Viewer Viewpoint
And now, a few words from our viewers...

Hurricane Charley's Animal Victims - Update August 21st, 2004
by Jodi Witte

Saturday 8/21/04

Volunteers are utilized all over central Florida . Donations are coming in by the truckload. Foster homes are starting to receive animals. The humane organizations and animal shelters are working round the clock making sure every animal that needs help gets it. The work is far from over, but response is starting to become recovery. And recovery is the last step in the return to normalcy. The system is working, and it works because there are caring people who are willing to help their neighbor in a time of need. It doesn't matter if that neighbor has four legs or two, fur, fins, scales, or feathers. As headlines switch to news not related to the hurricane, and less is seen on the tv about the recovery efforts, we must not forget - there are families still without homes, animals still roaming the streets searching for their families, sanctuaries still removing debris so that cages can be rebuilt, the list goes on...

In many counties, volunteers continue to sweep neighborhoods looking for any animals affected by the storm. Pets are caught, livestock is being rounded up.

Along Hwy 17,  more than a dozen goats were wandering the highway. Only 2 have been captured so far. The rest, well they are probably munching on grass and flowers in someone's yard, but until they are caught, they are in danger of getting hit by a car or worse. Also along Hwy 17,  officials captured two lions escaped from a wildlife sanctuary.

Calls have flooded in to AnimalHelp.Com regarding some of the sanctuaries and wildlife facilities. Lions, Tigers & Bears, Inc is ok. They had some escapes but all animals have been recovered. The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) also survived relatively well out on Sanibel Island. See the CROW update for more information. Peace River Ranch & Wildlife Refuge in Zolfo Springs had some damage, but all the animals survived except one. A Patagonian cavy died from what is believed to be storm induced stress. These wild exotic animals are particularly susceptible to environmental stress. A serpentarium housing approximately 400 of the world's most venomous snakes lost not one of these dangerous reptiles. Wildlife rehabilitators all over central Florida are working around the clock caring for orphaned birds, squirrels, raccoons, and any other native wildlife.

Domestic animals are also receiving help. Dogs, cats, birds and other pets are receiving care at numerous locations throughout the state. In a field in Charlotte County , volunteers and rescue workers receive pets found wandering loose. Sheltering and veterinary care is set up in DeSoto and Manatee counties too.

Today, AnimalHelp.Com was contacted regarding four dogs who were abandoned in a house in Lehigh Acres, just outside Ft Meyers. The strange thing is that neighbors say the house and dogs were abandoned about a week before Charley made landfall. So, now two weeks after being abandoned, these dogs are still in the house, fending for themselves. No one has cared for them, no one has come for them. Neighborhood children had broken windows in the house and were tormenting the dogs. There were 2 larger mix breeds being kept in the fenced in backyard, and two Chihuahuas inside. The female from the back yard, had escaped from the fence and was picked up by a caring lady named Crystal as she wandered the streets. Crystal had completely lost her home in Punta Gorda when Charley made landfall there, and is now staying in Lehigh Acres with friends. She took this sweet little dog to the vet where the dog was vaccinated, heartworm and stool tested, and checked over. The dog had whipworms and a mild case of heartworm. Medications were given and a prescription was sent home - although this little girl really has no home to go to. Crystal called AnimalHelp.Com and we matched her with a foster home from St Pete.

While she was waiting for Jeff, the foster home from St Pete, Animal Control of Lee County was called and she was informed it would be about ten days before they could come out to get the rest of the dogs. Ten days. There are definitely three dogs still at the house, already abandoned 14 days, and they would not receive help for ten more days.

Crystal and a friend went back to the house taking water and food for the remaining dogs. They placed food and water in through the broken window, and are almost certain they caught a glimpse of possibly up to four puppies. When Jeff arrived from St Pete, he too went to the house. They tried to lure the dogs to the window, but none of the dogs could trust enough to come close. They are so very frightened. Jeff also checked on the other dog in the backyard. He is a large male lab mix of some sort. He barked a lot but once Jeff opened the gate, he came out and immediately made friends with the people there to help him. Jeff gave him a bath and started home with two foster dogs instead of one.

