Tag Archives: Hurricane Katrina

Sandra Bullock Wins Humanitarian Award

Last Wednesday, the People’s Choice Awards was held at the Nokia Theater.  These awards are pretty cool because the celebrity honors are chosen by the people rather than industry professionals like the other award shows. The Hunger Games won five awards, singer Katy Perry won three, and Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston won for best comedic actors. One special award went to Sandra Bullock, not for acting, but for her humanitarian efforts. Bullock was recognized for her many philanthropic efforts.  She has been a great supporter of the American Red Cross, having given the organization millions over the years after … Continue reading →

Comic Relief Returns

If you have been missing Comic Relief, you will be glad to know it is returning! The three original comedian hosts – Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robin Williams – will return on November 18th to resurrect their fundraising comedy concert. This is the first time in almost eight years the three have gotten together and this time, the money will go to victims of Hurricane Katrina, including both humans and the animals displaced because of the storm. Due to many factors including lack of housing and jobs, a year after the storm, the New Orleans population is estimated to … Continue reading →

Mental Illness in Katrina Survivors

A year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, researchers are finding — not surprisingly — that the rate of serious mental illness in areas ravaged by the storm has doubled. A survey of more than a thousand survivors shows that approximately fifteen percent of survivors were diagnosed with a serious mental illness after the storm. The survey was performed by researchers from Harvard, and appears to be the biggest mental health study done after the devastating hurricane. If the survey results are accurate, we may see as many as two hundred thousand people from the Gulf Coast — including … Continue reading →

A Year After Katrina

Hurricane Katrina separated thousands of pets from their owners. A year later, hundreds of pets are still homeless, living in a converted warehouse that serves as New Orleans’ temporary animal shelter — an old coffee warehouse that has no air conditioning and no drainage system. Most of the animals that were rescued after the hurricane and flooding — approximately eighty percent of the sixteen thousand recovered animals — have found new homes or been reunited with their original owners. The ones who remain in the shelter were strays found during the cleanup or pets given up by owners who couldn’t … Continue reading →

Hurricane Katrina Survivors Still Getting Support One Year Later

It seems to me that Americans, as a whole, generally have a short attention span. Hollywood seems a microcosm of America, perhaps having the shortest attention span of all. So I was happy to read recently that with the upcoming one-year anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy, Hollywood is still giving. Last week, a party/benefit was held for MoveOn’s hurricanehousing.org program. This program helped find housing for more than 30,000 people and these stories were chronicled in a book titled “It Takes a Nation.” The benefit brought out such celebrities as singer Moby and actresses Rosie Perez and Julie Stiles. … Continue reading →

Emergency Preparedness For Pets

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Hurricane season begins June 1st. After last year’s deadly hurricane season, it makes sense to have a disaster plan in place for your family AND your pets. Being prepared can save your pets’ lives. If you must evacuate, you should make every attempt to evacuate your pets as well. Leaving pets behind can result in injury or worse! Before a disaster happens, you should plan a safe place to take your pets. NOTE: Red Cross disaster shelters cannot accept pets due to states’ health and safety regulations. Only service animals are allowed in Red Cross Shelters! Find hotels and motels … Continue reading →

Pet Friendly Hurricane Shelters

A friend pointed me to a story from the First Coast News of Jacksonville, Florida. The city of Jacksonville is preparing for the upcoming hurricane season by designating four pet-friendly shelters. A spokesman from Jacksonville Animal Care and Control said that “The city certainly recognizes the close bond that people have with their pets and we’re working to provide a place for them.” The designated pet-friendly shelters are Landmark Middle School, Ocean Way Elementary School, Chimney Lakes Elementary School, and Mandarin Middle School. At least one of these shelters will also be prepared to accommodate special needs residents. If you … Continue reading →

Hurricane Hero Dog

During all the coverage of Hurricane Katrina, I happened to miss this story: a black lab saved a man from drowning in flooded New Orleans. The dog, now called Katrina, helped pull the drowning man to higher ground. He gives her full credit for saving his life. The story came out from Los Angeles based station KCAL when the rescued man told the tale of his amazing rescue. After the broadcast, the station sent a team back to New Orleans to rescue Katrina. Katrina got a standing ovation on Saturday March 18th at the annual Genesis Awards, from the Humane … Continue reading →

Katrina Pets Still Need Your Help!

Staff and volunteers with BestFriends.org are still working with pets left homeless after Hurricane Katrina. They plan to close up their base of operations in New Orleans by the end of February – all the dogs and cats who haven’t been reunited with family members or sent to shelters and foster homes will be placed in some sort of temporary care. Of the 16,000 pets displaced by the hurricane and saved by rescue organizations, Best Friends Animal Society estimates that they helped catch and place about 4,000. Volunteers did a large chunk of that work! I was VERY tempted to … Continue reading →