Triple R Pets: News Archive

Kathy Pisano 5-24-06 - It was a great trip, and I did enjoy seeing everyone again. Except for Ben, of course! I called him on the way in to Biloxi, while he was on his way to New Orleans to trap some cats. He said he'd be back on Friday, but I never did see him...........I think he was doing roofing work once he got back to Biloxi. Anyway, it was good to see some of the progress being made in the area; debris piles are less, and more homes are being lived in than when I was there before. It was real neat to see the flowers growing.............in some places, the gardens were growing around homes no longer there; they survived the bulldozers. Some of the residents were taking cuttings from the empty lots to add to their gardens to make their FEMA trailers more "homey." One of the residents on Ahern, Al, (he's the last one on the left side when you head up the street from Howard Ave) has lime, orange, and grapefruit trees in his back yard that are full of developing fruit.

I remembered most of those who have been taking care of animals in E Biloxi...............there's a Vietnamese man and his mother, who have three dogs. They live on a small street where they are now the only house........off of Holley........anyway, I brought them some canned food. Although mom does not speak fluent English, she remembered me from my previous visits and gave me a big smile when she accepted the dog food. There are two dogs on the 300 block of Reynoir that live in a lot. Two tents are on the site, but I've never seen anyone there. The dogs seem cared for, but are sometimes hungry and don't have clean water or food. Anyway, when I started feeding them in January, the chow was suspicious and the rottie downright snarly, but we've become good friends now and they both wag their tales and let me pet them. The rottie has 4 puppies, very young........so I was surprised she was so willing for me to be close to her and the brood.......Funny, other people see me going into the lot and tell me they would feed the dogs themselves but they are sooooo mean!

The Humane Society was awesome. Seeing the old facility gave me perspective on just what they'd been dealing with....I was there each day of my visit. I worked in the clinic and helped with the transport to Maine.....I think 33 dogs / puppies ended up going; some to NY first. I took a photo of the tractor trailer that transported them and got to talk with the drivers. They said this was their first dog transport; most of the time they move wild animals, like lions, bears, and tigers (!!) from wildlife sanctuaries. Once they got to Maine, they were heading to Michigan to pick up some tigers for transport down south. They are based in San Antonio TX.

Hands On has such a wonderful reputation in the area. I think every time I spoke to a resident, they or someone else had a story about help they received from someone at Hands On. On Sunday, I went to services at Beauvoir Methodist and thanked the minister for the support they've given H-O, and one of the parishioners stopped me to tell me his story!

Kathy

Note from Judy - This was Kathy's THIRD TRIP to the coast, and she is from Pennsylvania! You can imagine the gasoline costs alone to "commute" to Biloxi. For residents along the coast, when they see a familiar face, someone who has again left their own family behind to come and help a stranger, something magical happens. A bond is created between people who never knew each other before this disaster, but who now will never forget each other.

Judy Clark 5-7-06 - A great update from a local resident in Long Beach who has been caring for abandoned animals since the storm. We spoke of a visit to the home and the animals in an update below. Today, the animals are doing great!! They have received a lot of medical care and several of them have found new furr-ever homes with wonderful families. The medical care for the animals neared $1,000.00. This resident receives no assistance and had to pay for this out of her own pocket. If you would like to help offset these costs, please ear-mark your donation "Long Beach." We will be taking up a collection next weekend at a PetExpo to try and help her as well. I'll try and post some "recovery" pictures in a couple of days.

Judy Clark 5-1-06 - I always return home with mixed emotions. Happy to see my family and pets, but also knowing that there is so much left to do in the south. Kim Bill and I returned with fifty-nine animals in tow on our cargo van last week. It was quite the trip back! We left Biloxi at about 4:00 pm on Thursday, and I finally walked through my front door at 7:30 pm on Friday night. By far, my longest trip back. We did not actually make an overnight stop! That was all load / walk / unload time. We picked up from four shelters in Mississippi and delivered to four locations in Illinois. The transport included five adult cats, fourteen kittens, eleven adult dogs and twenty-nine puppies. Two of the adult dogs were Great Danes. They had been living at the shelter for almost eight weeks awaiting our transport. They were emaciated and their skin was in horrific condition. I could not believe the lack of basic care they received from the shelter. Please, continue to support the local Mississippi shelters, their donor base is struggling to rebuild their lives and they need your support now more than ever.

Leaving one Mississippi shelter, they told us that just that day they euthanized over thirty animals. There we were picking up a few animals, and we had pulled twenty-seven puppies out of their shelter just before Easter (see notes below) yet just that day another thirty were euthanized - and through a gas chamber. A very sobering reminder of just how much needs to be done.

Progress in Biloxi is amazing. Through the extraordinary efforts of HandsOn Gulf Coast and other volunteer organization, the town is showing many signs of recovery. There is still so much to be done, but having visited New Orleans this trip as well, I was reminded at how far Biloxi has come. Other communities along the Mississippi coast are also showing progress.

On a positive note, we received over one hundred micro-chips from a local shelter (HSSM) that was switching to a new chip. This means that Ben and Brogan are hitting the streets with our "Chip the Coast" program. Our hope is that by micro-chipping as many resident's pets as possible, we will improve their chances of being reunited with their owners, should they become lost. Most importantly, it will provide residents with some peace of mind.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Elaine Adair, founder of the Mississippi Spay and Neuter Alliance. Her group has done amazing work towards increasing the spay / neuter rates throughout all of Mississippi. Beginning later this spring, the ASCPA's Big Fix Rig will be touring the state, county by county, providing free spaying and neutering. Triple R Pets will help where ever possible to coordinate and work with residents on transport as well as trapping of feral cats. Although, through Elaine's amazing organizational skills, it all appears to be quite under control!

In closing, please, consider volunteering, transporting, donating or adopting a rescued animal! Everyone has something to give, no matter how small, it will make a difference for these animals and the residents!

