Home | Animals for Adoption | Victories | What you can do | A Diary of Hope | Current Campaigns | In Praise of Project Hope | Contact | Support | IDA's Action Center

Current diary entries    I    Past diary entries Doll's Diary Account by Doll Stanley, October 13, 2005 October 13th, 2005 Dear Diary, It's been a while since I talked to you old friend. The past weeks have been rich, trying, and very emotional. I'm now at IDA's home office in Mill Valley. I have work to do away from our Disaster Relief efforts, and with Mom gone my brother needs a lift. I will care for Kuma, who is now 16, while he takes a break. I remember the moment I said that I would care for him. His guardian, a new friend of mine, needed to take time away from home to attend rehab. Kuma came with baggage, but nothing the Stanley's couldn't live with. On walks across the Golden Gate Bridge to the peaked ridges of Marin County's headlands, he was the most marvelous companion. He greeted everyone with a friendly Hello, and stayed to our path. Remarkable was the term people most frequently used to describe Kuma. At home he was quite a different dog. In his formative years, the precious fellow had been abused, so in our home he had definite boundaries, and you invited – never ordered – him to act. While he loved the affection we lavished on him, his guard was up, and he set the terms of home relations based on his own comfort level.  My brother Edward (a.k.a. "Skeet") takes excellent care of Kuma, but faces mounting issues of his own. I am seeking a loving caregiver who is set up to adore a large older dog who simply needs assistance with his food and in the relief area. Though blind and deaf, Kuma loves to roll and lay with us. My work in the field prohibits my caring for him, and though my brother would not seek aid, he truly needs some time to focus on his health. On the issue of disaster relief: simply put, it's overwhelming, and still ongoing. And what do I have to say about the whole thing?  How could folks not have taken warnings seriously? How could they have left their animal companions behind? What guidelines should be set for relief, reunion, and the whole works? Yes, MPR (Mississippi Public Radio) instilled fear in my heart. I took the warnings of a category-5 hurricane seriously, but that doesn't mean everyone else did. Then again, listening to the folks who stayed behind, you have to realize that many of them didn't know what to expect. Different radio stations sometimes gave conflicting reports about how bad the storm would be and what people should do, so many people didn't know where to go. For example, some stations reported on where people could take horses to safety, but didn't say anything about dogs and cats. It was all very confusing. Tragically, some people didn't even have money for gas so they just couldn't leave. In addition, cars and trucks were stalled all over the roadsides because there had been a rush on gasoline and most filling stations were completely dry. Many people just couldn't envision absorbing the economic cost of evacuation, or perhaps didn't have the means. Others refused to leave without their animals.  PETsMART came to our side immediately. While we don't see eye-to-eye on the sale of any animal, I must give them due credit for the true spirit of aid we have always gotten from our store #520 crew and the corporate office. They gave us thousands of dollars worth of food, crates and supplies for everyone in need, from turtles and fish to horses, cats, rats and dogs. They were true partners in our rescue and relief efforts. The horse folks we know jumped right in and hauled hay, grain and feed for us. Trucker "Dutch Pete" came to the rescue a number of times. He hauled feed for us, and even delayed a delivery to aid our move when Hurricane Rita threatened our staging camp. Lisa Martin was a joy to work with. She was our camel lion. She aided with set ups, information gathering and animal care, and turned on her logistical skills when ours were on the blink. We shared hard ground nights and pumpkin seed trips. No matter how tired we were, trips were always in order, and pumpkin seeds are my secret weapon against whiplash awakenings behind the wheel. Debbie Young, Project Hope's new Communications and Development Director, led our team out with volunteer coordination and handled the bulk of supply acquisition and distribution. Paul Maloney, of Jackson, Miss. transported hurricane-orphaned animals from the Jackson staging area to our friends Citizens for Animal Protection in Houston, Tex. They aided with dogs that had been "picked over and left behind" by groups who chose to take only "adoptable" animals for their trip home. Paul got us walkie-talkies, cots for the coliseum and tons of supplies. He and his wife were of utmost help to everyone. Absolute dynamos! This was a sad and stressful time for most of us. Our aid efforts were second nature, no kudos necessary. We slept where we could, often on parking lot pavement, cement slabs, or dog food bags. We showered when opportunity arose, often beneath a single water bottle. Except for our aching feet and missed dinners, hardships were no big deal. The real pain hit with each guardian who came to us in search of their missing animals.  I thought I would collapse when I witnessed a frail woman with an oxygen tank hanging from the van she rode in clutching her forehead in grief. She gasped for breath as her fragile frame heaved in sobs. My heart has never come closer to breaking for anyone. Her "babies" had made it through the storm and had been accidentally "rescued" from her yard while she was away seeking supplies at the FEMA center. She was inconvenienced but blessed, because her angels were taken to Hattiesburg and she was able to recover them. This was another aspect that was overlooked by the planners responsible for transporting recovered animals. If all the groups that initially met in Jackson had immediately established roles and coordinated efforts, our team could have taken on the honor of returning located animals to distressed guardians.  