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UPDATE on the Louisiana Morganza Spillway Cats
Message from: Gayril Gibson
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 5:56 PM
Subject: The Morganza Spillway Welcome Center Cats As the person who initiated the concern about the cats at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center let me thank each person who has reacted and worked together to rescue the cats at the Center who are in grave danger from the opening of the Morganza Spillway. As an update, in case you are not aware, Pam Leavy and members of CAAWS in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will be present at the Welcome Center early tomorrow Morning in an attempt to rescue as many cats as is possible. Additionally, I understand there are other groups on "standby" to return to the Center to trap any cats left over. Several of the affected cats are "friendly" so I expect they can just be picked up. Pam Leavy and CAAWS will provide shelter to the cats until things "settle down" and more information is obtained regarding the future of the Welcome Center after the flooding. CAAWS has "stepped up to the plate" in a big way and I am particularly impressed with this organization. It is my understanding several organizations are being "bombarded" with panic emails regarding these cats (including LSART). I have received numerous phone calls today from as far away as Seattle, Washington and the New York City area … with concerned people who have read emails and facebook postings … all wanting to do "something" to help the cats. Unfortunately, however, the story of the cats has mutated and there are now many variations of the original factual story including claims "there are hundreds of dog and cats sitting on the Morganza Spillway levees about to die in the flood" …. "there are 25 to 50 cats at the Welcome Center about to die" … "the Corps of Engineers is purposefully killing animals" … etc. . . Quite frankly the stories I am hearing from callers range from just plain incorrect to wildly psychotic. One caller even went so far as to state she was about to fly to New Orleans and go into the Morganza Spillway by herself to rescue "all the drowning animals." (I, of course, helped her understand there were no "drowning animals" at present and she had no business in the spillway area when it opened.) I also received two calls today (one from a major National Animal Rights Group) regarding an apparent pack of feral dogs who are along the spillway levee. While I have no knowledge of this situation the story I am hearing is that the dogs are "marooned" and surrounded by water at present. Of course, we all know the Morganza Spillway has not even opened so I'm not sure how these animals could possibly be "marooned" and I would think that when the water begins to rise the dogs will simply move to the side of the levee that is dry and/or travel to an unflooded location. This story again appears to be mutating from its original factual basis and the callers who mentioned the story could not provide a specific location of these alleged dogs. May I ask a favor, please? Would you PLEASE send an email to your contacts, place a post on any related social media sites that deal with the Morganza Spillway situation, and "put out the word" that the Welcome Center Cats will be rescued and everything that can presently be done for the animals is being done? Based on the calls I have received and emails I have seen word needs to "get out" that the situation is under control at present. Might I also suggest that if people want to help the Welcome Center Cats the best thing they can do, presently, is send a donation to CAAWS to help pay for the care the cats will receive in coming days. Of course, if the cats are, indeed, "friendly" and "adoptable" I'm sure these cats who would have surely died in the flood would welcome the opportunity to live in a "forever home." The CAAWS website is … http://www.caaws.org .
Again, thank you to everyone who has worked to rescue the Morganza Spillway Cats. Gayril Gibson
ggibson1 @ att. net (remove spaces)
504-432-0827 (cell)
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 5:56 PM
Subject: The Morganza Spillway Welcome Center Cats As the person who initiated the concern about the cats at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center let me thank each person who has reacted and worked together to rescue the cats at the Center who are in grave danger from the opening of the Morganza Spillway. As an update, in case you are not aware, Pam Leavy and members of CAAWS in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will be present at the Welcome Center early tomorrow Morning in an attempt to rescue as many cats as is possible. Additionally, I understand there are other groups on "standby" to return to the Center to trap any cats left over. Several of the affected cats are "friendly" so I expect they can just be picked up. Pam Leavy and CAAWS will provide shelter to the cats until things "settle down" and more information is obtained regarding the future of the Welcome Center after the flooding. CAAWS has "stepped up to the plate" in a big way and I am particularly impressed with this organization. It is my understanding several organizations are being "bombarded" with panic emails regarding these cats (including LSART). I have received numerous phone calls today from as far away as Seattle, Washington and the New York City area … with concerned people who have read emails and facebook postings … all wanting to do "something" to help the cats. Unfortunately, however, the story of the cats has mutated and there are now many variations of the original factual story including claims "there are hundreds of dog and cats sitting on the Morganza Spillway levees about to die in the flood" …. "there are 25 to 50 cats at the Welcome Center about to die" … "the Corps of Engineers is purposefully killing animals" … etc. . . Quite frankly the stories I am hearing from callers range from just plain incorrect to wildly psychotic. One caller even went so far as to state she was about to fly to New Orleans and go into the Morganza Spillway by herself to rescue "all the drowning animals." (I, of course, helped her understand there were no "drowning animals" at present and she had no business in the spillway area when it opened.) I also received two calls today (one from a major National Animal Rights Group) regarding an apparent pack of feral dogs who are along the spillway levee. While I have no knowledge of this situation the story I am hearing is that the dogs are "marooned" and surrounded by water at present. Of course, we all know the Morganza Spillway has not even opened so I'm not sure how these animals could possibly be "marooned" and I would think that when the water begins to rise the dogs will simply move to the side of the levee that is dry and/or travel to an unflooded location. This story again appears to be mutating from its original factual basis and the callers who mentioned the story could not provide a specific location of these alleged dogs. May I ask a favor, please? Would you PLEASE send an email to your contacts, place a post on any related social media sites that deal with the Morganza Spillway situation, and "put out the word" that the Welcome Center Cats will be rescued and everything that can presently be done for the animals is being done? Based on the calls I have received and emails I have seen word needs to "get out" that the situation is under control at present. Might I also suggest that if people want to help the Welcome Center Cats the best thing they can do, presently, is send a donation to CAAWS to help pay for the care the cats will receive in coming days. Of course, if the cats are, indeed, "friendly" and "adoptable" I'm sure these cats who would have surely died in the flood would welcome the opportunity to live in a "forever home." The CAAWS website is … http://www.caaws.org
Again, thank you to everyone who has worked to rescue the Morganza Spillway Cats. Gayril Gibson
ggibson1 @ att. net (remove spaces)
504-432-0827 (cell)
Posterous is the place to post everything. Just email us.
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