Judy Clark 4-27-06 - After a week on the ground, Judy Clark begins the task of fitting crates onto a cargo van to head back north with as many animals as possible. The shelters here remain over-crowded as residents surrender animals on a daily basis. The weight of eight months of struggling is starting to take its toll of folks trying to make ends meet and crowd into a small trailer. Puppies and kittens are crawling out of the woodworks and shelters are bursting at the seams. Back at the HandsOn Gulf Coast base, Ben Waldman has created a "puppy pen." Thanks to the generosity and open-minded leadership at HandsOn, we are able to stage some pups there as they await transport to no-kill shelters throughout the country. The volunteers at HandsOn, who work tirelessly to rebuild the Gulf Coast are enjoying a relaxing visit with a pup after a hard days work.

The puppy pen at HandsOn. Several shade tents and two volunteer
sleeping tents are within the pen. The pups enjoy their freedom and frequent
visits from HandsOn volunteers.

We continue to support residents on the streets with pet food and a hug. Everyone's spirits here remain focused on rebuilding. Our support on the streets in terms of feeding strays and abandons is diminishing. Folks have taken animals in and our process of asking neighbors to feed the strays is working well.

The biggest concerns now are the daily calls to help trap cats and catch dogs that are at risk of being in areas where demolitions are scheduled. Just yesterday morning, we were called to an unincorporated area called St. Martin. This was a new area for us and our jaws dropped as we saw how bad the damage was there. In what's left of a house, a colony of cats has settled in. Unfortunately, the house is being demolished next week. We have trapped two of the cats ... but we suspect there are around ten living there.

After picking up Kim Bill in New Orleans yesterday, I do feel that the progress in Mississippi is extraordinary! It was a shock to drive through New Orleans and see what Biloxi had looked like months ago. There is much to be done throughout the entire region. One day at a time, progress is made. More volunteers are needed and more funding is needed. Please, continue to support the relief efforts in any way you can!

Judy Clark 4-23-06 - We spent the day yesterday on the streets distributing food to grateful residents. There is a shortage of dog food here, so today I'll work the phones and e-mail trying to get more food donations. We have about four bags of dog food left! Last night, all the volunteers from HandsOn headed over to the Biloxi High School prom to help serve and have some fun with the kids. For Ben, who is not returning home in time to attend his high school prom ... this will be the prom he will remember! Here's a pic (that only a mom could post!!):

Judy Clark 4-22-06 - The good news is ... there are some signs of improvement. Less debris, not no debris, but there is less! More businesses have reopened and we are happy to be supporting the local economy. No offense to the Salvation Army, but a real lunch at a restaurant is a welcome change! However, here we are, eight months after the storm and I still see some of the same disturbing scenes I've witnessed on every trip. Folks are still waiting for their FEMA trailer. Lots of blue tarps are still on houses (which means they are still waiting for a roof). And of course, animals on the street, puppies and kittens everywhere and people who are panicked we won't be here much longer and they don't know how they'll care for their pets without us.

We started off our day with a trip to Long Beach to visit a resident who has turned her home into a make-shift rescue shelter. This was a tough morning, as the dogs were in need of serious medical help and the facility needs much work to create a more suitable environment for housing this many animals. While the residents are working hard and trying their best, they are resource constrained (read financial) and still trying to rebuild their own home which sustained significant water damage from a roof leak. Here are some pics from our visit:

This poor dog is suffering from untreated Sarcpotic Mange with secondary infections.

We stopped for lunch and ran into a resident who asked if we could bring us over some dog food and toys for his dogs. He was living in a FEMA trailer and a tent. He and two friends had saved five dogs as they rode out the storm. The dogs have become their new family. We were amazed at how good the dogs looked. They have been taking great care of them! The gentleman spent twelve weeks in a hospital from an injury to his leg he sustained during the storm. We saw the pictures ... he was lucky to survive!

We finished up our day with a visit to one of our favorite residents, Johnny. He is working hard on rebuilding his house, by himself! Did I mention that he is seventy-four years old and also caring for more than seventy animals? More on Johhny's status later this week!

Ben Waldman 3-30-06 - Hey y'all. Here is another update from the deep south. I have been working on getting a very organized list of weekly supply drop-offs. Regular supply drop-offs for residents has become one of the most essential components of Triple R Pets. We have been working hard to make sure residents have enough food for their animals as well as proper vet care, which any animal owner knows is not cheap. Our budget has been focused around helping residents afford vet care as well as the second biggest component, transports. Many animal rescue organizations believe that transports are not needed any more 7 months after the storm, but they are wrong! The shelters down here are still overcrowded and continue to put put down animals each week. The shelters are doing the best they can and are not to blame for this, but they need help. The storm destroyed most resident's fences and as a result dogs are roaming and reproducing. Puppies and kittens are everywhere! Two weeks ago I met another volunteer here at Hands On Network. Brogan Horton is a vet tech and large animal rescuer from Maine who will be volunteering down in Biloxi for the next few months. Brogan has also put us in contact with a shelter in Maine, which we have already sent ten animals. All ten animals are already adopted after only one week. We are in the process of organizing another transport to this shelter. They have enough room for approximately 60 animals. Drivers, cages, and monetary donations are all needed. If you can help in ANY way it would be greatly appreciated!
I am really excited about this transport. The shelter takes great care of these animals and places them in some really great homes. That is all for now. Thanks for all the support!

Megan Rolfe 3-23-06 - Our group of 13 undergraduate students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill met at the Biloxi warehouse with Ben, who taught us the ropes. One van stayed to run routes while another left for the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi in Gulfport (although they did not have a pleasant experience – they came back early and started on another route). We passed out a lot of dog treats and handed out several bags of food, and even some flea and tick medication to local owners. I would say two things about our experience with Triple R Pets impacted us the most, the first being the conversations we had with the people we met, such as a journalist who moved into a neighborhood after reporting on it after the storm and the friendly group of Lees McCrae College (a school in western North Carolina!) students we passed as they were rebuilding a house. Chuck (from the larger group photo) was even kind enough to invite us into the home he is rebuilding to show us a slideshow of photographs he had taken of the flood damage on his computer and also let us see his FEMA trailer. The second deeply impacting aspect of our work in Biloxi was our encounter with strays…they make up a large part of our photographs from that day and our memories. It was surprising to many of us that there are still so many strays in the area, not to mention how terrified of people they still are; many would not approach food if we were at all nearby, no matter how hungry they were. This was a wonderful experience!!! Thank you so much for the work you do!!!