While a tremendous and staggering feat was undertaken by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) team of United Animal Nations (UAN) and the many other groups who lent their experience, resources, and hearts to this effort, we learned again that the number one missing component was interaction among groups who were also there to provide aid. How many animals fall through the cracks when we miss the opportunity to unite? The IDA Project Hope team took Polaroids of all the animals we handled, whether in transport or during rescue. This is an absolutely essential component of the relief efforts. The technology of microchips for tracking and digital photos posted on web sites are marvels of our times, making it possible for guardians to look for (and hopefully reunite with) their beloved animal companions. Yet nothing is as efficacious as having the immediate photo of an animal in the setting where he or she was recovered to show forlorn guardians who are searching that region. There is nothing sadder to me than witnessing completely distraught guardians who have lost everything to a disaster know that their companions were sighted after the destruction, even had them under their care in their yard or home, and now are climbing unrealistic mountains to seek their whereabouts. Anthony can't read, but he loves the two beautiful dogs he showed me pictures of. If anyone knows of a male golden lab and a female golden retriever taken into the Waveland, Miss. staging area, transported to Hattiesburg and beyond, please contact me (601) 383-3980 ASAP. If you have seen a three-legged Sharpei, please contact me; his guardian is in despair. IDA team member Anita Carswell and I personally rescued a cat from Franklin Street in New Orleans whose guardian has just been located! Arrangements are now being made to transport her to New Jersey for a reunion. Entering her data into the HSUS system at the Lamar/Dixon staging facility has yielded happy results. What an impressive operation HSUS had set up there! They certainly deserve credit for the staging centers that they so professionally established.  Thanks to Sherri Norquist and her Bolivar County, Miss. folks for aiding with the care of recently rescued dogs. Randy Grim of Stray Rescue of St. Louis, we love you and your awesome team of dedicated volunteers who have been coming in to aid Project Hope with the relocation of scores of animals. Only you can know what it means to me to know that you placed Sharpi with a guardian, opening up a whole new life to our needy girl. I feel the chill on my troubled heart lifting with each act of your group's kindness. Eva, Eva Hoerler, I haven't seen you since you were eleven. How extraordinary to have the privilege of working with you for the time you were in Mississippi. Sixteen years have only sharpened your instincts and molded you into an advocate that I am proud to know. Thank you for sharing my cares and hardships, and for supporting our efforts during your stay. Thank You!!!  What's going on now? What have we learned? Well, the effort certainly isn't over. Animals are still being rescued and need transport, care and housing, and must be plugged into the system to give every chance for reunion with their guardians.  What do we need to continue our work? Simple: lots of stuff. We are still supplying feed to the impacted areas, both for shelters in need of it and for folks that won't be able to afford much until they get their feet back on the ground. We definitely need the following items in order of immediate and long term needs: - A 4-wheeler and trailer for use at Project Hope to move feed and supplies between buildings and animal enclosures. In the case of disaster relief, the 4-wheeler is invaluable. - $$$ for fencing at the sanctuary. We opened our doors to aid the 44 pit bulls left behind at Lamar Dixon when the choosing of animals to return with the various groups culminated. Three other dogs from Waveland were also transported to Project Hope. Two of the three Waveland dogs got out at night and caused the death of two Project Hope resident pigs, Earl and Mini Me. There is no means of expunging the sorrow we feel that in helping these dogs, the precious lives of two animals entrusted to our care were ended. Did we feel that they were safe? Yes. How do we propose to ensure that this tragedy is never repeated? Quality fencing. We must enclose the canine care center with a perimeter fence, the cost of which will be at least $12,000. - A second horse stable. In the stir of rescuing animals from the disaster areas, we may not have announced that Sugar Foot has joined our Project Hope family. She is a 39-year-old mare who requires extra special care, and we need a shelter for her. Natalie, our resident hog with the most years at Project Hope, isn't fond of any of the pigs with the notable exception of Steve Henry. She allows him to enter her area and socialize with her for a while, but when she saw Sugar Foot she ran to greet her, and immediately turned to ask if we were going to let her keep her new friend. Natalie absolutely loves horses. We actually think that it might be good to introduce Shelby to Sugar Foot. He is aging and might do better with her than his Dolly and Danielle. We can move him back and forth to see what works best. - Several transport vehicles. Our Project Hope van, which was largely funded through a 2001 PETsMART grant and has served us tremendously, is in for repairs. It's an indispensable resource for rescue and supply needs. However, we need a truck to tow our rescue trailers, a transport vehicle that can hold at least 30 animals at a time, and a smaller SUV, like a Mazda Tribute, for errands and transport. Having one vehicle we rely on solely puts us at risk for a breakdown with animals aboard, and simply doesn't serve our larger rescue efforts. We have other needs as well, but these are our heftier and more immediate needs. Oh yeah! Let's not forget that we need a 20-person dormitory for visiting helpers. Some of us don't mind sleeping on the ground, or even with the dogs, but inclement weather often sends us scampering for real shelter. For everyone that aided in any way with the post hurricane relief efforts – you're amazing. There were Jeff and Jordana, two New York attorneys that came in twice to aid us. Treasured friends – unforgettably uplifting folks. The rest of you, you know who you are. We all know that even though you appreciate our thanks for aiding us, you didn't do it to be recognized. The real reason we all went was for the animal victims trapped in the ugly in the wake of the storms, and the precious guardians searching for their beloved companions. Each of us has put ourselves in their shoes, and we know that it is the worst of the worst of desperation. Doll Stanley Project Hope