As reported by CNN last night:

Two cadaver-dog teams, one from Maine, the other from New York, who are searching the rubble in the Hurricane Katrina ravaged nineth ward of New Orleans, have suspended their search because they have no accomodations or a veterinarian that was promised them. FEMA renegged on the promise of hotel accomodations, and payment of hotel rooms at the Doubletree Motel, and payment of a veterinarian it had promised both teams. FEMA said it was the state's responsibility to house these teams. The manager of the motel told one of the team members that he had FEMA forms they could fill out---but they were forms meant to be filled out by homeless victims of the hurricane. The team member speaking for the teams said they could not do that cause it would be fraud.

Somebody really dropped the ball on this one---now it appears families who still have missing loved ones from Katrina may never find out what happened to them. You could say, "how come the teams can't pay for their own accomodations?" I say that is irrelevent, considering they were promised these accomodations, and they are giving of their services for free. This is yet another example of the blatant incompetence of the Homeland Security Agency and this Adminstration

sickening

but I have a few problems with this story, are there NO vets that will take care of these dogs for free? are there no people to put them up while they look for there loved ones?

I realize that the government droped the ball, but aren't the locals droping their own collective balls?

I am sickened by this news, but I am also sickened by the lack of local response

I agree with you! I am sickened by this story too-----hence my posting........It certainly got to me.....I don't really know the circumstances except what was reported, but it they were promised something.......it should have been delievered, plus this search is more than a bit delayed as it is.......I did hear this morning, that anchor Miles O'Brien on CNN was talking to the reporter on scene saying, "Maybe we could put these guys up........" Hopefully something could be worked out

thats the thing about stories like this, we can all hurt our knees jerking them around too much

It has been around for a while, I have seen no link to any story (got link?) anyone?

I manage a veterinary hospital, let me help you understand the cost burden of caring for these animals privately. Aside from the issue of possibly displacing the animals that we've agreed to care for, for our regular clients, the millions of dollars necessary to collect, care for, and treat these animals would increase the cost of people who are already paying for veterinary services substantially. Want a spay to cost $500 instead of $100? Want a rabies vaccine to be $100 instead of $20? We can't elevate the cost of treating owned animals to subsidize un-owned animals, especially when we cannot assure they will have homes in the future.

Even if we *did* collect these animals and treat them so that they were appropriate for rehoming, every state is already euthanizing homeless animals. Spending millions of dollars to prepare animals for rehoming, when a shortage of homes already exists isn't wise. We already can't afford to treat homeless or even owned animals that walk into our clinic every day--transporting them from other places would bankrupt private practice. All of this, to save the lives of animals that stand a high probability of being euthanized because no homes exist anyhow.

Private practices often operate on a profit margin so low that few other businesses would feel it worthwhile to keep the doors open. The professional staff make 1/4 or less than comparably educated people in human fields. We receive ZERO government funding.

There are charities that are helping to house and care for these animals. If this is meaningful to you, I'd donate to those charities, they help veterinary clinics defray the cost of assisting in these emergencies. Noah's Wish is an excellent choice, and the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Board is taking donations as well.

Of course, the best way to do our individual part in perpetuating this problem is to spay and neuter your pets.

I was refering to the dogs in the post

Two cadaver-dog teams, one from Maine, the other from New York, who are searching the rubble in the Hurricane Katrina ravaged nineth ward of New Orleans, have suspended their search because they have no accomodations or a veterinarian that was promised them

Exactly! There are millions of dollars sitting unclaimed that were donated for Katrina-related needs. I would say a cadavar dog (or two or three or four) searching for victims would qualify for some of those dollars. To house and feed and care for these dogs and their handlers who should be otherwise healthy is NOT that expensive.
The working dog and purebred dog community is pretty tight. It's hard for me to believe that the dog's respective breed clubs wouldn't kick in and help fund these search dogs, or at least whatever SAR organization these dogs/handlers belong to. Knowing purebred dogs well, both show and working dogs, I'm somewhat suspicious of the CNN story...something is missing.
Nonetheless, funding is only a problem because once again FEMA is failing to get off of their asses and actually do something....the money IS there!

For the cadaver dogs specifically, I also find it hard to believe that no one in the search and rescue clubs would help them, but I also think it shouldn't be their responsibility to do so. We have a lot of money spent, with little to show for it.

Also, I'm not sure about the regs *there*, but here, cadaver dogs have to be housed specially, because of biohazard issues. My thought would be that in NOLA, it's all biohazardous in some areas.

I havent searched for links, but there could be some in AC transcripts.
As posted in new thread in general.....locals, including CNN offered to pay for rooms but hotels wanted forms signed saying they were evacuees which Maine refused to do.
Maine decided to pull the units despite local offers because the red tape was too thick.

they do anticipate more local SE units to arrive shortly....tho Maines units were referred to as the best in the country.

Go to CNN.com, especially Anderson Cooper's site there am am sure you would find the story, since I saw it on the channel...most likely it would be on the site since the story was held over to the next morning with Miles O'Brien

I think we are missing the point.

The dog story is terrible!

But the point is that no one is in charge!!!!

Who is coordinating all the little actions that are necessary to recover and rebuild a disaster area.

It sounds like we have dozens of different independent offices that don't talk to each other.

An analogy would be the difference between the results of a laser beam (coordinated light) or a the scattered shot of a sawed off shot gun.

another example of the inept shrub administration.

Yes.......anyone trying to do anything down there all say the same thing: No one is in charge. No one....
Lack of leadership follows this cabal like skunk scent.....

[Sarcasm & Cynicism Alert]

I think the dogs are being sent to the Bahamas, to look for Natalie Holloway.
(At the request of Nancy Grace?)

What's really important here? Dead black people? or a missing blonde?
(Which one sells more copies of USA Today?)

Sorry, I haven't taken my anti-cynicism medication yet today.



Mac

I have 500 mg. of Cynicillin here for you.

My husband was deployed there for three weeks, remember when they were short police officers? They sat in a Red Roof Inn and played cribbage for three weeks, waiting for someone to tell them what to do. They called, the CO's called, they went out trying to find someone in charge, it was ridiculous.

I'm nothing if not a stickler for details, so I'm going to have to make some corrections. First off, Natalee Holloway was in Aruba when she disappeared, not the Bahamas. The Bahamas is about 50 miles off the coast of Florida, whereas Aruba is just off the coast of Venezuela. Secondly, when it comes to the way over covering of that case, I think Nancy Grace is beat out by Fox's Greta Van Facelift.

Busted!!! You must be a Fauxsnooze watcher.

Aruba?????
No wonder they couldn't find her!!

(Dammit, I missed the Alzheimers support group meeting this month too.)


Mac