People aren’t the only ones who were left without homes or shelter following Hurricane Katrina — thousands of pets were also left to fend for themselves. Two Iowans recently returned from the Gulf area where they worked with animals. Josh Colvin is the operations manager of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. He says it’s a lot different when you’re there than it is on TV. He says some neighborhoods are completely gone. Colvin says he went to help out after hurricane Ivan and says there’s no comparison. Colvin spent ten days in the Hatiesburg, Biloxi and Gulfport areas of Mississippi along with Rescue League veterinarian Dan Campbell. He says they felt pretty good when they left that a majority of animals left behind were picked up. He says they were able to also help the owners find food and supplies to take care of the animals. Colvin says the animals are providing some comfort to many people. He says a lot of the people lost everything with their pets the only thing they have left. He says they’re just hoping to get them back with their pets. Colvin says there were some injured animals — but they were in good shape overall. He says for the most part the animals weren’t losing weight like they thought they would. He says there were a lot of people looking out for the animals. Colvin says it’ll still take some time to round up all the animals and get them back in a more normal situation. He says there’s a lot of animals that’re displaced and he says it’ll be a huge process for people to figure out what they’re gonna do so they can reunite with their pets. Colvin says the pets are being held by shelters for an extended period of time while people get a chance to get back on their feet. Colvin says if you’re interested in helping out with the animals, you should check with national organizations such as the Humane Society to see what their needs are before you make a donation.
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