[Update: 20:10 EST 9-8-05 Success!!! Thank you Iconoclastic Cat for the scoop and thank you Kossacks for your work today! And yes, thank you FEMA, especially the field workers....The decision: the national guard will assist pet organizations' efforts AND allow people to evacuate WITH their pets!!!!!!
Fixed link. BTW, let's unrecommend this so Kagro X's excellent diary doesn't get bumped.]
Right now the pets aren't being rescued by FEMA or the other regular rescue workers, only by pet rescue groups who are restricted by FEMA... they are slowly starving to death!!! That has changed as of tonight and after our afternoon campaign just prior to the decision, calling everyone who would listen.
[Update: 19:47 EST 9-8-05 As phatass says below, this is "relevant in a lot of ways" ... and Ghandi thought so too, per phat:
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in
which its animals are treated." - Mahatma Ghandhi]
[Update 13:50 9-8-05 - THANK YOU for recommending this up to the recommended list... God bless you all... ]
[Update 14:53 9-8-05 - Maybe we can start calling the media for help to pressure FEMA on this now that they are no longer answering the phones?
Still no web-site update about the decision on FEMA's news release link. When will they realize that animals die while they wait!!!!????]
[Update 15:20 9-8-05
*CNN* online contact form
*MSNBC* viewerservices@msnbc.com letters@msnbc.com
*CBS* click contact at bottom
*ABC* support@abcnews.go.com NETAUDR@abc.com
This is who I have contacted so far.]
[Update: 16:42 9-8-05 PLEASE stop the human vs. pets arguments... I should have mentioned to match donations AT A MINIMUM to the Red Cross and the other effective organizations but I didn't really think this would make the recommended list so I didn't think to do that... let's WORK OVER the media on this one!!! Ok GO!]