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PRESS RELEASE
LOUISIANA SPCA CLOSELY MONITORING
HURRICANE IKE
Agency in Emergency Preparation Mode
Just In Case
New Orleans, LA (09/08/08) – The
Louisiana SPCA (LA/SPCA) is closely
monitoring Hurricane Ike and is
already in preparation mode to
evacuate outside of the city as well
as have essential staff on the ready
to handle post-response should Ike
impact New Orleans and the
surrounding area.
LA/SPCA’s animal shelter population
of strays and court-case animals
that were evacuated in advance of
Hurricane Gustav are already out of
harm’s way and continuing to be
cared for at the temporary facility
the agency established in Baton
Rouge. LA/SPCA director Ana Zorrilla
says the agency will not move any of
those animals from Baton Rouge back
to New Orleans in the immediate
future. “Due to the time required
to move, these evacuated animals
will remain in Baton Rouge until we
are confident that Hurricane Ike is
no longer a threat to this area,”
said Zorrilla.
 However, should Hurricane Ike
require an evacuation the LA/SPCA
will have to evacuate pets that are
now at the shelter. Animals now at
the LA/SPCA shelter in Algiers are
comprised of pets of Hurricane
Gustav evacuees who used
city-assisted evacuation, strays
that have been rescued post
Hurricane Gustav, and pets of the
city's first responders including
police, fire, and EMS workers.
To
date that totals 170 animals.
LA/SPCA continues to operate its New
Orleans shelter in disaster mode,
handling only animal emergency and
rescue calls. The agency is also
doing pet reunifications with
residents who participated in the
city assisted evacuation plan in
advance of Hurricane Gustav.
Reunifications have been taking at
the LA/SPCA’s main facility in
Algiers and since Friday 189 pets
have been reunited with their
humans.
If the LA/SPCA does have to evacuate
in advance of Hurricane Ike, the
animals currently at the shelter
will be transported to the LA/SPCA’s
temporary facility in Baton Rouge.
Zorrilla said reunifications with
Hurricane Gustav evacuees would
continue once all the animals are
returned to the main facility in
Algiers.
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