McCain steals Gulf pets for Photo Op

I'm on an animal rescue list and this post has been making the rounds.  Now that the flood is receding, the politicians are coming out of the woodwork trying to look like they care or something.  This latest one has owned dogs being boarded at a shelter taken to Arizona so Senator McCain can get a photo op greeting the plane.

PBGVCA Rescue Coordinator

Yesterday and today OWNED DOGS were shipped out of Louisiana to fill "orders" of large organizations.

I was at the Lamar Dixon facility today where I watched them scramble around to try to find 200 dogs to ship on a plane to Arizona. Apparently, Senator McCain called the La State Veternarian and placed an "order" for 200 dogs. Well, there were not 200 there to send that were not owned or pit bulls, so I think they stopped at 160. This is happening so Sen. McCain can have photos taken when the plane lands in Arizona.

In the meantime, Kevin Wright calls me today because his mother's white poodle was shipped out - probably yesterday or Friday. His mother was an evacuee staying at the Lamar Dixon facility. Her pet poodle was in the shelter part of the facility - CLEARLY MARKED - owner in L.D. shelter - I saw this little poodle, but did not try to write her number down or anything because I knew her owner was there at the shelter. There is no telling where her baby went. They last remember seeing her Thursday.

First there was no forms or procedures in place, several of us got approval from Laura and were allowed to take some out into fostering. On Thursday, I was told by Barbara Calahan (probably not spelled right) of IWAF that Laura was not in charge of who got to take animals out. She would only send out to authorized groups. I had been authorized by Laura in writing on Sept 12th, but that was now not good enough.

ASPCA is doing the authorizing. After two more days of hell, I finally got all the forms and authorization from the ASPCA to foster poodles today, but Barbara will not let me take any until "orders" are filled. I cried today. I did everything exactly as I should and got all the authorizations. Now, Barbara tells me that she gets her direction from Melissa Reubin of IWAF who is the Incident Comander. I am told that I am about 35 on the cue, so that all the poodles here now will be sent all over until they get to me???? So other breed rescues like myself are probably not going to be able to save their breed. Louisiana dogs are being sent all over and Louisiana rescue groups are not being allowed to help their owners get them back. It is another tragedy of Katrina. So many people have lost everything and now being reunited with their pets will be even more difficult. If the politicians like Senator McCain want to help, they should help fund one big shelter in Louisiana where all the pets can be held or fostered out of.

Please pass this along to other breed rescues - maybe they will be more successful than me. Please contact me and let me know what I am doing wrong. I have tried everything....

I'd like to see the press cover this entire story beyond the photo op so if anyone has ideas, please let me know.