. Early reports that the animals had been evacuated from this shelter were incorrect. In fact, many of the animals appeared to have perished, though some were able to float free. Reports are that people in Gulfport are leaving more animals at the shelter.
Our team is pressing to bring relief there. Security is apparently still an issue in these areas of Southern Mississippi, even delaying some government response.
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