It was the largest companion (and farmed) animal tragedy in modern U.S. history. Original-ARNO's base was a shabby nail salon and debris-filled lot at Magazine and Felicity Streets, the only NOLA property found that wasn't reserved for human survivors. But volunteers came from everywhere. The (infamous) List of evacuee requests to save animals trapped in homes (3000 addresses) left Lamar Dixon in the hands of original-ARNO cofounders. In late October, a dog dubbed Bubbles was rescued from a bathtub. Emaciated and weak, Bubbles was the last known animal found alive inside a home.
Original-ARNO also sheltered-in-place, servicing 2,800 food/water stations over 650 square miles in Orleans, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines Parishes. Working from grid maps of the Greater New Olreans area, volunteers not only sustained animals, but also facilitated reunions with reports on each sighted animal. As original-ARNO's Food/Water Assignments Director, Kinship Circle's Brenda Shoss dispatched volunteers to 50 different mapped sections. Animals who survived initial disaster stages now faced starvation and dehydration, with no food or water sources in Katrina ghostlands.
Position | ARNO Coordinator |
---|---|
ARNO Cofounders/Directors | Jane Garrison, Pia Salk, David Meyer |
National Volunteer Co-Coordinators | Kate Danaher, Brenda Shoss |
Supplies Coordinator | Colleen Kessler |
Food/Water Assignments Director | Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle |
Ground Food/Water Program | Cadi Schiffer |
Food/Water Maps & Data Management | Kim Johnson |
Food/Water Assignment Spreadsheets | Judie Mancuso |
On-Site General Admin Director | Jessica Higgins |
Administrative Coordinator | Bettina Rosmarino |
Cat Trapping & TNR Coordinators, Trapping Requests | Sharon Secovich |
Dog Trapping Coordinator | Jessica Higgins |
Trapping Admin / Emergency (pregnant, sick, injured) | Jane Garrison |
Reunion Coordinators | Liz Dubuis, Rose Moonwater |
Reunion Consultant | Donna Schwender, Stealth Volunteers |
Guardians Searching For Lost Animals / Dogs | Sharon Secovich |
Guardians Searching For Lost Animals / Cats | Liz Dubuis |
Guardians Searching For Lost Animals / Consultant | Anita Wollison, No Animal Left Behind |
Dead End Guardian Searches | Bettina Rosmarino |
Webmaster | Rose Moonwater |
Special Projects | Sharon Secovich |