Donna and Tami hard at work
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Gustav Update from Dick Green. Final evacs occurred late August 31st. The Parrish/State assisted evacuations for critical need populations went well. Approximately 12-1500 animals are in the three designated shelters. Landfall is expected to occur around 1300 so the earliest we will get any assessments in will be Tuesday morning. The impact into the interior part of the state is expected to be greater than anticipated and we are hunkered down at the LDAF EOC for the day. As soon as we have a better idea of impact and need, we will begin the requests process. I will be out of the EOC once the water rescue begins so I may not get back to you immediately.
August 2008 http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-082608-al-dogs_rescued.14abdd38.html More than 140 pets seized from Lincoln Co. home
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| Lots of Animals=Lots of Trouble |
| Last Edited: Wednesday, 27 Aug 2008, 1:24 AM EDT |
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Denver, NC --
The rain poured down in Denver on Tuesday as dozens of rescuers worked to move more than 150 animals from dirty, dangerous conditions. Through the wooden slats of a broken fence, you could see a couple dogs waiting patiently for help. Neighbors, like Vicki Rogers, say they have also been waiting patiently for eight years for someone to do something about the animals. "These dogs and these animals have gone without food, they bark all the time, and they're skinny, they're tied to trees, chained to trees, and there's just too many of them for anybody to be able to take care of on their own," says Rogers. Moving the dozens of animals took nearly 12 hours. They all ended up at a church-owned warehouse that's been set up as a temporary shelter. Jack Kerley is the director of Animal Services for Lincoln County. He tells FOX News the woman who owned the animals, Vicki Raush, has previous charges stemming from noise and odor complaints. Kerley listed a veritable menagerie of animals taken from the home today, including: 143 dogs, 30 cats, 1 llama, 6 horses, ponies, ducks, pigs, goats, parrots, rats; the list goes on and on. Kerley says Raush was trying to make money off the animals. "She says she wants be a breeder, and breed and sell animals and she was attempting to do some rescue, rescue and adopt animals," Kerley says. Meanwhile, Rogers says she is glad the animals are safe and she's got plans to enjoy the peace and quiet. "Just gonna smile for a while and hope we don't listen to dogs bark," says Rogers. |
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http://news14.com/content/headlines/598729/hundreds-of-animals-taken-from-home/Default.aspx
Updated 08/27/2008 07:33 AM
Hundreds of animals taken from home
By: Bryn Hough
A veterinarian will take a closer look at the animals on Wednesday.
"It's a sad shame that an animal is in this condition and has to live in this kind of environment,” said Jack Kerley, director of animal services in Lincoln County.
Dozens of law enforcement officers and volunteers arrived at Vicki Rauch’s property on Petite Lane in Lincoln County on Tuesday for the rescue after police say neighbors complained.
"Some of the neighbors had been complaining about the smell and the noise factor,” said neighbor Bryan Somers.
“We have had numerous complaints over a period of time,” added Kerley.
After the incident, Rauch spoke by phone with News 14 Carolina to give her side of the story.
Animal Rescue
News 14 Carolina’s Bryn Hough takes a look at what authorities had to take from one Lincoln County woman.
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While Rauch says she tried to help the animals, law enforcement describes a different scene.
“Some animals look malnourished, some of them look sick, some of them have skin problems,” said Kerley.
Police believe Rauch had started a dog breeding facility, then began rescuing animals. Officials found animals living outside in pens – and more than 50 living inside the house.
The animals are now living in a 80,000 square foot facility where they will be looked at by a veterinarian who will determine what’s next for the animals.
Police say Rauch was previously convicted for not having up-to-date rabies shots for her animals. They add there is not enough room in the Lincoln County animal shelter to house all of the animals.
A veterinarian will take a closer look at them on Wednesday.
http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pa_disaster_relief
American Humane Deploys to North Carolina
Nearly 400 animals seized in ‘Operation Noah’s Ark’
Our Red Star Animal Emergency Services deployed to Denver, N.C., on Aug. 26 to work alongside other organizations in caring for and sheltering approximately 390 animals seized from a private residence. We are part of a team composed of local law enforcement, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency, the North Carolina State Animal Response Team (SART) and others.
The seizure has been dubbed “Operation Noah’s Ark” by local media due to the number and variety of animals involved. The animals include dogs, cats, horses, a llama, birds and guinea pigs.
Many of the animals appeared malnourished and in need of medical care when our rescue team arrived. After being examined and safely sheltered, they will receive any necessary medical attention.
UPDATED 8/29/08: American Humane continues to provide care for the animals, which have now all been identified and counted. The diverse assortment of animals includes 156 dogs, 53 cats, 5 horses, 37 parakeets, 6 goats, 3 sugar gliders, dozens of small mammals and a llama.