Jeff arrived safely home tonight with the two dogs. He told us that these are really great dogs. The little female is very sweet and loving, and the male is fun with a lot of personality. He "talked" all the way home, entertaining Jeff for the long ride. Even though the large male is well behaved, very good around Jeff's son, and house trained, Jeff's male dog at home is not real wild about another male in the house. So, to avoid problems AnimalHelp will be contacting some of our other foster homes in the St Pete/Tampa area to try to place the dog in a different foster home. Jeff will continue to foster the female until a permanent home is found.

Crystal and her friend will continue to visit the abandoned house in Lehigh Acres to bring food to the remaining dogs until animal control finally makes it out there.

I am telling you this particular story, one of many that we have helped with here at AnimalHelp, because these dogs are not direct victims of Hurricane Charley. But because of Charley, animal control is so busy these dogs may very well be left to die. Why wasn't something done about these dogs long ago? I do not know. Neighbors had called animal control before.

The other obstacle these dogs may have to face is that because they are homeless and abandoned, they have no where to go after temporary fostering. Will animal control pick up these animals in ten days and put them up for adoption when so many other dogs - victims of Charley - are also taking up the precious space available? Probably not. The victims of Charley are getting all the press, they are the ones the world wants to see saved. These dogs need help too. After what they have been through, we are going to help as many of them as we can. They will not be forgotten. In an indirect way, we think they too are victims of Charley.

We will be placing photos of these dogs up on our website to help find homes for them. We can do that for at least the two large ones we have in foster care now. The others still left at the house, we will continue to try to help. We can only hope they get it soon.

We will also try to get the two dogs that are now with Jeff spayed and neutered. We may need a sponsor for that, someone who could help pay the vet bill, directly to the veterinarian. Or we will ask the shelters who we have been helping to possibly let the two dogs into one of their spay and neuter clinics.

A very big thank you goes out to Crystal and Jeff for their unselfishness and assistance in saving these two lives. They are both truly AnimalHelp Heroes!

Friday 8/20 8:00am - On Tuesday night, the crew from AnimalHelp.Com took a trip into hurricane devastated central Florida . Our goal was to meet with those groups who we are helping to coordinate volunteers and donations, and to stop by and ensure at least some of the animals we have been able to help are doing ok. Unfortunately in a day and a half, we were not able to meet with every one of the groups or homes we have been working with, but we did get to quite a few. The time constraints and distance between locations hindered our efforts to visit everyone. We also met with Dr Barry Kellogg, commander of VMAT-1, who was on site working within the Emergency Operations Center in Charlotte County since Charley made landfall . All in all it was a great trip, and we have brought home much new information.

So many of the relief efforts are being directed at Charlotte County . They have received a bounty of donations, volunteers, and services. But the surrounding counties are still in need of volunteers and supplies: Manatee, DeSoto, Lee, and Bartow. There are numerous reports of injured animals in the affected areas.

National Humane out of Tampa is in DeSoto County now. They have a small mobile spay and neuter clinic set up there, along with one volunteer veterinarian. They are still in need of volunteers, but will only be able to keep their mobile clinic set up through the 22nd of August. They are in desperate need of supplies, both animal supplies and medical supplies. They also need volunteers badly. Anyone wishing to volunteer or donate, can find them at 5150 Roan Rd (or St?), Agricultural Center just north of DeSoto High School .  See Jennifer Foster, the Animal Services Supervisor. They need volunteers to go out door to door to find needy animals. Many animals are still in damaged houses where they were left during evacuations, and others are roaming the streets. Volunteers should bring their own vehicles and crates if they have them. Volunteers are also needed to help receive donations, assist with the care of the animals, and to help with processing animals as they come in. Foster homes are also needed, and AnimalHelp.Com will forward all of our volunteer foster homes information to this location.

