Animal Agency Rescues, Reunites, Rehomes

To date, more than 6,500 animals have been rescued in Louisiana and Mississippi according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

You can take a look at their most recent photos from New Orleans, courtesy of Kelly Harrington, field commander for the agency's Search and Rescue Operations and director of their Disaster Response Services at their website, aspca.org.

As of Sept. 29th search and rescue resumed in New Orleans. With water and land rescue teams back in the field the ASPCA and other relief groups are busier than ever dealing with the aftermath of two devastating hurricanes. While the LA SPCA closes in on a new location where they will be able to resume "normal" operations, the urgent work of rescue, triage, and temporary sheltering continues at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center.

ASPCA and the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) will help with expenses to reunite families and their pets.

Starting Sept. 30th the Angelina Expo Center in Lufkin, TX began serving as the new staging center for Rita's animal evacuees. In parts of Texas downed trees and power lines are making it hard for ASPCA and other relief responders to access those areas but efforts are ongoing and they're assisting wherever needed, they say.

In a recent email to ASPCA, Karen Loggins, a volunteer from Sacramento, CA who worked at Lamar-Dixon for a week and also rescued 35 stranded animals, recalled "some very sad, scary, and few content moments."

On Sept. 23rd a call center for matching foster pets went live through the ASPCA's website. The foster hotline number is 800-485-5152.