As this operation is a legal case, additional details are pending. Check back soon for updates!
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This article ran in the Spokane County Employee Newsletter called "County Connections"
Spokane Valley Fire Brings out the HEART of our Community
Contributed by Nancy Hill,Director-Spokane County
Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS)
The air was thick with smoke and the flames could be seen from the highway when I received a call asking for an emergency animal shelter to be set up to handle the pets of the residents who had to evacuate during the fire. I immediately activated the HEART team (Humane Evacuation Animal Response Team) to assist SCRAPS with setting up and running the shelter. The scene at the fairgrounds was one of frenzied but organized activity. Volunteers were putting together animal crates, setting up space for livestock, checking for supplies of food and pet care items and getting prepared to take care of Spokane’s pets.Many community members stopped by to see if they could help. Some brought food for the animals (thanks Albertsons of Millwood) and others brought food and drinks for the volunteers. “After the fire was over, I began to look at the list of people who called to offer their homes and pastures for the animals, and those who called to offer their time or their trailers for transport and was amazed that there was easily over 50 offers of help, what a great statement about the community in which we live,” said Jackie Bell, Development
Coordinator for SCRAPS. HEART volunteers were at the shelter all night caring for the animals and watching the hillside as the flames began to diminish. The next day SCRAPS was able to see all the animals off safely and close the temporary shelter
http://www.spokanevalleyonline.com/articles_svnews/2008/080108_heart_for_animals.html
Community News 8/01/08
Local group has H.E.A.R.T. for animals when emergencies hit
By Craig Howard
News Editor
While most of the news surrounding the Valley View last month fire dealt with the evacuation of residents and the impact on surrounding homes, one local group made sure that the animals affected by the blaze weren’t forgotten.
The concept behind Spokane’s Humane Evacuation Animal Rescue Team actually got its start after the firestorm of 1991 when many of the horse owners in the Ponderosa area expressed concern that evacuation plans for animals had fallen short. As with many of the organizational efforts put into place after the fire, a collaborative system was put into place, drawing on local and statewide resources.
The only problem was that the program lacked volunteers, recalls Nancy Hill, executive director of Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services.
“We were missing the workforce,” Hill said.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area in 2005, driving residents and animals from their homes, the idea for a Spokane-based animal rescue group was revived. Hill remembers around 100 people showing up for the first meeting.
“We knew we needed a vehicle for us to communicate how to handle a disaster,” Hill said.
The organization’s first year was spent training with groups like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Humane Society while receiving support from the SpokAnimal, the Spokane Humane Society, SCRAPS and local veterinarians. By the time H.E.A.R.T. had established a board of directors, the volunteer corps was down to 40, which is approximately where it stands today. The agency will celebrate its official two-year anniversary this December.
“They are a fantastic group of dedicated people,” Hill said. “They truly are a credit to this community.”
Janis Christensen, director of H.E.A.R.T., was among a handful of Spokane area volunteers who flew back to Louisiana to help in the aftermath of the hurricane as part of a nationwide relief effort. She said the experience reinforced the necessity of establishing a local program to support animals in times of crisis.
“It really brought the issue to the forefront,” said Christensen. “It was clear that something needed to be in place for animals.”
Christensen arrived in New Orleans two weeks after the hurricane and spent 10 days rescuing dogs and cats stranded by the flood.
“The efforts by people down there were just heroic,” she said.
When news of the Valley View fire began to circulate in the early evening hours of July 10, Hill received a call from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office that help would be needed in securing a shelter for animals evacuated from the Dishman-Mica area.
“My very first call after that was to H.E.A.R.T.,” Hill said.
By 8:30 p.m., Christensen and a group of volunteers had organized a makeshift shelter at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. Dogs, cats, goats and horses were soon filtering into the site.
“It helped out a ton because we didn’t have to send resources over there,” said Bill Clifford, a spokesman with the Spokane Valley Fire Department. “They really made a major difference.”
Microchips and tags helped owners find animals in the aftermath of the fire. By Friday afternoon, the shelter had been dismantled.
Janet Schaeffer, a H.E.A.R.T. volunteer who serves on the board of directors, said the response during the emergency was an indication of how training and preparedness pay dividends.
“We were ready,” Schaeffer said. “I think everyone was really proud of how it went.”
Last July, Schaeffer journeyed down to Oklahoma to help with the rescue mission during a series of series floods. As with the efforts following Hurricane Katrina, Schaeffer said volunteers pulled together to provide hope during a perilous time.
“The best thing is knowing that when there are animals in crisis there are people around who care about their life and safety,” she said. “It’s like the Red Cross of the animal world.”
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