GUSTAV IS ON THE WAY
A letter from North Shore Animal League America's President, J. John Stevenson

August 30, 2008

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As you're probably aware, Hurricane Gustav is rapidly approaching the U.S. and is expected to make landfall on the coast of Louisiana and/or Texas, late Monday or early Tuesday. Although the exact trajectory and strength of the storm remain unknown, experts currently predict that Gustav will hit as a Category 4 hurricane.

THREE YEARS OF ON-GOING SUPPORT SINCE KATRINA
North Shore Animal League America rescued over 1,600 cats and dogs within the days and weeks following Hurricane Katrina and Rita, via 44 ground transports and two airlifts. Over the past 3 years, our presence in the region continues to be felt through the on-going rescue of animals in the Louisiana Parishes. The Animal League has been transferring homeless animals in the region on virtually a monthly basis and maintains a partnership relationship with Companion Animal Network and the Katrina Lifeline program.

WE'RE PREPARED FOR GUSTAV
The Animal League has dispatched our emergency rescue team, with two of our 40-foot Mobile Rescue Units and multiple rescue teams scheduled to arrive in the Hurricane Zone before Gustav hits. We are working with our shelter partner, the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and many others, and will take a multi-pronged approach to our rescue efforts:

First, we are prepared to set-up a triage area on our 40-foot Mobile Rescue Unit to provide temporary shelter and emergency care to animals in need.
We plan to take animals from shelters in the Hurricane Zone to free up desperately needed space, so shelters and rescuers can accept even more animals displaced by Gustav (or either of the other two hurricanes that are on their way to the U.S.). We expect to transport these animals out of the Hurricane Zone by mobile transport and airlift.
The Animal League will also remain in the Hurricane Zone, continue to monitor the situation and be ready to accept added displaced animals.

ANIMAL LEAGUE'S ANIMAL RESCUE INFORMATION CENTER
We have launched the Animal League Rescue Information Center on our website so you, as a valued supporter, can use one source to access various types of information on Gustav and our rescue efforts, including:

A Rescuer's Blog - Notes from the Field: Our mobile units will be posting to our Rescue Information Center blog - and will report in on a very timely basis to keep you continuously updated on what's happening with rescued animals in the Hurricane Zone. You can visit the blog here.
News Feeds & News Alerts: We'll be linking you to top news sources, so you can get the latest updates on Gustav and the other hurricanes on the way. Please join our Adoption and Rescue Alerts list to receive breaking news and rescue updates from us too.

A CALL TO LOCAL ADOPTERS
There's an urgent need to find loving and permanent homes, for animals in our shelter now. We must open up space in our shelter so we can accommodate the animals to be rescued from the Hurricane Zone. If you have been considering adopting your best friend, now is the time. Our shelter is quite crowded since just this past week, the Animal League responded when a puppy mill was shut down in Parkersburg, WV. There are hundreds of dogs and puppies available for adoption. The majority of the puppy mill rescues are dachshunds (in every shape size and color), plus we have 3 Chinese crested, a few cocker spaniels, plus all kinds of wonderful mixed-breed Mutt-i-grees - both puppies and adult dogs. The puppy mill rescue dogs will be ready for adoption beginning 9am Wednesday, September 3rd - so if you are interested in adopting one of these wonderful purebred dogs please come to our shelter from Wednesday morning on to bring home your new best friend!

As the result of last week’s puppy mill rescue in West Virginia and the dispatching of our emergency rescue team for Gustav, significant costs are being incurred and we are depending so much on the generosity of supporters such as yourself. Please make a generous contribution today so that the Animal League can continue our mission to rescue as many displaced animals as possible.

Yours truly,

J. John Stevenson
President, North Shore Animal League America