From: "Jackie Gibbons" <bamamail@verizonmail.com>
September 20, 2005 9:19 PM
Update from Jessica in N.O.

I just rec'd a phone call from Jessica, the team leader who is volunteering with Pasado's. The team went into N.O. and hit a full city block of homes yesterday, kicking in doors of each and every home (dogs are too weak to bark now; they weren't taking any chances of leaving animals behind, so they kicked in doors.)

They rescued 27 dogs, most too weak to walk, severely dehydrated. But, unfortunately, they saw three times as many dead animals in locked and closed up homes.

She said N.O. smells like death. There is no relief from the smell. She also said that whatever N.O. they are showing on the news is not the N.O. she was walking through yesterday.

She pleaded with me to ask people to go to Gonzales and volunteer. You don't have to have any special skills. You don't have to be a certified A.C.O. You just have to care about animals and want to do something to help them.

They are allowing registered animal rescue groups to take animals back to their respective shelters. The one catch is that all animals taken from the N.O. area must be retrievable in the event their owners turn up.

She also said that there are a lot of people stealing pits and fighting them to make money. They have rescued many pits who are bleeding and cut up from fighting. These animals are okay with people, but not with other dogs. (Which is the case with fighting pit bulls.)

The team is pulling out tomorrow (a day earlier than expected) because of the threat of two more hurricanes. Jessica said: "There is no way you want to be stuck in this area if another hurricane hits."

She is bringing home two mini dachshunds that she almost ran over with her car the other night. They are so connected with one another they sleep on top of each other.

Jackie
"Bama's"
www.bamasnatural.com