BATON ROUGE, La. Since last week, Alley Cat Allies has been providing expertise, resources and emergency funding for disaster relief efforts underway in Baton Rouge and surrounding parishes because of the devastating flooding there. Its emergency funding is supporting direct rescue and care and helped to cover the costs of equipment and supplies. Additionally, an Alley Cat Allies team was deployed to the area to assist those on the ground.
“Our hearts go out to everyone along the Gulf Coast who has been affected by this terrible flooding,” said Becky Robinson, president and founder of Alley Cat Allies. “We’ve entered the next phase of this disaster. A lot of damage was done and some of the animal shelter facilities need to be rebuilt. There is also a big need for foster homes.”
Alley Cat Allies has a history of assisting in Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina and has actively worked to establish lifesaving programs there ever since. For cats, this storm presented a very different scene. In comparison to 2005, many more animals were provided shelter along with their owners, people evacuated with their pets instead of leaving them behind, and numerous unsung heroes cared for cats immediately after the storm.
The Alley Cat Allies team has been helping with the on-the-ground response to the needs of animal organizations, shelters, and pet owners in the area. The team has also reached out to community cat caregivers, helping to account for cat colonies, locating surviving cats, and ensuring they have food and shelter. Alley Cat Allies will continue to provide lifesaving support and rescue supplies, as it is likely that recovery operations for animals in the area will continue for days. Read more about the rescue and recovery work in Louisiana at alleycat.org.
Alley Cat Allies urges people who would like to help to consider fostering cats through your local shelter, as animals will most likely be moved north, away from the disaster area. It also recommends for cat owners and caregivers to have disaster plans in place in case they are needed. Alley Cat Allies’ disaster readiness and response advice is available at www.alleycat.org/DisasterTips.
About Alley Cat Allies
Alley Cat Allies, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., is the only national advocacy organization dedicated to the protection and humane treatment of cats. Founded in 1990, today Alley Cat Allies has more than half a million supporters and helps tens of thousands of individuals, communities and organizations save and improve the lives of millions of cats and kittens nationwide. Its website is www.alleycat.org, and Alley Cat Allies is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Media Contact
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