Update, 9/2/09: Please see the newest update here.

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Update, 8/31/09: Please see Kinship Circle’s most recent update here.

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I know it’s late, so I’ll make this quick: several animal rescue organizations, specifically Animal Acres (as described below by Kinship Circle) and possibly Gentle Barn (below KC’s alert) and others, need help evacuating from the California wildfires. If you’re in or near the area and able to help, keep reading. Otherwise, please spread the word to those who can provide assistance. Please and thank you.

Also, you can keep up to date on what’s happening on Twitter; try the hashtags #fire, #wildfires, #la, #evacuation and the like. At the time of this writing, none are trending topics, though hopefully that will change as people start to mobilize.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – info [at] kinshipcircle.org
Date: Sun, Aug 30, 2009 at 6:35 PM
Subject: Animal Acres Evacuates In Path Of Calif. Fires

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

8/30/09: Animal Acres Evacuates In The Path Of Calif. Fires

1. California Wildfires Move NW, Toward Animal Acres
2. Be On Emergency Standby With Animal Acres
3. Supplies/Equipment/Volunteers Needed For Animal Acres

Pets get help as flames approach: Rose Mary Berman of Palos Verdes Estates feeds a carrot to Norman one of 15 horses evacuated to Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates. Donna Littlejohn/Daily Breeze,

www.dailybreeze.com/latestnews/ci_13226056

============================

1. California Wildfires Move NW, Toward Animal Acres

8/29/09 – 8/30/09, PRESENT SITUATION / NOTES:

Fire moves toward Acton as officials hope for lower temperatures:

The strongest part of the Station fire burning in Angeles National Forest and La Canada Flintridge area is moving northwest of the park toward Acton, California, said Jennifer Sanchez of the U.S. Forest Service. [ANIMAL ACRES IS LOCATED IN ACTON]. Evacuations for some Acton residents are in place…

Since it began 8/26/09, the Station fire has burned 35,200 acres and prompted mandatory evacuations of 10,000 homes, according to Forest Service.

www.latimes.com/media/photo/2009-08/48663340.jpg

AUTHORIZED BY FRANK ALLEN, ANIMAL ACRES
Susie V Kaufman, Animal Acres Evacuation Coordinator
susie [at] jarrettlennon.com

8/30/09 — There is a mandatory evacuation in order on the northeast side of Acton. Animal Acres has begun the evacuation process. Currently, horses and donkeys are in the initial process of being moved from Animal Acres to Evacuation Site #2. The following is still only POSSIBLE: The next to be moved will be cows, followed by sheep, goats, and pigs, then birds. They will be moved to Evacuation Site #1. I know nothing about the emus.

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A few weeks back, I “read” (read: listened to) Douglas Brinkley’s The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast (2006) – on audiobook. Since he made little mention of non-human animals in the book, initially I wasn’t going to bother posting the review here. But, lo and behold, prior to posting the review on Amazon, I discovered that Brinkley does discuss the plight of “pets” during and after Hurricane Katrina. For some undetermined reason, however, all but one (that I counted – and believe you me, I was counting!) reference to non-human animals was cut from the audio version of the book. Given that the book’s 768 pages were watered down into five discs totaling just under six hours of narration, much was cut, but. Still – weird, very weird.

The end result: while animal advocates will probably be frustrated by the audio version’s lack of attention to non-human animals (who, let’s face it, played a key role in the disaster, even if you don’t believe that they’re worthy of consideration on their own), methinks y’all (we’all?) might be happier with the unabridged print version.

Hey, it’s on my wishlist.

768 pages in 6 hours: What was lost in narration?

I initially “read” the audiobook version of Douglas Brinkley’s The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a chronicling of the events leading up to and following Hurricane Katrina’s landfall(s) on the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Brinkley, a historian and New Orleans resident, offers a level-headed assessment of the local, state and federal government’s preparations for and response to what would ultimately be the single deadliest (and one of the costliest) hurricane in the United States’ history.

