One of the four dogs I brought back to California with me ended up dying after she tested negative for heartworms and didn't get treatment.  Only afterwards did I come to learn there are two different types of heartworm tests and the kind she had was the less efficient kind (I had her tested in a Louisiana's vet office who did the test in house).  It was only too late when I learned that there is a more thorough heartworm test that a veterinarian will send out to a lab. 

The other three dogs were treated for heartworm (and little Muffin had a seven hour microscopic surgery to remove twenty heartworms from her).  I spent money I didn't have to spend on medical bills.  I spent hours upon hours of crying myself to sleep at night, thinking about all of the faces of the animals I didn't stay to help.  Many rescuers spent weeks and months down in New Orleans, and I feel like I only spent five minutes there - that is how little of a difference I felt that I made. 

I returned home with a sense of hopelessness and such grief, that I didn't even want to talk about it to anyone.  When friends asked, I told them to just look at my website - because I didn't want to keep reliving the tales of horror that those helpless animals went through.  For months afterwards, I stopped caring about my own well being, stopped exercising and started to comfort myself with food.  It was the best I could do, however I am ashamed to admit this.  Little Muffin, the miracle dog that you all know from my website - has been a shining example of how not to give up and how her hope & will to live kept her alive.  

Not only did she survive for five weeks after the storm with no food or water (she was an emaciated 14 pounds when animal rescuers brought her in) - but her owner actually returned home to take her material belongings and left Muffin behind to starve to death.  Poor Muffin has such tremendous abandonment issues and you can't blame her.  She was loaded with heartworms and was too weak to undergo the shots so we had to just hang on and give her Heartgard for the first several months.  She also was totally blind (from long untreated glaucoma) and her eye pressure was so high that she had to have been in pain.  In February, she began to have aggressive attacks towards me (very out of character for her) and it became clear that she was in so much pain that she didn't want to be touched. 
Before: Muffin in October 2005

Muffin's ophthalmologist told me about the microscopic surgery that was being done at some surgical specialists and I immediately took Muffin for an appointment.  The surgery was so expensive, yet I had to find out if this was going to save Muffin's life - especially after how much she had survived through so far.  After a seven hour surgery, her cardiologist pulled out twenty worms - but couldn't get them all out without risking damage to the heart.   Since Muffin had gained enough weight, she was strong enough to then go through the shot treatment.  I am happy to say that Muffin has not had a single aggressive attack since her surgery and I do believe she is well on the road to mending.

Her last medical issue is her tremendous itchy skin.  We have tried everything and are now in the middle of a six month treatment plan called Isotherapy.   Her skin had been so itchy that she had itched her skin into open wounds that were all over her face and body.  I've known other people who have had much success with Isotherapy on their pets, so I'm just crossing my fingers to hope that it helps poor little Muffin.  Isotherapy is where the vet draws some of Muffin's blood and then has created a homeopathic remedy that is specific to her dna, to use against her own body - to help build up her immune system.  (similar to how the remedy for a rattlesnake bite is a tiny bit of venom)

I want to thank all of the people who supported me through all of my rescue efforts and the long road that followed - both for your encouragement and for your many donations to help me cover all of the medical bills and costs associated with my two trips to New Orleans last year.

I hope that none of us ever have to be in a position where our animals will have to suffer like the pets of New Orleans did.  May you all hug and kiss your much loved four-legged family members and never let them go. 

Do you know anyone who will adopt me? 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            BEFORE PICTURE:  Muffin in October 2005 , ten days after being rescued, after five weeks of starvation and holding out on her own for help.

Okay . . . are you ready to smile?

AFTER PICTURES: Here is Muffin in February 2006!  She has gained 3 pounds!  Can you even believe it is the same little girl?

Some of you may have remembered Beau, he was one of the dogs I drove back from New Orleans. He has still been waiting patiently for a new forever home and guess what? Some great news this week! Beau is going to appear on "Good Day L.A." on Friday December 9th with Lisa Edelstein of the hit TV show House . Watch out Los Angeles, you are about to fall in love with the very photogenic and adorable Beau! He is crossing his fingers (or should we say paws?) that someone will want to adopt him after seeing him on TV!

A very special thank you to New Leash on Life for making this possible!

Georgia Dogs on Death Row! ]]>http://www.katrinadogrescue.com/journal/2005/10/12/updates-from-cathys-last-trip-to-new-orleans.html[Your Name Here]2005-10-13T02:36:33Z2005-10-13T02:36:33ZMany of you have called and emailed to ask how my last trip to New Orleans went.  I am sorry that I only wish to share it with you here, rather than tell the stories over and over again.  It was very sad and by the time I arrived for the second time, five weeks had already passed since Hurricane Katrina and the only animals who had a hope to still be alive were the ones who had gotten outside to forage for food and water.  The ones still left locked inside their homes (some even in cages) had died a slow painful suffering death from starvation and dehydration.  Also, many more animals were found that appeared to be shot to death (check out the last journal entry about how Pasado's Safe Haven is investigating and working with the Louisiana Attorney General to come up with the evidence to press charges and see that whomever did this is held accountable).  

I went out for three days on Search and Rescue missions but it could hardly be called a search and rescue anymore.  On my own search and rescue missions, only one Chihauhua  was found inside of a house, still alive - even though it was living in filth and feces everywhere, there was lots of food left and possibly someone had stopped by to leave water.  The rest of the dogs we found were all strays (and the fact that they got outside was their only saving grace that kept them alive for five weeks).

