Ann Dupuis of Grey Ghost Press saw the news of retailer Kirby Gee's rescue from New Orleans (see 'Gee Out of New Orleans') and sent this comment on the situation:

You left an essential piece out of the Kirby Gee story!

Was his cat extracted with him?!?

Tens of thousands of animals had to be left behind during the evacuations, and Mr. Gee was far from the only person who stayed behind for the sake of a pet.

Dozens of animal rescue organizations are coordinating their efforts in the area (including the Louisiana SPCA and the Louisiana Stage School of Vet medicine).  They're rescuing hundreds of pets each day, but thousands more won't be rescued in time.  Only a very few small groups of rescuers have been allowed into New Orleans at all.

While this pales in comparison to the human tragedy in the Gulf Coast area, many pet owners feel the loss of a beloved pet as strongly as they feel the loss of a family member.  In some cases where pets are being reunited with their owners those pets are the only things they have left after this disaster.  To lose the pet, too, would simply be too much to bear.

Some of the news media are covering the animal side of the story, but too few reporters and producers understand just how devastating the loss of a pet can be.  Evacuees who had to leave their pets behind take grief and guilt with them instead.  For the few who learn that their pets are safe and in the care of the humane organizations, the relief is profound.

I hope that our governmental agencies can learn from this tragedy and include animals in their future evacuation plans.  Many people who evacuated after the hurricane hit would have evacuated earlier had they received assistance with evacuating their pets as well.  And many of the 'holdouts' refusing to leave New Orleans would be willing to go if they knew their pets would be safe -- even if that meant handing them over to an animal rescue organization for temporary housing or foster care or even re-homing the pet if the owner will be unable to provide for it for the foreseeable future.

Of course there will be situations where a pet will simply have to be left behind.  But with better preparation before the next disaster occurs and better coordination of response and relief efforts in the wake of disaster, fewer human lives would be lost.  Especially if pet owners aren't faced with the decision to abandon their pets or accept rescue for themselves, as Mr. Gee was.

Our governmental agencies could learn a lot about coordinating relief efforts by watching the way local animal control agencies, humane organizations, and national animal welfare organizations are working together to respond to the human and animal needs in the wake of Katrina.