There’s plenty of blame to go around, and Brinkley serves up slices of humble pie to everyone from President George W. Bush, to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Director Michael Brown, with an extra-heaping plate of fail saved especially for NOLA Mayor Ray Nagin. Brinkley also points out the failings of local police officers, government bureaucracy at the local, state and federal levels – he even finds fault with city founder Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, who initially chose the site of New Orleans and refused to abandon the city, even after a hurricane destroyed most of the existing structures, only four years into the city’s brief existence.

Brinkley also praises those who rose to the occasion: meteorologists who tried in vain to alert local and state officials to the impending disaster; police and military officers who performed their duties with bravery and compassion; neighbors who rescued one another when the government would not (or could not); and citizens the world over who rushed in to help displaced Gulf Coast residents. As infuriating as are the tales of government incompetence and corruption, these individual narratives of goodwill are equally inspiring.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship CIrcle – KinshipCircleDisasterAid [at] accessus.net
Date: Sun, May 10, 2009 at 8:21 PM
Subject: Calif. Fires ­ Send Supplies/Donations For Animals

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK
ONLINE VOLUNTEER FORM: Tell us what you can do! Be on file in our Disaster
Aid Network: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/volunteer/default.html

**A special thanks to Kinship Circle member Ann McMullen, who lives in the wildfires area and alerted us to local needs for animal victims in California.

5/10/09: Calif. Fires – Send Supplies/Donations For Animals

1. California Fire Status + Resources For Animal Victims
2. Help Fire Victims: Santa Barbara Humane Society
3. Help Fire Victims: Cats In Santa Barbara Fires
4. Help Fire Victims: Santa Maria Valley Humane Society
5. PetSmart Charities Drives Supply-Stocked Trailer To Calif.
6. UAN/EARS Response In Santa Barbara Fire

LT: Volunteers with UAN’s Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) are caring for hundreds of animals who, with their owners, were forced from their homes by a massive wildfire. www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=579

RT: Ranch hands work together to evacuate a herd of goats. Photo: Mark Boster, Los Angeles Times. FIRE UPDATES: jesusitafire.org
Many evacuation orders have been lifted today.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sat, Mar 28, 2009 at 3:29 AM
Subject: Icy Waters Rising – Help Animals In North Dakota

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

ONLINE VOLUNTEER FORM: Tell us what you can do! Be on file in our Disaster Aid Network: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/volunteer/default.html

3/28/09: Icy Waters Rising – Help Animals In North Dakota

1. North Dakota Flooding – Incident Summary Report
2. Help FM Humane Society Emergency Animal Shelter
3. Adopt-A-Pet Pitches In For Displaced Animals
4. More Local Rescues In Flooded North Dakota
5. UAN/EARS Response In Fargo
6. IFAW Expects Up To 5,000 Animals Need Aid
7. Other National Orgs Mobilizing For ND Animals

One of Doug Stensgard’s dogs, Annie, looks out over what used to be a 5-acre yard and an outbuilding, now flooded by the rising Red River in Fargo. Stensgard built an earthen and sandbag dike around his home in the hope of holding back the floodwaters. Associated Press.

As icy floodwaters climb to a record crest of 43 feet at Fargo’s Red River in North Dakota, forced and voluntary evacuations continue. The Red River is expected to crest at about 52 feet Monday or Tuesday in Grand Forks, ND. More rivers, creeks and streams rise around the state…

Kinship Circle has spoken to some resources below, as well as local authorities. If we’re asked to deploy any volunteers in our independent network, we’ll update you. In the meantime, below are ways to help flood-stranded animals via monetary donations and/or supplies. Fargo-Moorhead Humane Society lists a phone number for potential volunteers [#2 below]. YOU MUST CALL THIS NUMBER; circumstances change daily.

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Dear members of the mainstream news media,

Many of you are reporting that the death toll in the recent Australian wildfires now hovers around 200, with numbers likely to rise.

Take, for example, the following headlines:

Australia fire deaths rise to 200 (BBC News)

Australia wildfire death toll reaches 200 (the AP)

Talk Vic toll may reach 300 ‘a rumour’ (Sydney Morning Herald)

News flash: the “death toll” has already surpassed 200, at least 5,000 times over.

To wit: “Millions of animals are estimated to have died in the ferocious Black Saturday bushfires that swept across countryside, towns and farmland in Australia’s southeast.”
 

