Attack on America Tragedy: Veterinary update

Animals The Next Tragedy of the WTC Disaster - UPDATE 9/19/01

Permission to cross-post the following received from Jim Willis:
tiergarten@onebox.com
http://jimwillis0.tripod.com/tiergarten/

Update On Response To CACC Plight: 9-19-01
From: mandy787@aol.com
Patty Adjamine
New Yorkers For Companion Animals

When I wrote an e-mail last night relating the experience of seeing so many animals "dumped" at NYC's Center for Animal Care and Control (CACC) and the urgent need for help in rescue and foster, I never expected the huge outpouring of offers and concern from all over the country.

It is both gratifying and overwhelming.

Those who have responded by phone and e-mail have demonstrated deep compassion, caring and a willingness to sacrifice and travel long distances in order to help. The response is unprecedented. I believe I answer for many other beleaguered shelters and rescue groups here who so often struggle and beg endlessly for volunteer help and foster homes (usually to little avail) that the response is something we have not been prepared for.

If I could compare this to anything, it might be the response last week to the nation's everyday needs for blood donations in the wake of a national crisis and tragedy. Thousands of people lined blood banks in New York and elsewhere with many having to be turned away for centers did not have means to receive so many donations at once. It was requested that many respondents return in a couple of days or weeks.

It is a little like that in this situation.

Everyday our nation's animal shelters and rescue groups are besieged with the needs of abandoned, lost, stray or suddenly orphaned animals. Many animals wind up in shelters as the result of a caregiver's sudden illness or death. Others are abandoned for trivial and solvable reasons. Still others come in as strays or lost animals. For most shelters and rescue groups, the animals in need on a daily basis far outnumber the supply of adopters, fosters, volunteers and resources necessary to save them. This sad situation results in millions of otherwise adoptable pets dying every year for the lack of resources and help to save them.

The unspeakable horrors of last week were, in many ways, I believe a "wake up" call to many of us. We have suddenly become aware of many things in our culture which need serious address.

Where animals are concerned, we are hopefully more aware of the sad everyday realities in our shelters. We are aware of the responsibilities of all pet guardians to have plans in place for any kind of emergency which might befall them or their animals. We are aware of the burdens and challenges that animal shelters and rescue groups face everyday in trying to find temporary fosters and safe sanctuary for those animals whose homes for whatever reason, have "disappeared."

All of us in the NYC shelter and rescue community are extremely grateful for this marvelous outpouring of compassion and response. However, it will take some time to coordinate the offers of help with the steady flow of additional animals coming into our shelter system in need of that help. Since it is anticipated that those animals who represent the "fallout" from the WTC disaster will be trickling into our shelters over a period of time, those efforts to help them will also have to spaced over that time.

I spent more than 12 hours yesterday trying to take phone calls from all over the country and answering e mails. I apologize if that response has been late in getting to you. I am trying to compile a list of those who are in the best circumstances and locations to help. I am happy to share some of this information with the CACC and other rescuers/shelters in NYC in dire need of fosters and help with abandoned/homeless animals.

For those who have wanted to help NYC animal orphans but who live far from NYC, I suggest going to Petfinder.org (www.petfinder.org) and researching those rescue organizations and shelters in the New York area who are constantly seeking adoptive homes for animals, as well as other types of support. Please consider monetary or other types of donations in order to support their noble and often thankless efforts to aid the huge numbers of orphaned and abandoned animals in New York City. If you have room in your heart and home, please consider seriously, volunteer and foster help for the needy animals, shelters and rescue groups in your home communities.

One should be able to find them by looking on Petfinder.org and typing in your state to seek information on local shelters/rescue groups. Let us not in a time of national crisis, be blind to those in need from our own communities.

The horrific tragedy of last week has perhaps forced all of us to take a deeper look at ourselves, our lives and those things which are truly important. If the results of this loss and pain are that we can become a nation more compassionate, aware, conscientious, more giving and more willing to sacrifice personal gratification and conveniences for a greater good, than some of that suffering and senseless death will not have been totally in vain. It is my hope we may all learn and grow from this tragedy.

For every life which was tragically and senselessly lost last week, could it not be within the realm of all us to save one life? Whether that life saved be a fellow human through the donation of blood or an animal through the rescue, foster or adoption of a pet in need (regardless of where that animal is from or the reason for his/her's homelessness) let these be goals of all of us. For those who still consume animal flesh, let us consider the lives saved by a simple change to a more compassionate and conscientious diet.

Again, no amount of thanks can be enough to all of you who have responded, mobilized and shared the information of the dire needs of our orphaned pets in NYC. It will take time for us to coordinate the offers and to contact you as the needs come up. For sure, those animals who were highlighted last night in e-mails shared will be saved.

Thanks again,

Patty
New Yorkers for Companion Animals
(212) 427-8273

Related Reading
09-18-01 Relief for the Companion Animals
09-18-01 Animals The Next Tragedy of the WTC Disaster
09-12-01 Veterinary Update Part I: post-terrorist attack
09-12-01 NYC-area veterinary hospital report

EARS Disaster Action Reports - Ongoing relief effort reports from Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS)

Text: Copyright © Janet Tobiassen Crosby. All rights reserved.

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