At the request of Calcasieu Parish Animal Services, the ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is on the ground in Lake Charles, La. assisting with the care of more than 30 animals displaced by Hurricane Laura. The ASPCA set up an emergency shelter after the storm, as the Calcasieu Parish Animal Services and Adoption Center sustained significant damage and is not fully operational. The ASPCA is providing daily care, including medical and behavioral services, for displaced cats and dogs who have been separated from their families until they can be reunited.
In addition to mobilizing emergency shelter services in Lake Charles, the ASPCA has assisted in transporting more than 100 homeless animals out of impacted communities in collaboration with both the Louisiana SPCA and Wings of Rescue. The ASPCA and Wings of Rescue continue to work together, with an additional relocation effort for homeless animals in Louisiana scheduled in the coming days. All of the animals transported out of impacted communities were unowned before the storm hit or surrendered after the storm and will be made available for adoption.
Shelters that opened their doors to take in homeless animals include: Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, Westbrook, Maine; Brandywine Valley SPCA, New Castle, Del.; Greater Birmingham Humane Society, Birmingham, Ala.; Oregon Humane Society, Portland, Ore; SPCA Tampa Bay, Largo, Fla.; and St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, Madison, N.J.
“Calcasieu Parish Animal Services and local agencies across Louisiana are working tirelessly to rescue and care for animals affected by Hurricane Laura, and the ASPCA is grateful to be in a position where we can assist on the ground to provide emergency sheltering and relocation services for displaced cats and dogs,” said Tim Perciful, ASPCA Disaster Response Manager. “Our disaster response team is dedicated to keeping these animals safe and happy while they’re in our care, and we look forward to reuniting owned pets with their families and helping to find new, loving homes for surrendered and homeless animals.”
This lifesaving work is made possible thanks to support from The Rachael Ray Foundation™, a foundation started by television host and philanthropist Rachael Ray to help animals in need and which is funded by a portion of proceeds from each sale of Rachael’s pet food, Nutrish®. In addition, FedEx assisted by providing complimentary transportation of critical resources to the emergency shelter operation in Calcasieu Parish.
The ASPCA deploys nationwide to assist in relocation, search-and-rescue, sheltering, and reunification efforts during disaster situations including wildfires, tornadoes, and floods. In addition, they work closely with local agencies across the country to help enhance their animal response capabilities through grants and training opportunities.
