Sacramento, CA (August 31, 2005) – United Animal Nations (UAN) is sending leaders with its Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) into Louisiana to assist with the evacuation of a reported 175 animals at a Metairie animal hospital. The State of Louisiana Office of Emergency Services has given Sacramento, California-based UAN permission to enter the state and assist with animal disaster relief and rescue efforts.
“Our phones are ringing off the hook with calls from frantic evacuees who can’t get back to their animals,” said UAN president Jennifer Fearing. “We don’t know what we’ll see when we get there, but we’re hopeful that our presence will lead to further animal rescue efforts in the hurricane-ravaged area.”
On Monday, UAN put its nationwide network of 2,300 trained EARS volunteers on alert for a potential response to Hurricane Katrina. Since then, nearly 650 people from all 50 U.S. states have reported their willingness to respond as needed. These volunteers include skilled search and rescue personnel, veterinary technicians, veterinarians and animal shelter directors. Additionally, UAN has been flooded with offers of land in the area to serve as a staging area, air, water and land transportation, horse trailers, mobile veterinary clinics and a virtual fleet of trucks and RVs.
Supporting UAN’s efforts will be Colorado-based Code 3 Associates, whose base of operations is its Mobile Command Vehicle, a massive, self-sufficient disaster-relief tractor and trailer unit that is leaving imminently for
During the past fifteen years and through more than sixty disasters, EARS volunteers have helped thousands of animal disaster victims, including more than 400 animals during last summer’s devastating string of hurricanes in Florida.
EARS disaster rescues are funded by donations and provided free of charge to the affected communities. To contribute to the EARS Hurricane Katrina effort, send donations to UAN, P.O. Box 188890, Sacramento, CA 95818 or give online. Daily updates about the EARS response to Hurricane Katrina are available at our online Action Report.
For further information, contact UAN at (916) 429-2457, visit our Web site at www.uan.org or send an email to info@redrover.org.
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