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Katrina: Who killed the pets?
By Gina Spadafori
June 12, 2007
Of all the stories regarding animals in the days, weeks and months following Hurricane Katrina, the most gruesome by far was the discovery of pets left in the supposed safety of a school in St. Bernard Parish — all killed.
Last night, ABC’s “Nightline” looked at this case, and at charges law enforcement officers did the killing:
Two deputies have already been indicted by a grand jury in New Orleans on charges of felony, aggravated cruelty to animals. The Louisiana attorney general’s office is investigating and this morning lawyers for a group of owners will file a comprehensive complaint in federal court in Louisiana seeking class action status for their clients.
For the first time, the St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s office has acknowledged to ABC News’ Law & Justice Unit that an internal investigation has been launched.
In an interview last week, Sal Gutierrez, who represents the sheriff’s office, defended the department’s handling of a clearly difficult evacuation. Gutierrez said the shells left behind in the schools did not necessarily come from the weapons issued to department deputies. He denied allegations that orders to kill the dogs came from superior officers, calling that claim “false.” He said that if the investigation turned up any wrongdoing by deputies, the St. Bernard sheriff would take appropriate disciplinary action. If something false has been alleged in the lawsuit, he said he would consider countercharges of defamation of character. He said that he and the sheriff were animal lovers.
In December, the sheriff’s office released a statement declaring that any actions taken had been done with “the utmost care, caution and belief of its necessity,” according to the newspaper New Orleans City Business.
But Gutierrez told ABC News that until the internal investigation was complete, he could not adequately answer all the charges. “I can’t tell you we don’t have a renegade or two,” Gutierrez told ABC News.
Here’s the rest. The story is very detailed, and quite disturbing. Be warned.
Note: Blogging will continue to be light today. Christie and I are both dealing with some health and family issues.
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I just read the article (skimmed parts of it that I couldn’t bear to really read).
I hope they hang these guy up by their you-know-whats!
Gina and Christie, tend to what needs doing, and get better, okay?
Comment by The OTHER Pat — June 12, 2007 @ 6:11 am
Check out the article on itchmo.com about the the Arizona vet. Not sure which is more disturbing!
Comment by BengalMom — June 12, 2007 @ 6:35 am
More toxic toothpaste recalled.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/n.....E_ID=56134
Comment by Elaine — June 12, 2007 @ 8:01 am
I read it. It breaks my heart. May those poor little souls rest in peace. Evil - where is it lurking? Everywhere.
Comment by Linda — June 12, 2007 @ 8:05 am
What I want to know is if those “police officers” (more like criminals to me) would have really shot these people. What were they thinking when they pointed a gun at a child’s head? People are so sick and it is very scary to know that so many of them are in a position of authority. I hope they burn.
Comment by Ana — June 12, 2007 @ 8:42 am
So, so unfair. Absolutely heartbreaking. But, surprised? No. The government on all levels has shown us their complete lack of ethical treatment of animals, including not giving a ‘hoot’ if their food is safe or not. I have no doubt that animals were shot in cold blood in the Katrina fiasco. There are people even in every day society that think shooting dogs/cats is a sport. I have my Faith, and if justice is not served on this earth, I believe it will be when their time is up in this life. God loves all things, great and small.
Comment by Deanna — June 12, 2007 @ 8:45 am
OH MY GOD! i am beyond words reading about this storyI never remember hearing about this on the news before! of course it was probably kept hush until now ! what pitiful excuses for human beings these officers areone day they will have to answer to GOD for their actions! THOSE poor pets! it is so scary to think you and your pets could be in a situation like that have your pets torn from your arms at gunpoint and murdered and there is nothing you can do about it and our goverment just stands there and takes no action!LORD GOD help us! our goverment is giving us no answers to contaminated food at all now we and are pets are eating food that may be unsafe and now to hear this!
Comment by lindak. — June 12, 2007 @ 10:08 am
Horrible! And these are the people we give guns to so they can “Protect and serve.” I wouldn’t trust them to serve me a burger at McDonalds let alone my safety.
