Comments on: Katrina pet custody case heads for a trial http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/22/katrina-pet-custody-case-heads-for-a-trial/ Blogging by a team of pet-care experts led by Dr. Marty Becker. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:40:33 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Empress 60 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/22/katrina-pet-custody-case-heads-for-a-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-37292 Empress 60 Mon, 23 Apr 2007 22:26:50 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/22/katrina-pet-custody-case-heads-for-a-trial/#comment-37292 I had been meaning to post here as well to thank you Gina for keeping this subject in our minds even during a newer catastrophe. These ongoing court cases remind us that many of the same online tools and tremendous efforts by private citizens were first employed during the Katrina diaspora - thinking in particular of the huge Petfinder database of lost and found pets and the dogged determination of the Stealth volunteers. And Alasandra my heart goes out to you to lose your Whiskers to pet food after making it through Katrina with her. I have often thought of the Katrina surviving pets during this food debacle, and those who are still dependent on feeding stations - what a horror to make it through one tragedy only to succumb to another. I have been doubly revolted by the judgemental comments (not here) by those who could not imagine the choices people were forced to make in those dark days. Just know that there are many of us who DO understand - we just don't tend to be as vocal. I had been meaning to post here as well to thank you Gina for keeping this subject in our minds even during a newer catastrophe. These ongoing court cases remind us that many of the same online tools and tremendous efforts by private citizens were first employed during the Katrina diaspora - thinking in particular of the huge Petfinder database of lost and found pets and the dogged determination of the Stealth volunteers.

And Alasandra my heart goes out to you to lose your Whiskers to pet food after making it through Katrina with her. I have often thought of the Katrina surviving pets during this food debacle, and those who are still dependent on feeding stations - what a horror to make it through one tragedy only to succumb to another.

I have been doubly revolted by the judgemental comments (not here) by those who could not imagine the choices people were forced to make in those dark days. Just know that there are many of us who DO understand - we just don’t tend to be as vocal.

]]> By: Alasandra http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/22/katrina-pet-custody-case-heads-for-a-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-36684 Alasandra Mon, 23 Apr 2007 12:35:00 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2007/04/22/katrina-pet-custody-case-heads-for-a-trial/#comment-36684 As a resident of the MS Gulf Coast it makes me extremely sad that the Couture's have been deprived of their dogs for two years. And that people are blaming them for leaving their pets behind, and not evacuating sooner. That season we had a lot of hurricanes, most of them turned out to be nothing, we had been ordered to evacuate numerous times for a false alarm. No one has any reason to believe Katrina would be different. Many, Many people choose to stay, believing that they and their pets would be safe. We evacuated to my parents house with our cats. Ironically Whiskers survived Katrina only to be murdered by eating Menu Foods poisoned Special Kitty pouch cat food. But those who didn't have relatives to stay with were confronted with hotels/motels that wouldn't allow pets, shelters that wouldn't allow pets and often forcibly separated from their pets by uncaring shelter workers, police/national guard. When the family member left the pets at the shelter because they did not have an adequate place to keep them, the were assured they would be able to re-claim them once their living conditions improved. These pets should have never been adopted out. The Coulters were trying to do what was best for their pets by taking them to the shelter. Anyone who wasn't down here right after the hurricane can not imagine the horrific conditions some people were forced to live in. As a resident of the MS Gulf Coast it makes me extremely sad that the Couture’s have been deprived of their dogs for two years. And that people are blaming them for leaving their pets behind, and not evacuating sooner.

That season we had a lot of hurricanes, most of them turned out to be nothing, we had been ordered to evacuate numerous times for a false alarm. No one has any reason to believe Katrina would be different. Many, Many people choose to stay, believing that they and their pets would be safe.

We evacuated to my parents house with our cats. Ironically Whiskers survived Katrina only to be murdered by eating Menu Foods poisoned Special Kitty pouch cat food. But those who didn’t have relatives to stay with were confronted with hotels/motels that wouldn’t allow pets, shelters that wouldn’t allow pets and often forcibly separated from their pets by uncaring shelter workers, police/national guard.

When the family member left the pets at the shelter because they did not have an adequate place to keep them, the were assured they would be able to re-claim them once their living conditions improved. These pets should have never been adopted out. The Coulters were trying to do what was best for their pets by taking them to the shelter. Anyone who wasn’t down here right after the hurricane can not imagine the horrific conditions some people were forced to live in.

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