Capital Area pet lovers persevere

In the six years since hurricanes Katrina and Rita swept people and pets from their homes, animal welfare in Louisiana has undergone a stunning evolution, writes Adrian Hirsch in the cover story of the October issue of 225 magazine. The storms smashed antiquated shelters and exposed the harsh realities of life for many Louisiana dogs and cats—both owned and homeless. From the time rescuers began pulling disoriented, dehydrated, exhausted pets from floodwaters and deserted homes, Baton Rouge was awash in a sea of animals in shelters that stretched from Lamar-Dixon in Gonzales to LSU’s AgCenter to Dixon Correctional Institute in Jackson. The condition of the animals was as appalling as the volume. A tremendous influx of staff and volunteers from the ASPCA, Humane Society of the United States and other national organizations triaged and treated injuries for everything from dog-fighting, chronic disease, long-term abuse and neglect to recent trauma, and they transported animals all over the country for adoption. By the time the “temporary” shelters were shuttered more than a year later, a national no-kill movement was catching on. Soon, local animal lovers were no longer content to accept high euthanasia rates, poor shelter conditions or old excuses blaming the problems on too many unwanted animals, too few homes and too few dollars in municipal budgets. The 10 people highlighted in the cover story demanded immediate change. And when meaningful improvements didn’t happen, they implemented their own ideas to improve animal welfare. Read about them here.