 
Millions of animals – men, women, children, chickens, canaries, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, possums, deer, dogs, cats, horses, ducks, peacocks, lyrebirds, goats and dingoes, to name just a few of the affected species – have died. The death toll is catastrophic; the loss of life, tragic.

Please don’t imply that some of these lives are insignificant by excluding them from your discourse. If you mean that 200 human lives have been lost, say so. Your sloppy/lazy/negligent reporting and/or headline copyrighting does a disservice to the majority of the fire’s victims – and to those who care for their well-being.

Regards,

The veg*n language police

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare wildfires fires natural disaster australia victoria wildlife pet companion animal msm the media language death toll news in the news video video blogging

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 6:27 PM
Subject: Victoria Burning – Help Animal Fire Victims In Australia

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

ONLINE VOLUNTEER FORM: Tell us what you can do! Be on file in our Disaster Aid Network: www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/volunteer/default.html

2/13/09: Victoria Burning – Help Animal Fire Victims

IN THIS ALERT:

1. KC Directory: Animal Relief Efforts You Can Help. Millions Died…
2. Nigel’s Animal Rescue: Send Money & Supplies ASAP
3. Wildlife Victoria: Overwhelmed With Fire Victims
4. Help For Wildlife: Long Recovery Ahead For Animals
5. RSPCA: Emergency Aid For Companion Animals
6. Wildlife Burning
7. IFAW: Team On The Ground For Animals In Victoria
8. Survivors Of The Fire – Symbols of Hope

Please review resources below to see WHO and HOW to help.

PHOTOS: Help For Wildlife, Victoria (Australia) — www.helpforwildlife.com/bushfires/photos.html

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Dec 24, 2008 8:45 PM
Subject: Rebuilding Lives, Two Hands At A Time

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

12/24/08: Rebuilding Lives, Two Hands At A Time
YEAR-END REFLECTIONS * www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters

THIS IS FOR YOU:

1. Rebuilding The Gulf Coast, Two Hands At A Time
2. Kinship Circle Recognized For Work In Iowa Floods 2008
3. The Great River Rescue
4. I Rescued A Human Today

=======================

1. Rebuilding The Gulf Coast, Two Hands At A Time

SOURCE: 12/24/08, VIDEO – With My Own Two Hands
WATCH VIDEO NOW: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ44B33HRmo&NR=1

FROM KINSHIP CIRCLE: Thanks to my sister and fellow animal rescuer, Cara Shoss, for alerting me to this beautiful video and inspiration for this message. Brenda Shoss, president, Kinship Circle

From Cara Shoss, cshoss [at] gmail.com — Imagine what we could do if we all used our own two hands to change the world. Keep believing in what you are doing. Happy Holidays to all of you and thank you for using your two hands to make a difference for the animals in the world.

TURN UP YOUR SPEAKERS: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ44B33HRmo&NR=1

KINSHIP CIRCLE REFERENCES:

GULF COAST: Animals In Gulf Coast Storms & Other Disasters

www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/gulfcoast/default.html

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Tue, Oct 28, 2008 at 5:52 PM
Subject: Ginger’s Story: Two-Time Hurricane Survivor

www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

KINSHIP CIRCLE NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT.
DONATE ONLINE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/

GULF COAST
10/28/08: Ginger’s Story – Two Time Hurricane Survivor Illuminates Flaws In Evacuation System

Courtney Chandel with Ginger, rescued after Hurricane Katrina, 2005. Lower Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

SOURCE / REPLY TO:
Courtney Chandel, akameridians [at] yahoo.com
Nanette Martin, nantucketred [at] earthlink.net

2005: LIFE AMID RUINS IN POST-KATRINA PLAQUEMINES PARISH

Katrina left Louisiana’s Lower Plaquemines Parish post-apocalyptic. The deserted area stretched for miles, with sprawling shrimp trawlers parked on highways, a truck in a tree, debris strewn fields. Former homes were stripped to concrete foundation blocks. It felt as desolate as the moon.

