Assistant State Vet: Louisiana Horse Rescues Underway, Donations
Needed
by: Stephanie L. Church, News Editor
September 2005 Article # 6109

Article Tools



"Horses are being pulled out as we speak," said Martha Littlefield,
assistant state veterinarian for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and
Forestry. The Horse spoke with Littlefield yesterday (Sept. 6) about the state
of Louisiana's equine rescue activities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Littlefield has been fielding hundreds--if not thousands--of phone calls from
individuals regarding rescues.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Littlefield said that two veterinarians
were being air dropped into an area with a barn containing 40 animals. "They
need to triage those animals," she said. "I think it's in St. Bernard, one of
the parishes that was really hard-hit with the hurricane and a lot of water. She
said that once animals are brought out and decontaminated, their care has been
very well coordinated by veterinarians. Some of the horses that have been taken
care of and claimed have been moved away from the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in
Gonzales, La., where equines have been taken after evacuation.

There are still many horses that have yet to be found, and
Littlefield hopes that if people know of pockets of horses in parts of Louisiana
that they would call the Horse Hurricane Helpline or report it on Louisiana's
central information site about animal evacuees: www.vetmed.lsu.edu. Littlefield
echoed the statements of many officials over the past week: "The problem right
now is getting to these animals."

"Also, gasoline is a big issue right now," said Littlefield, "and
it's being handled by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Gas and diesel
are in very short supply and have to be partitioned off to all the rescue
officers."

Littlefield encourages people to make financial donations to the
rescue efforts by visiting www.vetmed.lsu.edu. The site gives information on
types of supplies that are needed, but she says a financial donation is probably
the best at this point.

"We have hay coming from two areas of the country," Littlefield
added. "But we'll need more, not exactly today, but in the long-term. This was a
catastrophic event that's going to last longer than a few weeks. The money to
purchase items is going to be essential and it's only going to the horses."

Volunteer information is also included on the site. "This is a
long-term thing," she added. "It's very difficult to get people to come in
because if someone wants to volunteer, they have to have their own place to
stay, their own everything--they have to be totally self-sufficient."




"To know a Thoroughbred is to be lifted up to a place of unparalleled passion,
exhilaration and transcendence. Look into the eyes of a Thoroughbred and feel
his supreme power and spirit, and you'll be lifted up to a special place of
beauty, passion, possibility and freedom." - Unknown

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]