THIS ALERT IS CLOSED. It is a live archive for background and historical record.
When The Levees Broke
In the shadow of Hurricane Katrina, a disaster that strands and kills more animals
than any other in modern
history, people and their pets march in solidarity for Louisiana Pet Evacuation Bill
SB-607, from Senator
Heulette Fontenot. Citizens rally at the steps of the state capitol to send the
message: If I leave they leave
with me.
WIN! SB-607 LA Pet Evacuation Bill Becomes Law
Kinship Circle's Brenda Shoss joins forces with Shannon Moore, a Metairie resident
who works tirelessly to
save stranded animals. They lobby Louisiana legislators to support Senator Fontenot's
Pet Evacuation Bill
(SB-607) and consult with the Senator's office to craft a letter campaign to
lawmakers. With
help from Capt. Ron Fach, founder of Pet Owners Alliance and Florida's model Animal
Disaster Response
Teams, they streamline press materials, alerts and flyers into a non-stop push to
pass this bill. On April 17
Shannon orchestrates a People And Pets March to Louisiana's state capitol in Baton
Rouge. In mid-June
Louisiana's Pet Evacuation Bill passes the legislative process and is later signed
into law. Tragically,
Shannon
Moore is no longer alive
to celebrate her achievements for animals.
Now Louisiana's groundbreaking law needs funding for the humane evacuation,
transport
and temporary
sheltering of animals. Unforgivable images of people forced to leave their companions
behind are forever
etched into our nation's conscience. Louisiana can now take the lead in legislation
to fully implement
protocols on rescue/shelter of animals during a disaster.
Hurricane Katrina cast people and animals adrift in a sea of loss. When levees broke,
a singular scream rose
from dark waters. Drowning out reason. Erasing hope. Who would hear their cries,
faint as ashes? Who would see
their fear, locked behind doors, bound to fence posts, stranded on rooftops?
Thousands searched for familiar
faces. But eyes turned cloudy when no one came. Huddled in bathtubs. Hidden behind
walls. A tail wagged. A
purr took flight. Caught for a second, then lost in the wind. Who would hear them?
Our government did not. Who
would see them? Our law enforcers did not. Who would return for them? You did.
Without much money, you jumped
on a plane. Drove cross country, packed to the roof. Because you were the eyes that
saw each one. You were the
arms that held them all. You were their food, their water, their love.
This Is For You.