The Parish had finally let animal rescuers in — when Nanette Martin and I drove from New Orleans with dog/cat food, carriers, catchpoles… It was hard to digest what we saw. Neither of us spoke until we spotted a cluster of remarkably intact mobile homes by a roadside sign that said “Ironton.”

“First stop, Ironton,” Nanette said as I turned the bumpy corner into the debris-strewn neighborhood. We hoped we’d find something alive here… Then we saw her — a gorgeous Golden Retriever with expectant eyes, wagging away. A sparkling oasis of life amid destruction and decay. She sat by her little dogloo, near her boarded-up person’s home, tied to a tree.

We ran to her. Her tongue dropped out and she smiled… “Good dog! Good girl!” She was so thin. We could feel her bones easily, yet bowls of fresh food and water sat beside her. We saw the house was deserted, so we headed to the street where a woman greeted us. “You met Ginger!” And so we learned how a neighbor was caring for Ginger after her disabled person evacuated. People weren’t allowed to take pets with them, even the disabled. We tried to imagine what Ginger had seen and felt during the storm…the sounds, wind, darkness… It was hard not to feel fiercely protective toward her.

Each day we made the two-hour drive from New Orleans to Plaquemines Parish, we checked on Ginger. We thought about bringing Ginger to ARNO until her “mom” came home. The idea was cinched when we saw three German Shepherds, who’d also survived, bullying her. We obtained mom’s phone number… There is no other call like the one after a disaster to tell someone their animal is alive. And, yes, she sure would like it if Ginger got out of there…

Ginger’s odyssey didn’t end with ARNO. She was routed through Best Friends and then to a foster home in Southern California…until her mom returned after living in a FEMA trailer. We advised her to never leave Ginger again.

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Mon, Oct 27, 2008 at 3:35 PM
Subject: Few Ike Reunions, Dog Survives Surge, Animal Relief…

www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters

KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER AID NETWORK

PLEASE SUPPORT KINSHIP CIRCLE:
ONLINE: www.kinshipcircle.org/donation/
BY MAIL: Kinship Circle / 7380 Kingsbury Blvd. / St. Louis, MO 63130

GULF COAST
10/27/08: Few Ike Reunions, Dog Survives Surge, Continuing Animal Relief

IN THIS ALERT:

1. A 10-Day Limit Meant Few Reunions After Ike
2. Hope Is A Mutt Named Ranger
3. Ike, Gustav & Katrina Continuing Animal Relief

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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Kinship Circle – kinshipcircle [at] accessus.net
Date: Sat, Oct 18, 2008 at 4:20 PM
Subject: Emergency Overload: St. Bernard Parish Shelter

DO NOT REPLY TO KINSHIP CIRCLE. TIME IS OF ESSENCE.
IF YOU CAN HELP REPLY TO ST. BERNARD PARISH SHELTER.

10/18/08: EMERGENCY OVERLOAD: St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter
Help pull animals in hard-hit area – Katrina, Gustav…

Animal Shelter Waives Fees To Reduce Overcrowding
‘No Fee’ Adoptions Open To Anyone

www.wdsu.com/news/17739846/detail.html#-

NEW ORLEANS — A Southeast Louisiana animal shelter facing severe overcrowding is waiving adoption fees to encourage area residents to consider adopting a new pet. The St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter said it urgently needs to reduce its dog and cat population. The “no fee” adoption is open to anyone — not just parish residents — and will continue through Monday, Oct. 20.

St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter

www.flickr.com/photos/sbpshelter/sets/72157603921945483/

St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter is experiencing severe overcrowding. In an effort to find homes for these animals rather than euthanize them, the parish is waiving all adoption fees for anyone who adopts an animal today through Monday (10/20/08). There is a never fee charged to senior citizens.

115 W. Agriculture Rd
Chalmette, LA 70043 (Off Paris Road)
CALL SHELTER: 504-228-1093
OR A VOLUNTEER: 914-720-6888 or tisme [at] mindspring.com

OUT OF STATE TRANSPORT CAN BE ARRANGED.

SPECIAL SHELTER HOURS:
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday

SEE ADOPTABLE ANIMALS:

www.flickr.com/photos/sbpshelter/sets/72157603921945483/

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