{"id":5398,"date":"2016-09-16T09:57:45","date_gmt":"2016-09-16T14:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/?p=5398"},"modified":"2016-09-16T11:23:13","modified_gmt":"2016-09-16T16:23:13","slug":"operation-safe-doggies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2016\/09\/16\/operation-safe-doggies\/","title":{"rendered":"Operation ‘Safe Doggies’"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE ST. TAMMANY HUMANE SOCIETY TAKES IN DOGS FROM FLOODED NEIGHBORING SHELTERS<\/p>\n

By: Lydia Crochet<\/p>\n

On August 13, Dee Christina, of Mandeville, La., planned to spend the rainy Saturday at home with her husband and her dogs. But her plans were changed the instant she received an alarming text message from her friend and fellow dog lover, Gina Derouen, of Covington, La.<\/p>\n

\"Rescuers<\/a><\/p>\n

Rescuers approach the flooded shelter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The text read, \u201cTangi Humane NEEDS US AND THEY NEED US NOW!\u201d And Christina knew just what to do; she grabbed harnesses, leashes, water bowls, a bag of food, some kennels and a raft.<\/p>\n

The two women, along with a host of other animal lovers, are rescue volunteers with the St. Tammany Parish Humane Society, one of Louisiana\u2019s largest non-profit animal welfare organizations. It\u2019s also a no-kill animal shelter. The group jumped right into rescue mode as they\u2019ve done time and time again: ready to do whatever needs to be done to save animals.<\/p>\n

The Tangi Humane Society (Tangipahoa Parish Humane Society), which is about 25 miles away from the St. Tammany Humane Society, posted on its Facebook page that the shelter was taking on water and the animals needed to be evacuated ASAP. The kennels were all about to be under water.<\/p>\n

\u201cI called the shelter, but there was no answer,\u201d recalls Christina. \u201cSo we just did what Americans do … We went!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dogs<\/a><\/p>\n

Dogs loaded and ready for transport<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

On the way to Tangi Humane Society, Christina placed a call to the CEO of the St. Tammany Humane Society, Scott Bernier. \u201cHe didn\u2019t answer, so I left him a message that sounded like it was straight out of the Smokey and the Bandit movie: \u2018I\u2019m westbound and down, loaded up and truckin\u2019 to Tangi. I need to talk to you!\u2019 I needed him to tell me how many fur babies we could take back with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The road to the Tangi Humane Society was covered with water. The pair had to park their cars and walk towards the rescuers who were already there.<\/p>\n

As they approached the shelter, they couldn\u2019t believe what they were seeing. Horses were being rescued out of water that was up to their necks. Tangipahoa volunteers were treading through waist-deep water while holding dogs and cats up out of the water. \u201cOur hearts hurt,\u201d says Christina. \u201cIt was like a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dogs were sitting on the sides of the road, shaking with tails tucked. Some were already loaded onto trailers. Derouen and Christina were moved to tears by the sight of all these people, working diligently and relentlessly to save the lives of these animals.<\/p>\n

\"Gina<\/a><\/p>\n

Gina Derouen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Derouen saw a familiar fellow rescuer who owned one of the trailers. \u201cCan you drive these dogs to Covington?\u201d He agreed, and the first load of rescued dogs were on their way to safety.<\/p>\n

The horses were transported to a farm in Folsom and the cats were taken to a nearby cat rescue.<\/p>\n

Bercier returned Christina\u2019s call, and she described the scene to him. He said, \u201cWe\u2019ll take them all, don\u2019t leave any behind! I\u2019ll be there as soon as I can!\u201d<\/p>\n

A van from the Humane Society of Louisiana transported the remaining dogs of the Tangipahoa shelter to Covington, where the St. Tammany Humane Society\u2019s hard-working volunteers were ready to do their job. They worked around the clock to care for the animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cUpon arrival, the dogs were taken from the kennels and each was given a number and a thorough assessment. Then we began the initial vetting,\u201d says Derouen. The dogs were also given baths.<\/p>\n

\"img_6654\"<\/a>\u201cWe posted on the St. Tammany Humane Society Facebook page that we needed help saving all the dogs,\u201d says Derouen. \u201cAnd the community just flooded in, with big hearts, wanting to help. It was amazing to see and be a part of. I have never seen anything more beautiful. Cars just kept coming and coming with loads of donations. I can\u2019t even describe the amount of love; it has no words. All I know is that I live in a wonderful community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The response from the community is what convinced the workers to help other shelters in need. So the St. Tammany Humane Society decided to take in more dogs: dogs from Vermillion Parish Rabies and Animal Control, Iberia Parish Animal Control and Lafayette Animal Control were all taken in, regardless of breed, medical condition or temperament.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took in almost 200 shelter dogs. Lots of those were on a kill list,\u201d says Derouen. \u201cWe emptied other shelters so that they could clean up and help strays in their areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of the lack of space, some of the dogs needed to be placed with foster families. Derouen was overwhelmed by the response, \u201cWe had help from large families, single parents, college students, teachers, and police officers \u2014 all wanting to foster any dog, no matter the size or breed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christina agreed. \u201cOur foster coordinators, Paula Alcorn and Dawn Valenzuela, received calls from people in the community wanting to help. People came to volunteer, but then they would leave with a foster baby. The community involvement has been amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"img_6655\"<\/a>While the large amount of love each dog receives is free, unfortunately, the medical care is not. \u201cWe are blessed to have rescued them. But we pray for the funds to treat each baby,\u201d says Christina. \u201cHeartworm treatment is grueling on these babies, and costly on the provider. And while they are being treated, they can\u2019t be adopted. Therefore, no funds for adoptions are received.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because the dogs must stay in kennels during the treatment period, the St. Tammany Humane Society has limited space for new intakes.<\/p>\n

Derouen adds, \u201cOver 85 percent of the dogs tested positive for heartworms, so about 140 of them will need heartworm treatments. We were able to give them shots and rabies vaccinations as soon as they got here. Now we need to spay and neuter the dogs. Since some of the rescues are placed in foster homes which already have pets of their own, they all need to be vetted. We have to keep them all safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

You Can Help<\/strong><\/p>\n

ADOPT: <\/strong>The dogs desperately need loving homes. If you would like to add a furry member to your family, consider adopting one of the St. Tammany Humane Society\u2019s dogs.<\/p>\n

VOLUNTEER:<\/b> There\u2019s plenty of work to be done: things like fostering, maintenance, dog walking and laundry are all done by volunteers.<\/p>\n

DONATE:<\/b> To help with the care of these animals, monetary donations can be made payable to the St. Tammany Humane Society and mailed to St. Tammany Parish Humane Society, c\/o Scott Bernier, 20384 Harrison Avenue, Covington, LA 70433. Or donate online by visiting sthumane.org.<\/p>\n

Call 985-892-7387 for more information.<\/p>\n

Other organizations in need are the Tangi Humane Society (tangihumanesociety.com), the SPCA of Livingston Parish (livingstonspca.com), and the Denham Springs Animal Shelter (email:dsanimalshelter@msn.com).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE ST. TAMMANY HUMANE SOCIETY TAKES IN DOGS FROM FLOODED NEIGHBORING SHELTERS By: Lydia Crochet On August 13, Dee Christina, of Mandeville, La., planned to spend the rainy Saturday at home with her husband and her dogs. 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