Ben Waldman 3-12-06 - Have you ever wrestled a bear? That's about what I did tonight while trapping a dog who has been living in the woods in Kiln, Mississippi since Katrina hit. He is a HUGE Great Pyrenees / Akita mix of sorts with a smell that I cannot quite describe. Denise, a woman who actually does Great Pyrenees rescue has been feeding him in the woods for months, but could not get close enough to catch him. It would appear that he has never actually been on a leash before so it took a lot of strength to get him into the kennel and the truck for transport to a wonderful home based shelter in Pass Christian. We've named him Bear for now and he is posted on PetFinder in hopes that someone is still looking for him. If you know of anyone missing a LARGE cream / white dog, please have them contact us. Here are some pictures:

Tom Bill 3-7-06 - Hello Everyone, Jim Carlock and I made our second volunteer work venture to the Katrina stricken area. This trip was to rebuild pens at an animal shelter, shifitng supplies around, and being the first leg of a relay team in taking a van to Biloxi, MS. This van will be loaded with homeless pets and transported to New York.

First, we want to thank Kim Bill for setting up the trip, making all the necessary arrangements and trying to keep two old fogies happy. Second, we want to thank Judy Wheaton at the Pearl River County Animal Shelter who was instrumental in keeping us focused and hustling, also for allowing Jim and I to snore in her house.

We also want to thank our guardian angels for riding the full distance of 3000 miles with us. We left Indy around 7:30 AM Sunday morning and arrived in Picayune, MS about 10 and a half hours later. Speed wise, there was no moss growing on the tires!!

Monday morning we met Judy around 7:45 AM. We rented a large U-Haul van and headed to New Orleans. The trip from Slidell to New Orleans looked like a spilled trash can route. Trash littered everywhere. One could easily detect where the water swelled and it was very destructive to anything in its path. Trees laying on houses, beautiful brick walls around homes crushed, walls of homes blown out, etc. The water carried stroves, refrigerators, couches, chairs, dressers and vehicles with it and dropped it like litter everywhere when it retreated. The press does a good job of sensationalism on this subject so I won't add much more. There is massive undertakings, you don't hear much about, to clean up and rebuild.

We arrived at Celebration Station (a former fun park) where the temporary animal shelter was housed. It was an awesome sight to behold with pens lined up several deep for great lengths to house the animals. It was also an awesome experience to see the volunteers going about their tasks and "making it happen." Inside the building there was a huge room that served as a command center and remnants indicated a lot of activity had occurred here earlier.

We walked around the premises while leadership pointed to supplies we could take back with us. We loaded food, animal carriers, small pens, large pens and tons of miscellaneous materials. Our truck was almost full by the time we left.

When we arrived back at Picayune animal shelter, we were met with some firemen who helped unload the truck. Jim and I then headed up to Jackson, MS to pick up fence panels to make pens. It was after 9 PM when we arrived back to Picayune and just dropped the truck off. Judy picked us up and we went for pizza. By the time we arrived at Judy's place, we were ready for the sack.

Early Tuesday morning came quickly and we headed to the shelter to unload the truck and begin to tear down the old pens and build new ones. Jim and I tend to work well together and after doing one pen, we were able to pick up speed in assembling and disassembling. I'm not sure who provided lunch but we had a delicious club sandwich. All the while, the dogs were wanting to be pet and craved our attention. It was hard for me not to reach down and pet them. By night fall, just as the last rays of sun were dancing across the sky, we finished, loaded our tools and headed down to Biloxi, MS to drop off the van. It was way too dark to see any of the visuals of damage. We picked up a rental car and returned to Picayune and it was another late night.

Early morning found us with another rental van and heading to Jackson, MS for another load of fencing. We returned around 1:30-2:00 and unloaded a few panels with the majority going to another location. We disassembled another large pen, did some finishing touches to the pens and bid adieu to Picayune animal shelter.

We wanted to play a round of golf but also wanted to see Biloxi and Gulfport in the daylight. So we opted to go sightseeing as golf can be done later. It was an awesome sight to see. The white beached were littered with just about anything. There was an effort being made to clean them up. Probably wanting the Spring Flingers to come down on Spring break. The tide takes the garbage out and brings it back in. So it will be some time before it is really clean.

The casinos took a big hit. Totally demolishing some and heavy damage to most. One could see white sand on two story roof tops too. The old old oak tree in Gulfport appears to still be standing as we drove by. Many of the oak trees took a saltwater bath at high levels. One has to wonder if the salt deposits will have a direct effect on vegetation growth. Houses with blown out walls, many gutted now to dry out. Houses that were on stilts are gone. Only the stilts remain. It will be a long time before "normal" comes to the area.

We believe our trip was successful and know we made a difference, a positive difference in the lives of some people and many animals.

Judy Clark 3-6-06 - Thirty-one animals found their way to new homes throughout the Albany, New York area this past weekend. Driving thirty-nine hours in three days was worth it knowing that these wonderful animals had found their furr-ever homes! A HUGE thank you to Project Halo in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Judy, Ben and the furry critters found a meal, warm bed and great company for the evening! Leaving the Pearl River County Shelter at 7:30 am with all the animals settled in was the easy part. The staff at Pearl River were simply outstanding! They were organized and ready for us. We loaded all the animals in less than an hour and were on the road! Driving through Atlanta ... not so much fun on a Friday afternoon. Thanks to a Johnny Cash album the animals settled in. Yes, their favorite music was the man in black. They were instantly quiet when it was played, so we heard quite a bit of Mr. Cash during the twenty-six hour transport! Halo director Rhonda's home cooked all-vegi meal was delicious! Volunteers from Project Halo were there to help walk, feed, and clean the animals and get them settled for night's rest. Leaving Charlotte at 4:00 am, we were on our last leg of the long journey north. The animals were not used to the cold, so making a stop in Pennsylvania proved to be a challenge. The wind did not help matters as we attempted to place blankets around the puppy pen to keep the cold out. Some quick engineering from Ben and the pups had some protection. The process of unloading, exercising and cleaning (for the puppies!) was a challenge, but we were able to get everyone cared for in under an hour and we were back on the road!

