Katrina: caring for canine victims Katrina: caring for canine victims (September 21, 2005)

What's even more heartbreaking than leaving behind your home and all your possessions? Having to abandon beloved pets, which is something many victims of Hurricane Katrina were forced to do.

The Peninsula Humane Society is sheltering about 60 dogs rescued from hurricane-devastated areas that were flown into the San Francisco airport last week. Many of the animals are staying in temporary kennels in the animal shelter's back parking lot in San Mateo, while others have been taken in by local groups such as Shamrock Ranch in Pacifica.

The Peninsula Humane Society has established a Hurricane Katrina hotline with information about its involvement, and is forming a list of potential foster families to care for the displaced dogs.

Prospective foster families must be San Mateo County residents who are willing and able to provide food and veterinary care, if necessary.

The shelter is also seeking donations of towels and blankets, bags of pine shavings and Nutro Max regular adult dog food, which may be dropped off in front of the shelter anytime.
INFORMATION

To get on the list of prospective foster families for dogs, send an e-mail to Kathy Freis at kfreis@peninsulahumanesociety.org. To reach the Peninsula Humane Society's hurricane information hotline, call 340-7022 and press 2.

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