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Grants
will reimburse animal rescue groups
October 2,
2008
Just last week, the Greater New Orleans Foundation announced the
distribution of grant money, in the form of reimbursements totaling
nearly half a million dollars, to animal welfare organizations that
performed rescue operations after Hurricane Katrina. Twenty-four
grants totaling $450,673.98 have been distributed to organizations
in 11 states including Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.
The reimbursements are for direct costs associated with the rescue
and care of animals affected by Hurricane Katrina, and was the
result of a 2007 ruling by the California Attorney General's Office.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation, which serves more than 700
charitable funds and endowments in our area, was selected by the
California Attorney General's Office to manage the reimbursement
funds. Charitable organizations in Louisiana that received
reimbursements were the Louisiana SPCA, Spaymart, Animal Rescue New
Orleans, PAWS of Northeast Louisiana, St. Francis Animal Sanctuary
and the Animal Protection and Welfare Society.
All grantees are public charities that demonstrated, with copies of
bills and receipts, that they provided animal emergency relief and
recovery activities from Aug. 29, 2005 to the present. The Greater
New Orleans Foundation said additional grants will be distributed
from this fund.
In another example of giving back on behalf of our four-legged
friends, thanks to Blake Vonder Haar, the Bywater Art Market at
Markey Park at Royal and Piety streets will be getting a dog-themed
makeover Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. when it will become the
Bywater Bark Market for an event to raise money for the Louisiana
SPCA's heartworm fund, which provides treatment for adoptable
shelter animals.
When you consider that at least 50 percent of companion animals that
enter the animal shelter are heartworm positive, it's certainly a
fund worth supporting. The Bywater Bark Market will include free
microchipping, animal art and pet portraits and a blessing of the
pets.
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Gloria Dauphin
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