On January 11, 2007, Susan and a small team of Angel’s Gate volunteers returned to New Orleans. They visited the most devastated areas and assisted in the ongoing efforts of ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans).

More then 16 months after Hurricane Katrina hit the coast of Louisiana, there is still devastation. There are still people and animals in need. On January 11, 2007, I departed for New Orleans, Louisiana with a group led by Susan Marino, founder of Angel’s Gate Hospice and Rehabilitation Center for Animals. Our main focus was revisiting devastated areas in which Susan had done animal rescue work after the Hurricane, and helping the victims that remain to this day.

We arrived around 9 am Central time. After locating our luggage, being bussed to a car rental center and renting a minivan, we proceeded to a private school which, after the initial devastation, was used as a central point of animal rescue. As we made our way to the school, we could see the stark contrast between areas which were affected by the storm surge and those which were not. The storm surge is the most damaging and deadly phase of a Hurricane. Even then, it was clear that the school had been badly affected by the storm surge. The swimming pool was still filled with muddy water. There was still a slight musty odor in the buildings, and the water line was evident on the outside of the buildings through out the campus. Meeting with the school’s principal and head mistress was an opportunity to hear firsthand how Hurricane Katrina affected residents living in the areas affected by the storm surge.

Later that day, we worked for about three hours at Animal Rescue of New Orleans (ARNO). ARNO was created by a group of animal lovers to care for Katrina victims. It cares for over two hundred animals and has the goal of reuniting them with their owners, but in many cases that is not possible as the owner’s homes have been destroyed. I performed a wide range of tasks at the shelter including cleaning cat and dog cages, walking dogs, socializing with cats, cleaning littler boxes and doing laundry. I felt special connections to Marsha and Marcus, who are chow mixes.

On our second day in New Orleans, we left the old bordello in which we were staying early to visit the home Kay, a woman Susan had met during her initial rescue visits. We met her personal zoo, which consisted of several handfuls of dogs, cats and horses. Molly, one of her Katrina horses, had been attacked by a dog which was also a Katrina victim. She had to have her right font leg amputated. She ambulated quite well and even more so when her prosthesis was applied.

Later we visited the home of Smokey, a cat Susan had rescued during one of her previous visits to Louisiana. We saw the picture that was taken of the cat when she was emaciated following seven weeks of roaming after the hurricane. There has been a tremendous improvement, and this save was one of Susan’s biggest success stories from her rescue experience. Talking to the family of the cat was a heart wrenching experience. Their home had been badly affected by water damage form the storm and they told us of their frightening experience of evacuating to a local convention center and being forced to let their cat roam free to help him survive. They said they thought they would never see him again, and that they had been overjoyed to hear that he had been trapped. Our visit with Smokey’s family concluded with a group picture.

Once again, we concluded our day by putting in a few hours at ARNO. It was so sad to see all these animals waiting to be reunited with their owners, knowing that many would never be as their homes had been destroyed, or lives rebuilt elsewhere.

During our time spent in New Orleans, we not only did rescue work but also visited devastated areas so that the three of us (including myself) who had never seen the devastation could get an idea of how bad it still was. Only about fifty percent of the population had returned to most areas. In the worst of the worst areas, there were even fewer returnees. It was clear which areas had been near the site of the levee break that ultimately caused the brunt of the damage to the coastal community. Many houses had been gutted out (everything except the wood frame removed) to prevent mold buildup. Near the coast, there were dozens of drowned trees which had been unable to handle the amount of water that washed over them after the storm surge. There were still areas that were wastelands.

On our fourth day we assisted a group of rescuers in setting up traps in a gutted house. Although we did not actually see any animals, we were told we would be humanely trapping some kittens. I still find it hard to believe that animals continue to roam as a resulted of the destruction and devastation. We spend the last hour before heading to the airport saying goodbye to our human and animals friends at ARNO.

Four days of hard work were also four days of new and eye opening experiences for me. Seeing the remaining devastation in my own country really made me wonder where the money collected for Katrina relief did go.

It also made me realize how lucky I am to live in an area that has not been devastated by a natural disaster. The animal victims of Katrina continue to multiply, and their offspring will roam about and will continue to be in need for years to come.