At another house, in a very middle class neighborhood (these were not some of the poverty areas we were in) - we found a dead dog in the garbage can and evidence that a second dog had been locked inside the house, although we found no body for that one.  Only feces everywhere and white fur all over the house.  We asked a neighbor if she knew anything about the dogs left behind at this house and she said she heard the white dog (a Spitz) barking and barking about two weeks after the Hurricane (residents had been allowed back briefly to check on their homes).  She says she called the SPCA but didn't know what ever happened.  We looked for a body through as many rooms of the house as we could, but not all of the rooms were accessible with the damage.  If the SPCA had been there, they would have spray painted a note on the house with the date to say they picked up an animal.  This made me very sad . . . especially since the neighbor told me these people owned more than one car and definitely had the financial means to bring their pets with them.  What really made me angry was that they didn't even bother to come back to check on their animals, if they had, maybe their little white dog would still be alive.  (not sure how long the other dog had been dead for).

On another day, which was especially emotionally brutal for me personally - I came across an empty house (the owners had since returned to remove all of their belongings).  Inside the house, was one of their dogs - still in its cage, starved to death.  There was a second dog laying on the floor, also starved to death.  I have never seen anything like this before in my life - and it made me literally sick to my stomach.  I had a face mask on and I videotaped these poor dogs, because it was so horrific that people would not even believe it.  These were people's pets . . . who trusted that their owners would come back for them and protect them.  Instead, they not only suffered a slow painful death of starvation (the one in the cage must have just been terrorized being trapped like that) - but to make matters even worse, the owners didn't even have the decency to bury their bodies when they returned for their belongings.  I will never, for the rest of my life, forget these two dogs.  I have to hope that they are in a better place now.  (if you would like to see the video footage of this, it is on my site under Video Footage, but please be warned, it is very disturbing and I don't recommend you look at it if you aren't prepared for what you will see).

On a lighter note - I decided that instead of flying back, I would keep my rental vehicle and drive back so that I could bring more rescue doggies home to Los Angeles.  (I brought one back on my last trip and very happy to say she has the most loving and perfect home for her with a couple who just adore her!)   It was 2,000 miles and a lot of stopping (to walk the three doggies I brought back) - but WELL worth it!  I can't even tell you how happy I am that I did this.  Maybe it is only three animals, but in some small way, if I can make a difference for these three - then as tiny as it is, it is something.  I couldn't save the countless pets who suffered and died in New Orleans, but I can make a difference in the lives of these three.

Here are their stories and how you can help each one.  Cody and Beau are in dire need of foster homes (not together) - and that is my most immediate and pressing need.  There are also quit a bit of medical bills that are piling up and any donations would be appreciated.  But really, if you can just circulate their pictures and stories, that would be the biggest help of all.  We need to find Cody & Beau a safe place to stay where they can feel welcome and loved.   

Muffin's Story

Cody's Story

Beau's Story

"$10,000 REWARD OFFERED BY WASHINGTON STATE ANIMAL RESCUE GROUP
Pasado's Safe Haven, a Washington State animal rescue organization that has rescued over 700 animals from New Orleans homes, has issued a $10,000 reward seeking the conviction of the individual(s) responsible for shooting the dogs to death at Beauregard Middle School. Pasado's Safe Haven has issued numerous rewards in the past seeking conviction of perpetrators of heinous animal cruelty cases.

WHY A $10,000 REWARD IN THE NEW ORLEANS CASE?
The middle school was a temporary shelter for evacuees who, after flood waters rose, were ordered not to take their pets with them. Many of the pet owners scrawled their names and phone numbers on the wall of the middle school room, in an effort to have their pets reunited with them. All of the fourteen dogs were found shot, lying in pools of blood. These evacuees lost everything. To find out that the pets they tried to save were killed in this manner is the final blow.

According to Pasado's Safe Haven Humane Investigator, on the ground in St. Bernard Parish, "The dogs who were shot in St. Bernard Parish did not die immediately. They were not shot in the head to quickly bring about death. Shooting an animal in the body cavity is one of the most cruel ways to kill an animal."

According to St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stephens, the shell-casings are consistent with those used by law enforcement. Before this incident occurred, a St. Bernard Sheriff's Officer was documented shooting dogs in the street by a Dallas news videographer. According to Sheriff Stephens, "We'll get to the bottom of this. If it's one of our officers, we'll let the cards fall where they may. He reportedly has turned this case over to the Louisiana State's Attorney for investigation.

VETERINARY EXAMINATION
Pasado's Safe Haven knows that it takes more than what you think to make a case of animal cruelty. If this person is identified, they may claim "the animals were suffering" "I had to put them out of their misery". To assure that a conviction can happen, PasadoRescuers will take the dogs to a veterinarian, Licensed in the State of Louisiana, for necropsies (animal autopsies). Necropsies can prove whether an animal had been in a state of dehydration or starvation at the time of death. The animals will also be kept, in a freezer, so no evidence will be discarded.

NEW SCHOOLS - MORE ANIMALS FOUND SHOT TO DEATH
Mark Steinway, Humane Investigator for PasadoRescue, collects evidence for the Louisiana State Attorney General's Office at the St. Bernard Parish High School. Originally, CNN's Anderson Cooper had reported on dogs killed at the Middle and Elementary school, but now, PasadoRescuers found four separate locations where the slaughter occurred.