Comment by Andrea Two Cat Mom — June 12, 2007 @ 10:11 am
I thought that I wouldn’t every hear about someone who would come out in favor of the poisoning of our pets. I was wrong.
This radio host, Lee Rodgers of KSFO in SF likes what the Chinese did to our cats and dogs.
http://www.spockosbrain.com/20.....ina-killed
Sick. And what is sicker is that Purina is a major sponsor. I’ve included a list of Purina contacts if are interested.
Comment by spocko — June 12, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
Thanks for posting this, Gina. I had seen video of the two allegedly “renegade” cops who shot point-blank two dogs roaming the streets (and bothering no one) in the days after Katrina but I had not heard about the murder of these pets before. I flipped out when I saw it yesterday (as you may have seen in my prior post in another thread).
This is outrageous and sick to say the least and prosecution including extended prison time for all of those involved must be the minimal punishment.
Comment by Sandy — June 12, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
Thank you so much Gina for blogging about this horrific atrocity. Finally, this story is getting national attention! I was there and saw the bloody mess throughout three floors of PGT Beauregard Middle School not long after the dead animal carcases were removed. My rescue partner and I even found the body of a small chihuahua partially rolled up in a carpet, that investigators missed. It had no arms and no legs! Absolutely unimaginable to think someone would do such a thing, but they did. While rescuing I met distraught owners of these animals frantically telling us this story urging us to get the word out the the public, not realizing it had already been all over the news.
Mark Steinway, founder of Pasado Safe Haven in Seattle was the first on the scene and has been THE MAN behind keeping this story out in the forefront and making sure justice gets served. http://www.pasadosafehaven.org immediatley put out a $25,000 reward for anyone w/ info on who did these shootings. Consensus among those of us who were there and these pet owners is that Sgt. Mike Minton is one of the responsible parties only problem is no one actually saw him shoot the animals at the schools. We’ve been hoping for some 21 months someone would come forward w/ evidence pointing the finger but it hasn’t happened, which is why this class action suit against the Sheriff’s Dept. All the bullet shells strewn around this high school and two other schools (yes, it happened at two other high schools in St. Bernard Parish as well)were law enforcement shells!
You see, there are two cases going on here. These school shootings, which the Class Action lawsuit is about and a second lawsuit against Sgt. Mike Minton and one other officer responsible for the shootings in the street of animals that the Dallas reporter actually saw them do. (I remember seeing this report on TV shortly after Katrina, which is why I immediately jumped on a plane flying to NOLA to help with rescue) These two officer’s were arraigned Feb. 14th of this year…I went back to New Orleans specifically for that arraignment. Trial date was set for May 10th but it was recently delayed until Sept. or Oct. You can see pics here of arraignment day:
http://pets.webshots.com/slideshow/557843154hNaTWd
And here’s an article written up by Best Friends on one of the dogs we rescued who had escaped the school shootings. Unfortunately, the owner lost two or three other dogs to the shootings but this sweet little guy somehow managed to escape. We found him in the gymnasium some 20 yards from the school 59 days after the storm. While driving around a neighbor stoppped us to say he’d heard a dog bark back at the school. We went back, saw a broken window in the bldg. next to the school, called inside but no answer, so we climbed in and over all the disheveled furniture, walked around and sure enough this poor pit was sitting in a corner unable to move even a foot. His leash had gotten caught under a tall 4-drawer filing cabinet and he couldn’t move but a foot in any direction…he was so very emaciated! Thankfully, we found its owner after I returned home and the dog, Mercedes (we had named him Beauty) has since been reunited…one of a very few.
Best Friends article:
http://news.bestfriends.org/in.....038;stid=2
That’s me in the pic holding the pit bull :)
If anyone here wants to help keep this story alive until justice is served, I do know that Mark has spent a small fortune investigating these two cases and can always use more donations, which you may do at his website noted above.