Sarasota In Defense of Animals is helping with financial contributions at the DeSoto County location.

The Humane Society of Manatee County has an emergency shelter set up in Panther Ridge. They are in need of donations, volunteers and foster homes. Any one able to foster should contact AnimalHelp.Com and your information will be forwarded to HSMC. You can also contact them directly, although they are very busy and we are trying to help relieve some of their phone congestion. Donations can be brought directly to the emergency shelter. Volunteers are also urged to come directly to the shelter. Directions to emergency shelter are as follows: From I-75 take exit 217, E State Rd 70, travel about 10 minutes until you pass Panther Ridge. Turn left on County Rd 675. They are in the red building on right. #7505.

The destruction is quite intense, but unlike many hurricanes in the past. Hurricanes typically leave a wide path of destruction with damage severity lessening as you extend out from the center of the path. Hurricane Charley?s destruction resembles more of a large tornado with a definite distinction from severe damage to none at all. You can see a path of total destruction just a few feet away from no damage at all. Hurricane Charley has left a serious scar on this part of the state. There are animals that are still in need of help, as volunteers and organizations scramble to help them as quickly as possible. The work being done is amazing!

The VMAT team is in Charlotte County and has mobile capabilities to access any area that needs help. AnimalHelp.Com has requested VMAT assistance out on Sanibel Island for CROW, a large wildlife rehabilitation center there. No word yet on what has been found there by VMAT but we hope to receive the news very soon. We have also informed VMAT of the need for emergency veterinary care in DeSoto County . We hope to have VMAT members there as soon as possible to assist the National Humane in providing care to the numerous injured animals that are coming in. All of this information will be posted here as soon as we know anything.

AnimalHelp.Com has been in contact with Pets911 from Florida and have shared all information regarding lost and found pets. They will help to match up these animals with the calls they are getting. We will continue to collect information and will share it with Pets911 to ensure these animals have the best chance possible to return home. Pets911 has also been successful in getting 2 semi-truckloads of Pedigree Dog and Cat Food. (Thank you Pedigree!) The trucks are currently enroute to Florida. AnimalHelp.Com is working with Pets911 to help set up a location for this donation to be delivered. This food will be available to all shelters and humane groups who are currently helping animals. We may need a fork lift available at the location to unload the truck and will start searching for a volunteer with a fork lift to come help. (PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THAT!) Please visit the Pets911 website for more information on what they do. They are a fabulous group of people who help lost, found, and abused animals all over the state of Florida.  www.pets911.org

The donation wish lists for the above emergency shelters are as follows:

Humane Society of Manatee County
All donations should be delivered to the location as described above.

Cages, Crates, Cat Towers (Kitty Kondos), Frontline, Advantage, Dog and Cat Food, Feeding dishes, Leashes, Litter, Polaroid 600 film (for taking photos of each of the incoming animals), blankets and towels. They also need the following hardware and supplies from a Home Depot or Lowes possibly: 4x8 x 3/4 inch plywood, 2x4x8 studs, 2x2x10 studs, 4x8 pegboard, 4ft x100 ft rolls of chicken wire, reflective tarps as large as possible, sturdy hook & eye sets, shop towels, paper towels, large fans, locking money box, buckets, padlocks.

DeSoto County/National Humane

            All donations should be delivered to the location as described above.

Metal Carport and/or Tents to put animals in crates inside or under,

Crates, Cat Carriers, Leashes, Litter, Hay & Sweet Feed for livestock. Medical Supplies Portable X-ray unit, Antibiotics, Eye Ointment, Syringes, Wormers, Revolution, Advantage, SNAP test kits for cats, Vaccines, Fluids.

Back to Viewer Viewpoint Table of Contents

Do you have something to say to the VetMed viewers?
Click here to read the User Agreement and
submit your work!

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in the Viewer Viewpoint
are not necessarily your Guide's views and opinions.