We arrived in Rotterdam, New York ahead of schedule on Saturday night and were greeted by a CBS cameraman who was on-site to film the arrival of the lucky animals. Waggin Tails, a grooming shop owned by Mike and Amy Ranucci, was ready to house the animals for the night. Crates were set up, water and food was ready to be served and the staff was anxious to meet everyone and give them plenty of walking and love. Another news channel showed up to do more filming and an interview with Amy and Judy about the ongoing rescue efforts in Mississippi. It was fun to see this aired later that night ... but the real fun began the next day as the stations continued to re-air the footage and a third station showed up to do some more filming! All told, three stations carried the arrival of the animals and Mike & Amy had all thirty-one animals adopted by the end of the day on Sunday! They will all go to their new homes throughout the week, as Mike & Amy complete house checks and grooming for all the animals before they go home. The last dog, was a nine-month old female doberman. She made one more trip ... back to Illinois with Judy and Ben. She was very traumatized by whatever happened to her in Mississippi so Judy made a call to Illinois Doberman Rescue and they agreed to foster and adopt her out. This way, we are sure her special needs will be met. She is a wonderful, sweet animal who just needs lots of love and attention. In just the three short days we had with her, she made tremendous progress! If you are interested in adopting her, please contact Illinois Dobe Resuce at 847-277-1082. Her name is Ashley and she will make a great companion!! Here are some pics from the trip:

Ben, Mike & Amy on Sunday morning before we hit the road to head back to Chicago!

Ben Waldman 3-2-06 - I'm posting pictures to an album, this will be kept fairly up to date, so save the link!

Judy Clark 3-2-06 - Six months later ... still piles of debris ... still folks living in tents ... still folks that don't have FEMA trailers and come back home ... still found a litter of puppies in the first hour I was here.

So much work to do, such little time! We spent today preparing the crates and van for the big trip to New York tomorrow. Twenty-two crates for thirty-two lucky animals. This is a unique transport as all the animals have been "pre-adopted" and will go to their new furr-ever homes on Saturday.

Ben Waldman 2-26-06 - Wow! It is hard to believe I have been on site for almost a month now. While I have been able to help a great many animals and people, there is still so much to do. If you are looking to volunteer with the rebuilding, please consider contacting HandsOnUSA. They are an amazing group. I've been very fortunate to connect with them and be able to not only help with the pet rescue efforts, but also to learn how to roof, remove mold, rebuild interiors and lots of other skills! Here are some highlights of pet rescue since my arrival in late January:

Judy Clark 1-29-06 - This was a quick trip to Biloxi for me. I drove down on Friday with my son Ben Waldman, who will stay in Biloxi until May. So, look for lots of updates from Ben as he splits his time between volunteer work with HandsOnUSA and Triple R Pets.

In just a short day and a half on the ground, I am again astonished to find that so little has changed. While I-90 has reopened and we heard the first train horn since the storm, there still remain far too many residents awaiting FEMA trailers, insurance payouts and a brighter day. While spirits do remain good, this is the first trip where I really sensed a shift to a bit of frustration and true worry over what the future holds for them.

I'd like to share the story of one of the most amazing people I've met through this disaster. His name is Johnny. He has lived in Biloxi for many years now. He was smart. When he built his home, he built it out of brick. Remember the story of the Three Little Pigs? The building lessons are all true. Johnny's home is standing. From the outside, you'd think that it survived the storm. However, the inside tells the true story of the wave. The water came up to the top of his kitchen cabinets. Thankfully, Johnny and all but three of his pets were in his attic. Today, Johnny is thankful that only three of his pets did not survive. The others rode out the storm in the attic and are a bit more scared than they used to be today, but they are alive. On a block where about fifty homes stood pre-Katrina, there are now about a dozen residents living on the street. Many have not returned since they cannot live in their homes, and their FEMA trailers have not arrived yet. Johnny is fortunate that he can stay at his daughter's home a half hour away. But this means he has to leave his precious animals every night.

To add some salt to this wound, Johnny's insurance company came out and provided him with a check for $16,000.00. Yes, that is right, ONLY $16,000.00 He lost the entire contents of his home. The entire house is down to studs. All the electric has to be pulled out and replaced. His entire kitchen and bathroom must be replaced. His homeowners policy valued his home at $104,000 with an additional $25,000 for the home's contents. Now, do the math on the settlement from the insurance company.

How does a resident like this rebuild? He lives on his social security and a small pension. He is retired. This was his home. What are his next steps? And, how many Johnny's are out there?

The worst natural disaster our country has seen, and this is the reality of what the citizens are dealing with. Have you seen this covered on your news? Do you think the government will force the insurance companies to fairly compensate these citizens?

Sorry, I'll end my tirade there. It is heartbreaking to return to a warm, furnished home, knowing that there is no end to the suffering for the folks in Biloxi. What can you do to help? Write letters to your politicians, insurance companies, web blogs, local media ... don't let these people be forgotten. Do you have a strong church affiliation? Can they adopt a person like Johnny and help him rebuild? Imagine if every congregation across the country adopted just one household. What a difference we could make! This is what it will take to truly help the citizens of not only Biloxi but the dozens of other truly hard-hit areas in the Gulf.

Ellen Maher 1-24-06 - Not sure what to expect, but excited about the chance to make a difference, I began my day loading up my car with cat and dog food, water, litter, leashes, and toys at the warehouse.

For those that are considering a hands-on experience, but are a bit anxious about the process, there is only one bit of advice needed: just follow your heart. With a little coaching, a local street map and a few phone conversations with Judy, I had what I needed to get started.