Comment by Barb — June 12, 2007 @ 2:33 pm
My heart breaks over this story. Katrina pets were so abandoned and to make it worse, now murdered in COLD BLOOD too!
I will pray for their souls, and pray that justice is served and fight where I am to change things so our animals don’t needlessly suffer again.
This man who inflicted horror on the innocent and helpless Katrina pets - this Frankenstien of a policeman - needs to be jailed so he won’t ever hurt another animal as long as he lives.
Comment by Linda — June 12, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
Thank you thank you Barb for the additional information and links … it is horrific beyond imagination. I think the Nightline piece featured Mark, who is a saint.
—Sandy
Comment by Sandy — June 12, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
Argh!!!
Yeah, we can do this nicely or not nicely. You can shoot me in front of witnesses to get at my pets, or you can get your weapon out of my face. Your choice, pal. Bring it.
Comment by Katherine — June 12, 2007 @ 4:32 pm
I am grateful for the good people who helped these pets-and so disappointed in the lack of humanity from the people who murdered these dogs.
At least this tragedy brought to the forefont the need for emergency agencies to think about domestic animals as part of the evacuation strategy. Please everyone, do your home evacuation plan, and remember those leashes and dog food and crates!
We went to the length of buying an RV trailer, stored at home, so as long as we can drive out, everyone is coming with us. If someone put a gun to my head and said to leave my dogs-I’d say “shoot.” I’d die to protect my dogs. I know they’d do the same for me.
Comment by Chris — June 12, 2007 @ 4:39 pm
These poor people of New Orleans WERE ordered at gun point to leave town and to leave their animals behind! Oh, the stories I heard from local residents. One woman, who stayed throughout the hurricane, and whose home only flooded 2ft., told me how she refused to leave her two doberman’s behind when days later people were ordered out of the city…she went kicking and screaming while being carried by National Guard into their vehicle. Once inside, she kicked and broke one of the car windows, climbed out ran back inside her home, only to be carried back into vehicle…forced to leave her two dogs behind. Fortunately for her, she was able to return only two weeks later and her dogs were ok because she called and made reports letting us know to go and leave food and water for her animals. So yes, be sure to have a well thought out evacuation plan, or you two might end up at the mercy of our govermnent.
Comment by Barb — June 12, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
I say- Shoot the bas#$%@. I would stay and let them shoot Me first. I would never leave My pets. But i’m sure people thought they would be alright. So SICK! And thank you Barb for helping out the pets.
Comment by Trudy Jackson — June 12, 2007 @ 5:49 pm
Barb, I just sent the link to 3 groups i’m on and all my friends. thanks
Comment by Trudy Jackson — June 12, 2007 @ 6:03 pm
Gina and Christie, i hope things get better for you soon. Thanks for all you are doing.
Comment by Trudy Jackson — June 12, 2007 @ 6:27 pm
My pleasure. Here’s a link to pics from my first trip to NOLA - Shows a lot of the devastation as well as rescued animals.
New Orleans Katrina Animal Rescue Oct. 1 - Nov. 8, 2005: http://community.webshots.com/.....key=ejAEJQ
Comment by Barb — June 12, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
My friend in Alabama just called to tell me that there’s a great show on animal planet about Katrina animals…just checked my schedule here in CA and it looks like it might be the show that’s titled “Heroes: Rescue…” airing at 9pm PT, for anyone interested in watching. She said it shows animals being rescued as well as pets being reunited with owners.
Comment by Barb — June 12, 2007 @ 6:41 pm
From Barb: ” … So yes, be sure to have a well thought out evacuation plan, or you two might end up at the mercy of our govermnent.”
Yes, when the Bushies talk about their plans for an “ownership” society, they mean ‘you’re on your own, suckers!’ while they steal our $ through the hefty taxes we citizens pay that end up in the coffers of companies through the administration’s massive corporate welfare programs. They don’t give a crap about this country or its citizens.
Comment by Sandy — June 12, 2007 @ 10:42 pm