Thanks for the puppy rescue picture. Makes me feel like my Humane Society donation was well spent (not that this was an HS operation, but I'm just glad pets are being cared for.)

Anyone watch the Hurricane Relief concert on NBC? Kanye West went off-script, said the slow response time was because most of the victims were poor and black, and closed with "George Bush doesn't care about black people." [link]

Not to put a damper on donations, but I've heard from friends in the biz that Humane Society of the US (HSUS) tends to be big and flashy and have monstrous ineffective overhead. Something like only 25% of donations go towards rescue work - the rest sucked up in admin costs.

Possible other orgs that might do better work with your donation:

ASPCA [link]

Noah's Wish [link]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SACRAMENTO, CA (August 31, 2005) – United Animal Nations (UAN) is sending leaders with its Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) into Louisiana to assist with the evacuation of a reported 175 animals at a Metairie animal hospital. The State of Louisiana Office of Emergency Services has given Sacramento, California-based UAN permission to enter the state and assist with animal disaster relief and rescue efforts.

“Our phones are ringing off the hook with calls from frantic evacuees who can’t get back to their animals,” said UAN president Jennifer Fearing. “We don’t know what we’ll see when we get there, but we’re hopeful that our presence will lead to further animal rescue efforts in the hurricane-ravaged area.”

On Monday, UAN put its nationwide network of 2,300 trained EARS volunteers on alert for a potential response to Hurricane Katrina. Since then, nearly 650 people from all 50 U.S. states have reported their willingness to respond as needed. These volunteers include skilled search and rescue personnel, veterinary technicians, veterinarians and animal shelter directors. Additionally, UAN has been flooded with offers of land in the area to serve as a staging area, air, water and land transportation, horse trailers, mobile veterinary clinics and a virtual fleet of trucks and RVs.

Supporting UAN’s efforts will be Colorado-based Code 3 Associates, whose base of operations is its Mobile Command Vehicle, a massive, self-sufficient disaster-relief tractor and trailer unit that is leaving imminently for Louisiana. The Code 3 vehicle is being sponsored by IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare -- www.ifaw.org), which is sending its international Emergency Relief Team to join Code 3 and UAN on the ground in Metairie.

During the past fifteen years and through more than sixty disasters, EARS volunteers have helped thousands of animal disaster victims, including more than 400 animals during last summer's devastating string of hurricanes in Florida.

EARS disaster rescues are funded by donations and provided free of charge to the affected communities. To contribute to the EARS Hurricane Katrina effort, send donations to UAN, P.O. Box 188890, Sacramento, CA 95818 or give online. Daily updates about the EARS response to Hurricane Katrina are available at our online Action Report.

[link]

For some reason, I can't get the DC one to load now. The other one is still very cute, as are the dogs.

I'm almost sorry I threw away so much stuff with the move, but "gently used" does not describe stuff that we get rid of, and if it's still got use in it, odds are we need it. It sucks to be poor and unable to help.

For ita, and anyone else who's ever had their bandwidth stolen through hotlinks, revenge is a dish best served deep fried: [link]

Not to put a damper on donations, but I've heard from friends in the biz that Humane Society of the US (HSUS) tends to be big and flashy and have monstrous ineffective overhead. Something like only 25% of donations go towards rescue work - the rest sucked up in admin costs.

It's not that bad. 65.7% of monies go to programs according to Charity Navigator. That's actually about average.

[link]

Compare with the ASPCA. 78% to programs, but almost all that 22% is fundraising.

[link]

Noah's Wish I saw on the WWL webcasts -- they had people in boats picking up pets in the floodwaters. So they're on the ground right now in NOLA.

revenge is a dish best served deep fried

DAMN. Of course, I really want a burger now, but that's not the point. I can't believe the web "designer" did that, and serves them damned right.

Shit.

******

Evacuee bus overturns in La.; one killed
9/2/2005, 5:57 p.m. CT

The Associated Press  

OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) — One Hurricane Katrina evacuee died and many others were injured when a bus carrying them from the Superdome swerved across a highway median and overturned Friday.

The accident happened when the driver lost control of the bus, but other details about what caused the wreck were not immediately known, said Trooper Willie Williams, spokesman for the state police.

Between 45 and 50 people were on the bus; every one was transported to a hospital, he said.

"We have multiple critical injuries and multiple serious injuries and some minor injuries," Williams said.

The bus overturned about 130 miles west of New Orleans.

The bus was the last of five charter buses in a convoy from New Orleans. It was unclear where the storm victims were being taken.

revenge is a dish best served deep fried

That's genius.