I began my drive through the neighborhoods of East Biloxi. I stopped at several homes of people struggling to keep their pets, but who only needed a bit of dog food, or a small bag of cat litter to make their lives much easier. Others simply asked for a collar or leash so that they could safely walk their dogs. Some asked for flea medication, as they could not afford these “luxuries” with what little they had to live on. Along the way, I met many people anxious to tell their stories, and who demonstrated their concern for the animals left behind by neighbors.

One of my fondest memories is that of a very old couple sitting quite casually in front of their home in lawn chairs. The interior of their home was destroyed (although they joked that their rented home was not much better before the hurricane). They said that they would feed every single stray animal that came by their door, as they felt it was their duty to help these poor animals that had been left behind. These people had nothing, and yet were most concerned about the dogs, cats, and rooster across the street having enough to eat! This was a common sentiment expressed by the local people.

If you are looking for the best rush ever, then I suggest that you savour the joy of connecting with an animal in need. My happiest moment in Biloxi was coming upon a little black and white spaniel mix, digging as hard as he could through a pile of trash, and providing him with a bowl of fresh dog food and clean water. He glanced at me with a look of both trepidation and hunger. Then, I suppose not quite believing his luck, began to chow down!

Oh – what to do at mealtime? Well, let me tell you the spot with the best ambience of all! It’s any place where you’ve just discovered a hungry dog or cat, put down a heaping bowl of food, and watched an animal (or often, animals) enjoy such an infrequent feast. I planned my daily mid-day break around that of the strays that I fed, so that in effect we ate our lunch “together”. No fancy restaurant in my home city of New York could have beaten that view!

Linda Serfass on-site the week of 1-22-06 - There were two of us volunteering this week, so we split the zones between us. We spent the week driving slowly through the neighborhoods, looking for animals. Where strays seemed to hang out, we left food and water and rechecked it every day. Where pets were visible, we asked the residents whether they needed pet food or water, or other supplies.

These people are so busy rebuilding their homes from scratch that buying pet food is just one more chore they don't need. Stores in the area are just starting to open, so they might have to drive a long distance for food. In some cases, what do you drive when your car is squashed between two houses or swept out into the gulf?

With little or no insurance payouts, money is very tight for many residents. In spite of this, people have taken in animals who were found wandering after the hurricane. Several people told me about their pets who died or are missing, and how they have taken in other animals whom they've found. Some whose pets survived have taken in strays anyway, adding to their financial burden. "Seven dogs" is a total that I heard at several houses. People are feeding cats and dogs who are still roaming. The strays look well-fed, thanks to these residents and Triple R volunteers.

One fellow living in a FEMA trailer told me that his three-year-old rottweiler is still missing, but he took in a tiny rottweiler puppy. He needed food, a small collar, a bigger collar, and toys for this growing, chewing pup.

The people living in a FEMA trailer park caught five puppies who had been living under an abandoned house, and moved them into a covered crate in the middle of their trailers.

Several people told me that their insurance companies refused to pay because the companies considered the damage to be caused by "flood" rather than "hurricane," and the residents did not carry flood insurance because their properties were not considered to be in the flood plain. As if one could differentiate between a hurricane and the waves and surges that it causes. One woman said that her insurance company would pay her $3,200. Her roof is leaking throughout her house, and a new roof will cost $7,000. "Flood" does not damage an entire roof, but a hurricane does, so go figure. This woman is working nights and living in a trailer, unable to live in her house. I heard that another person received an insurance check for $19.00 (yes, the decimal is in the right place!).

People just want to talk about their situation. They have lived through an unimaginable experience and they are moving on with their lives. It's a good feeling to be able to provide some solid assistance to these people for their pets. They were so happy to see outsiders coming into their neighborhood to help.

Judy Clark Update 1-19-06 - As the weight of yesterday still lingered, a ray of sunshine came through today. A cat that we rescued back in late December had found its way home to his loving owner! Smokey, was rescued on December 28th after the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi (HSSM) received an e-mail from the cat's owner stating that a neighbor called her, having seen the cat. The owner, we were told, was now in Georgia, and would rent a car and come down New Years weekend to pick up the cat, once we had it trapped and brought into HSSM. It was well after dark, and we'd been up for over 36 hours now, but we set off to find the neighbors and set a trap. We had already trapped several stray cats that day, so our confidence level was high!!

When we saw the area where the cat was, we were astonished that the cat had even survived the storm, let alone all these months on the street. And to think, he was still waiting near what used to be his home, just in case somebody came back for him. We set our trap, and then spent quite some time talking with the neighbors. The story of the storm and how they survived was simply amazing. There was some 15+ feet of water where this cat had lived. The house was simply destroyed, and yet the cat is doing fine, and returned to his block. Click here to read the news story about the reunion. The following links are video footage and still shots:

Judy Clark Update 1-18-06 - This was a tough day in Biloxi. Team Iowa was kind enough to drive a dog to a local vet for us. We have been feeding, watering and providing some superficial care for a pack of three dogs living under the I-110 bridge as it comes into Biloxi over the Back Bay for many months now. The dogs have an owner in a FEMA trailer, but the dogs live on the street. The smallest of the dogs has a major skin condition. We have been providing topical treatment while trying to assess who owns the dog for some time now. A week ago, Ellen made contact with the owner and she agreed to allow Triple R Pets to take the dog to a vet for care. However, she did not have any money for the vet visit. We gladly agreed to provide the funding for the medical care, as the dog's condition was worsening by the week. Early in the afternoon, I learned that the vet's prognosis was not good. The dog would need long-term, on-going care and even then, it was a bleak prognosis. The group informed the owner of the situation and the owner requested that the dog be humanely euthanized. A harsh reminder that we cannot save them all and we are not always in a position to do more than is asked of us.

Judy Clark Update 1-16-06 - Team Iowa is on the ground. A group of six women from Iowa, who drove to Mississippi are now covering the area. I can't remember if we've ever had so many people helping in Biloxi!!! A huge thanks to HandsOnUSA for providing accommodations for the team. If you are looking to volunteer with a group more focused on rebuilding, please consider HandsOnUSA. They have been in the area for months now and their organization is top-notch. They are also a great group to make a donation to!

