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Pasado's Story
Pasado Newsletter
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When we
left Seattle, PasadoRescuers had no where to sleep. No where to bring
the animals we saved and needed medical attention. We only had hopes of saving as many animals as possible -
and maybe we'd find a patch of dirt to lay a sleeping bag down, if we
were lucky. |
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Then one woman, from the
little Louisiana town of Houma, appeared out of nowhere. Chris Forrest,
with the Houma Chamber of Commerce, found a farm, where we could rescue
hundreds of animals, for as many weeks as we needed to. Owned by Louis &
Linda St. Martin, this 150-acre horse farm included an enormous, new
barn, that allowed PasadoRescuers to live and breathe animal rescue for
the next two months. The McMartin's opened their doors, and hearts,
willingly. |
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After
Lamar Dickson closed, the "Raceland" barn would be our home. People came
from around the country and converged on "Raceland" to help.
Every morning, rescuers
gathered for a morning meeting, left, to determine who would do what,
which teams would go into the hot zone, and which teams would stay
behind to take care of the rescued animals who needed to be fed,
cleaned, and hugged. |
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Next,
PasadoRescuers would load vans and rescuer's vehicles with dog
carriers, catch poles, water, and everything necessary to hit the road
and head into New Orleans. |
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During the day, while rescue crews were in
the field, the barn was quiet. Volunteers stayed behind to tend to those
in the infirmary who needed ongoing treatment, and they prepped for the
incoming rescues expected at dusk... |
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Separate rooms held cats,
birds, and reptiles, while the main part of the barn was covered in
dogs, dogs, dogs. Left, a cat shares recovery room with a turtle. |
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By evening, the
PasadoRescue vans would begin returning, full of animals. The vans
were able to drive in to the large barn, creating a line-up of rescue
vehicles. Vet crews off-loaded the animals, some dying from starvation
and dehydration. Others injured. Most, just scared. |
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A complete veterinary
triage ward was set-up inside the barn. The medicines and supplies came
in from around the country, donated from people in every state. We had a
veterinary triage center ready to treat every animal. We even performed
surgery on-site in this barn. An infirmary held the animals who needed
to recover or were too weak to move. Vets worked
'round-the-clock on animals. |
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Incoming
animals were treated for broken bones, contusions and abrasions -
injuries they sustained while the flood waters rose. The animals were
trapped in houses where large pieces of furniture had been tossed around
rooms - couches, tables, and bureaus hit these animals and sometimes
pinned them against walls. Their injuries reflected what they had
experienced during Katrina. What fear they must have felt. |
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And as the
weeks went on, rescuers brought back animals who looked like this. They
had gone for weeks without food or water, locked inside homes. We
rescued hundreds of dogs and cats who were skin and bone. Most survived.
Some we simply found, too late. |
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When all
of the incoming animals had been triaged, PasadoRescuers were able to
take a break and eat dinner. Hundreds of people paid for catered dinners
for our rescuers, keeping them healthy and ready for the next day of
saving lives. We could never thank those who did this for our crews,
enough.
After dinner, there was
time for a re-cap evening meeting. |
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Work went
on well into the night. Every night. Every dog was walked at least three
times a day. But kennels had to be cleaned. Litter pans changed. Injured
animals had to be watched sometimes 24-hours-a-day. In the first few
weeks, PasadoRescuers averaged 3 hours of sleep a night. |
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The St. Martin's gave up
so much to make miracles happen. Hundreds of "strangers" were welcomed
onto their property. We overflowed their septic system, trampled their
grounds, used their electricity and water. And in the end, 1200 animals
were saved because of what they generously sacrificed. We had the sign,
left, made for Louis and Linda. It now hangs in the barn that made
history. Louis told us at the end "I built this barn for something. I
just didn't know what. Now I know." |
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We could have never saved as many lives without Louis and Linda, and
without the compassion and energy of vets who helped, from the soul.
Meet some of them here. |
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