To whom it may concern:
The Humane Society of the U.S. has raised around $4 million around the Katrina disaster. You have some of my money, in fact. So why, then, are the rescue organizations begging for boats and volunteers to help rescue animals in NO?
$4 million is HALLIBURTON money, people. The HSUS needs to use EVERY PENNY it has raised around Katrina for animal rescue. That means no more begging for boats and people - HIRE THEM! Go to Halliburton or someone and say, "Here's 4 million dollars. Buy boats and get as many people as you can in there and get these animals out. Then build out our shelters to accommodate them."
I just saw CNN's latest story on animal rescue, and Soledad O'Brien was following some beefy New Jersey HSUS rescuer around. He said that besides his crew, there are three others, and his crew picks up about 150 dogs a day. He said there were 3,000 homes whose owners called and asked to have their animals rescued. It seems like HSUS has just enough people there to get some media attention but not enough to make much of a dent in the problem. I know that HSUS is not the only organization on the ground there, but how in the world are volunteers supposed to get to 3,000 homes, plus get the stranded and stray animals off the street? There just aren't enough of them.
Lemme tell ya, when this is all over and the animal rescue has stopped, I am going to ask the HSUS very pointedly how much of the Katrina money was spent on rescuing animal victims of Katrina. If I discover that HSUS banked a lot of that money for ongoing legislative and administrative expenses, I will ask for my donation back and I will start a campaign to have others do the same.
$4 million ought to buy some results. I think I and all the others who gave money to HSUS have a right to expect them.