PRESS RELEASE
Media contacts:
Laura Maloney 225-413-8813 or Dr. Rebecca Adcock 225-578-9826

ANIMAL EVACUATION AND RECOVERY PLAN
FOR NEW ORLEANS

Baton Rouge (08/31/05) - The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is
coordinating with the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (LA/SPCA), the Louisiana Veterinary Veterinary Association (LVMA),
and the Louisiana Animal Control Association (LACA) to manage animal
evacuations and recovery plans for New Orleans pets and displaced animals.

PETS TRAVELING WITH OWNERS
The LVMA is currently accepting pets at the Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette,
LSU in Shreveport, Monroe Civic Center for small animals and the Ike
Hamilton Center for large animals in Monroe, the Farmer's Market in
Alexandria and the LSU AgCenter/Parker Coliseum in Baton Rouge. Owners must
be housed in a Red Cross shelter; owners are responsible for caring for
their animals, including feeding and cleaning. Animals will be accepted 24
hours a day. The Baton Rouge Area Veterinary Medical Association is
triaging animal medical needs at the LSU AgCenter.

PEOPLE WITH PETS WHO ARE CURRENTLY EVACUATING NEW ORLEANS
The LA/SPCA will transport animals from pick-up points in New Orleans to the
Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. The pick-up points have not yet been determined and
are being coordinated with the agency charged with transporting people from
New Orleans to other areas.

The Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 9039 St. Landry Rd., Gonzales, LA., will serve
as the primary staging area. Once the shelter is full, animals will be
moved to temporary shelters in other areas of Louisiana and Texas.

The LA/SPCA Dorothy Dorsett Brown Mobile Veterinary Center will be at the
Lamar-Dixon Center to treat incoming animals as needed.

CONFINED PETS STILL IN DISASTER AREA
Beginning on September 1, residents who left pets in their homes may call a
hot line to leave information about the number of animals, species, and
their confined location. As soon as the hotline number is obtained, we will
advise the media. WE CANNOT ENTER THE NEW ORLEANS METROPOLITAN AREA UNTIL
APPROVAL IS GRANTED FROM STATE OFFICIALS.

DONATIONS
Financial donations are being accepted to fund the care of the displaced
animals through the Walter J. Ernst Jr. Foundation at LVMA. Call
1-800-928-LVMA or visit HYPERLINK "http://www.lvma.org" www.lvma.org for
more information.

A regional donation center is being established. Our needs include: NEW
large air kennels and metal cages, leashes, disposable bowls, canned cat and
dog food, disposable litter pans, spray bleach, paper towels, sheets,
towels, locks, hoses, bottled water, trash cans, trash bags, pooper
scoopers, cat litter, extension cords, fans.

The media will be advised of the address once determined.

Contact names:

Corporate Giving Amber Bethel
504-329-5220 or 504-400-7761
National Animal Welfare Groups Coordinator Laura
Maloney
225-413-8813 or 504-329-5207
LSU Agriculture Center Shelter Manager Dr. Paula Drone
225-572-0732
Lamar-Dixon Shelter Manager Loretta Lambert
225-413-8856
Animal Recovery in New Orleans Kathryn Destreza (primary)
225-413-9150 or 504-329-5209

Laura Maloney (secondary)
225-413-8813 or 504-329-5207
Donation Center Manager Gloria Dauphin
(phone number TBD)
State Veterinary Liaison Renee Poirrier
337-981-8587 or 337-298-1636
Louisiana Animal Control Association Dez Crawford
225-772-7287
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Chris Law
U.A.P.P.E.A.L. (Uniting a Proactive Primate and Exotic Animal League)
Herpetoculture Element Representative