Judy Clark Update 1-10-06 - Ellen, our solo volunteer this week, has been simply AMAZING!! She has acclimated to the area and quickly become a part of the Biloxi community. A huge thank you to Greg and Susan for providing accommodations for Ellen! You may recall the Gulfport dolphins who were swept out to sea after the storm and later rescued. They found their way into a pool at the local Holiday Inn along the coast. That is Greg's hotel!! We can't get rooms there due to government employee blocks at all the local hotels, so Greg and his wife have been kind enough to open their home to our female volunteers to provide them safe and comfortable housing.

Ellen is off to New Orleans to meet up with another rescuer who she worked with there this fall. Our next crew will arrive on the 16th.

Judy Clark Update 1-3-06 - Today we have a new volunteer on site. Ellen, joins us from New York, but she is alone. We could not find another volunteer to come for this week. A huge example of how desperate we are for volunteers! After a quick tour-by-phone of the warehouse and our gridding system and maps, Ellen was off to start feeding and watering. Thankfully, Ellen spent time in New Orleans in the fall and is comfortable working in these conditions.

Judy Clark Update 1-1-06 - Happy New Year everyone. I returned to Chicago last night to ring in the New Year at home with my family and growing lot of animals. I was elated today when our little puppy who we all thought would not even see Christmas had a great week with his foster mom, Collette, while I was south again. He gained weight and has learned to run a bit! Miracles do happen. Don't give up!!

Judy Clark Update 12-29-05 Part 2 - One of our volunteer teams, Alexa and Damien, have posted a wonderful page telling the story of the "firehouse dogs" rescue that has been mentioned here several times. Being here this week, on multiple times I've driven by the firehouse where they were originally spotted and thought about how lucky they were to have Alexa and Damien come to their aid. Please, follow the link to their web site and read some good news on pet rescue! And, if you can open your heart and home to a very special pair of labs, let us know!!

Judy Clark Update 12-29-05 - Greetings from sunny and warm Biloxi! We arrived back down on Wednesday morning, after driving through the night (yawn) from Chicago. I'm here this trip with two friends from England, Gary and Andie. They are seeing first hand what they had only been able to see thus far on a television screen. Good thing they have been to the country before, or they may not think much of us!

Things here are still so sad. So many people still living in tents. No sense of Christmas here. Just debris, shells of houses, tents, trailers and sadness. Yet, through all this, there is still an unbelievable sense of survival.

So far, we have trapped four cats and a very young puppy. We also trapped several cats that turned out to be feral. However, without support here for a trap and release program and no shelter set up for ongoing pet rescue, they were released. Our hopes of a shelter here were crushed when Best Friends decided to build a new temporary shelter in New Orleans and to not support the Mississippi pets. What was an overwhelming sense of hope just a month ago, has now been brought back into the sad reality that we are in Mississippi. There is no glory here, no press, just animals and their companions in need. So many homeless animals or animals who have been fortunate enough to find a neighbor willing to now call them their own ... but without the means to properly care for these animals. Just tonight, we worked with a very kind man who was provided meals and love to a wonderful young lab, but her paws are so sore from the concrete that she is struggling to walk. Will she ever know the feeling of carpet or a soft bed again?

There are puppies and kittens coming out of the woodworks here, and it will likely only get worse in the coming months.

There are no facilities for volunteers to stay at. We slept in tents in the backyard of a local resident who we help to care for as he tries to rebuild his life. While we did feel safe, his two dogs spent most of the night barking at our tents, it was cold and kept the resident awake all night with his dogs barking! So, tonight we are comfortable in a hotel, with high speed internet and plumbing ... but it is also $129 per night. How do I ask our volunteers to pay that kind of money??

What we need here is a "permanent" shelter for our volunteers. Somewhere safe and warm, that will allow them to focus on rescue, not shelter for themselves. Perhaps a local church group ... I will start making visits and calls tomorrow.

So much to do, so little time. The warehouse looks to have been ransacked since the last team was here. So tomorrow, instead of helping the animals and residents, we will clean! We are desperately low on dry dog food and all canned food. The Salvation Army seems to be moving into a new phase of their work here and we may find ourselves without a warehouse in the very near future.

Kim Bill Update 12-21-05 - Eleven dogs and one cat made the journey from the Gulf Coast with me this week. Nine of the animals went to the Animal Welfare League of Chicago and the two Dobies went into local Dobie rescue. This was a great group of animals. I am especially fond of the shepherd and basset. Thanks to AWL for sponsoring this rescue.

It always takes me a couple days to recover from a trip to the coast. The journey is very emotional for me. Although much progress has been made, there is so much yet to be done. Although I know the economy of the coast is tied to the casino industry, it really angers me to see so much effort being put into reconstruction of the casinos while people are still living in tents/trailers outside their homes. As you might imagine, there is very little evidence of this being the Christmas season in the neighborhoods of Gulfport/Biloxi.

I worked at the Humane Society of South Mississippi (HSSM) on Saturday. I was very pleased to see a lot of empty cages in the facility. There was a steady stream of people wanting to adopt animals, as well as people coming in to check for lost pets. There are still a lot of people surrendering their animals because they just can't take care of them. HSSM staff was getting ready for a large transport going out on Sunday. I am guessing that close to 200 animals will have made their way out of HSSM by the end of this week.

I want to thank Judy W and her staff at Picayune, Barbara M at Gautier, and Michelle P at HSSM for helping me get this transport together. I feel blessed that I was able to spend a little time with Frank in Biloxi and Kathy in Gulfport.

Judy Clark Update 12-16-05 - Puppy pictures! Here are some pics of the Firehouse dogs and their puppies:

The roof they were living under, the two yellow ones, and some of the black ones.

Claudia Beckman and Colleen Jefferson Update 12-14-05 - Well, it's good to be back in Biloxi! After a couple weeks break back home, we have returned to Mississippi through the generous donation of the rental of a cargo van through the Animal Welfare League of Chicago. We are busy feeding, organizing and RESCUING! Yesterday, we discovered the "Itchabon" a retriever mix we have known for a long time now, is a female and the proud mother of six one-week old puppies! Itchabon claimed her name because of all the scratching we see her do! We've never had a place to take her if trapped, and she lives a good life by the Salvation Army camp, so she has been on the street for many months now. As of yesterday, she is safely in the care of some loving volunteers at the Humane Society and will hopefully be part of our transport when we return to Chicago. Tomorrow, we have a group of fifty-seven high school seniors from Brookhaven, MS coming to Biloxi to help! They will work in chaperoned groups from Pass Christian over to Pascagoula.

Ever since the storm, we have been checking in on Pass Christian, MS, a small town west of Gulfport. We have always been surprised at how few animals we see roaming the streets. We have provided food to a central distribution point and it is always in short supply, so we knew there were pets around. Today, we discovered that two wonderful residents have basically created emergency shelters out of what is left of their property and have been collecting and caring for the lost and abandoned pets in Pass Christian! Our hope is to be able to build some kennels for these residents if we can raise some funds and get some labor together. These residents need our help as their mission is to keep the animals "local" for the owners when they ultimately return to the area. Pass was hit very hard by the storm and only about 60% of the town has water ... three months after the storm! Without water, FEMA will not provide a trailer. So, many of these residents are unable to return to the area yet.

Keep the volunteers coming! WE NEED HELP DOWN HERE!!! There are litters of kittens and puppies everywhere. Our 1,000+ animal crisis is very, very quickly turning into a 4,000+ problem ... and will continue to rise until a complete "blitz" of the area can be completed.

Judy Clark Update 12-12-05 - It's always nice to have a good update! Today, Lightning and her four puppies moved to the Animal Welfare League of Chicago, in Chicago Heights for the remainder of their treatment and then for ADOPTION! If you are looking for a puppy, please stop in and meet one of these tiny survivors! Lightning will undergo heartworm treatment in January, but all expenses will be covered. If you would like to open your heart to this incredible dog, please stop in at Animal Welfare League to meet her, or give us a call at Triple R and we can tell you all about her. As if we didn't already lose sleep over the life she has led, when the x-rays were done yesterday to assess the heartworm progress, a stray bullet was noted in her left abdomen. I cannot even imagine what this dog has endured in her short three years ... and yet she remains loving, loyal and bright eyed! Would you?

Claudia and Colleen are back in Mississippi this week, so we hope to have some updates from them over the next few days. We have had some great volunteers stopping in to feed for a day on their way to New Orleans. They have been instrumental in keeping the animals alive as we work through our desperate pleas for help on the ground!

We have a picture of our "Firehouse Friends." These are the two labs that Alexa and Damien rescued Thanksgiving weekend. They and the ten puppies are doing great! We are hoping for puppy pics soon ... hint hint Alexa!

Judy Clark Update 12-07-05 - Well, we are not going to receive reimbursement for our expenses to "save the transport gone wrong" back in November. This is a tough blow to us, as we currently have five dogs still hospitalized and no foster homes for them to go to. If you open your home, or heated garage, to a Husky Mix or any of four puppies from this Husky Mix, please let us know ASAP. We MUST have the dogs out of the animal hospital where they are staying this weekend. We are incurring boarding charges every day. The clincher is that the dogs had dog scabies, a skin mite, that is highly contagious. They have been "dipped" and received a Revolution treatment, but two more treatments are required to ensure positively that there is no contagious possibility. So, the dogs should be isolated from any other animals until then. If you or someone you know could provide a loving home for any of these animals (mom and pups are already apart, pups can be separated as well, but we'd like to keep them in pairs for socialization purposes) PLEASE let us know. Here are some pics of the Mom and a couple of the pups. They are cuties!

Judy Clark Update 11-30-05 - First, the good news - Alexa and Damien are busy helping the mother lab tend to her TEN puppies! Eight are black and two are yellow. All are doing just great. I can't imagine their fate has these two rescuers not managed to pull them from the rubble before the puppies were born. Alexa and Damien will care for the TWELVE dogs until the pups can be adopted. Then they will find a loving home for the proud parents, who are a bonded pair and MUST stay together. If you are interested in adopting any of these animals, please drop us a note.

Now for the sad news. A transport came up to the Chicago area in the past few days (not associated with Triple R Pets) that had unfortunately not been thought out very well. Some well intentioned volunteers headed down to Mississippi with an open bed diesel truck to transport animals back to some no-kill shelters in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Anyone who has ever visited Chicago in November knows that open bed just doesn't make for safe transport. To make matters worse, the animals were loaded in wire cages, not proper kennel crates for travel.

I share this story with you to emphasize the point that the situation is DESPERATE. The county shelters in Mississippi are overwhelmed, way over capacity and they are kill shelters. So, they were willing to chance this transport, knowing that without it, these animals faced certain death. The transport was an option at life. For two animals, death was their final option. Cold, wet conditions combined with a 29 1/2 hour transport without food or water was too much for these little survivors of a hurricane and three months on the streets to face. Others are in a vet hospital receiving care, and the remainder were delivered to no-kill animal shelters by Triple R Pets once they were removed from the transporters home, where they spent the night in a cold, drafty garage in their wire crates, without so much as a blanket over the cage.

Total cost for Triple R Pets to "rescue" these rescue pets, $423.12. We are awaiting word from the person who "coordinated" this trip on reimbursement. This amount does not include the vet bills we will face for the care of the four dogs that remain hospitalized.

If you know of ANYONE with climate controlled cargo vans, PLEASE ask them if they would be willing to donate the vehicle for an animal transport run. We have contacts throughout the country and can coordinate drivers and help to provide SAFE transport for these animals.

If you have some time, check out the city of Biloxi's web site at www.biloxi.ms.us. There is some great footage of the storm and some footage of the city before the storm. It is incredible.

A little tidbit I noticed on their forthcoming newsletter states "Of the nearly 20,000 hotel rooms on the Gulf Coast before Hurricane Katrina, only 4,600 are operational as of Oct. 31, but none are available to the public." Wow!!

Judy Clark Update 11-28-05 - Yesterday, our team of help from Florida, Alexa and Damien, managed to trap a very pregnant lab and her companion. We have been trying to get these two for the past several weeks, so this is a huge success!! Alexa and Damien tracked the dogs back to the house where they have been living. I should define "house" here. It is a shell of what used to be a house, the roof has collapsed and created a two foot high crawl space where the dogs have been living. Alexa and Damien spent two hours trying to coax the dogs out with some tasty left-over ham from the previous night's Red Cross dinner, but ultimately ended up having to crawl in and pull the dogs out. Both dogs traveled back to Florida with the rescue team and today, are at a wonderful local vet's office awaiting the arrival of their puppies ... any hour now! Alexa and Damien will foster the pair and their puppies, have the "father" neutered and the same for the mother when she is ready. They will then find loving homes for the puppies and ensure that this bonded pair remain together! We will post pictures soon.

Today I continue to receive calls from residents and volunteers with the Red Cross who are in the area. There is a mother and four pups living in an abandoned home in Bay St. Louis. In Moss Point there is a group of three dogs who are starting to bother some residents. Unfortunately, today, there is no help in the area. So, for now, we make lists and wait for more volunteers to come to Mississippi. Frustrating at best!

Judy Clark Update 11-26-05 - Back home in the Chicago area. We made the drive back on Friday with a total of nineteen cats and three dogs. We started with four dogs. However, throughout the day on Thanksgiving, our older Doberman female, "Mama," had a severe health decline. We took her to the wonderful vet staff at LSU, since we were in Baton Rouge for the day and they diagnosed her with late stage mammary cancer that had metastasized into her lungs. They aged her somewhere in the 12 - 14 year range and her prognosis was grim at best. We did the most humane thing we could and she crossed the rainbow bridge on Thanksgiving evening, with a loving friend by her side. For my children who had made this trip with me, it was a clear reminder that we cannot save them all. What we did do, was allow this wonderful animal to have her last day with lots of love and human touch, instead of laying on the cold floor of the kill shelter she had been in. For her, the end was peaceful and warm, not alone and cold.

All nineteen of our cats, including our very first "rescue," our beloved three legged kitty named Tripod, shown above in the middle picture, went to a wonderful shelter just north of Decatur, Illinois, called Victoria's House. There, the cats will receive love and attention and hopefully will find their way to a "forever home." If you are in the Illinois area, please consider an adoption this holiday season through Victoria's House. They are a wonderful cage free shelter. If we can adopt out cats and kittens from them, it frees more space for Katrina Kitties to come to. This shelter is the perfect middle step between their months on the street and a new home. They are able to acclimate and adjust without being behind bars! You can contact Victoria's House at 217-794-3928. They will also be adopting at the PetSmart in Niles the second weekend in December.

Two of the dogs went to Pets for Seniors in central Illinois and the last of the dogs, a young husky mix is laying on my feet as I type this. Not sure where his future lies ... it may be right here, but for now, he is very skiddish and needs to learn what a house is and that people can be trusted and cats are not for dinner! He is doing great and makes bit steps towards becoming a wonderful pet every day.

Judy Clark Update 11-24-05 - I'm sad to leave Biloxi today. There is still so much to be done. I will not sleep at night until I know that one local resident has received his handicap ramp to his trailer, until another has received their trailer and moved out of their tent and until I know we have really started seeing an improvement in the quality of life for the animals and people in this area. Just this morning, we finished trapping a mother cat and her three young kittens. They have been living under a house scheduled for demolition on Friday morning. Thanks to the patience and efforts of my son, Ben Waldman and his friend Peter Gaines, the remaining kitten and the mom are being delivered to a loving FEMA worker who spotted them and called us! She will foster them until they are old enough for adoption, then the mom will be spayed and will live with her FEMA guardian angel. It has taken us three days to get the entire brood, but it has been worth every minute!

Yesterday, we also brought four cats over to HSSM for placement. They were recovered from a destroyed warehouse building scheduled for demolition next week. All four are friendly, loving cats that were once someone's pets. We have called every phone number on every remaining house in the area, but everyone has said that they were all "street cats." Well, they are awfully sweet for street pets!

We also pulled six puppies out from under a half-standing house and delivered them and their loving mom to a neighbor who will foster them. We provided her with a kennel, a run, leashes, collars and a supply of bowls, food and water. Thanks to HSSM, they also have cards for a free spay and neuter!

Another four puppies and their mom went to the Jackson County Shelter and will be transported to Iowa for placement on Friday.

Feedings were provided to only a small part of the area we are trying to cover, as there just aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish everything needed to be done! We need more help on the ground to really continue making a difference.

If you can come to this area, please contact us. The residents here need warm coats, sweatshirts and blankets. We are completely out of kitty litter, but have a good supply of food thanks to the Salvation Army! They have been our supply angels! Consider a donation to them every time you see a kettle and hear the bell this holiday season. They are a wonderful group, helping countless folks (and now pets!) affected by this hurricane!

Happy Turkey Day! Enjoy this day with your friends and family and give thanks for all the wonderful things that have come out of this storm. As one resident told me yesterday when I asked him how he was doing, "I'm doing, and that's all that matters. Everything will get better and we'll take one day at a time and make it the best we can."

Judy Clark Update 11-21-05 - Greetings from Biloxi! This is Judy checking in for a quick update ... late at night! I've been back on site since Saturday, November 19th. It continues to amaze me that we are now almost three months after the storm! The good news is, this week I've seen a ton of progress in clean-up and there are lots of clean-up volunteers here due to the holiday week. We even might have some more animal help coming this weekend! There are still LOTS of animals on the streets in Biloxi. Just tonight, we found a block with about seven dogs. One is my new buddy! He came right up to me and is the friendliest little guy! It seems they are all strays, no owners from what the residents could tell us. We put out food and will do our best to help them! Just down the block a couple of houses we found three more dogs. Nobody was living near where the dogs were. Unfortunately, one of the dogs had killed a cat to have for dinner. It was not a pretty site. We have left food out there now as well. Seems like eve