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Hurricane Katrina Equine Rescue News
Sunday, 1 September 2005:
I got involved when I became aware that a fellow TWH Breeder, Lois Daverede, received a direct hit by Hurricane Katrina when it suddenly swerved toward Gulfport, MS. Then the levees gave way and they were suddenly under 15 feet of water. She owns "Colors of the Wind" farm in Verret, LA, in St. Bernard Parish, which is south of New Orleans. There were 56 registered TWHs plus about 10 weanlings there when the storm hit. Lois left her laptop behind and only has a cell phone. She like others thought she would return the next day never dreaming of the nightmare to come.
First I want to make the following comments:
Although some things might have lessened the catastrophic effects of this storm, like the levees being able to stand firm, please don't blame the rescuers more than the storm that caused the need for rescue. It is foolish to have expected that 100,000 troops with water and food and patrol vehicles and helicopters and busses and trains and showers and shelters and electricity and bulldozers and levee-repair crews and mobile kitchens and tent cities and psychological services and identity checkers and employment services and construction crews and electrical linemen and mechanical and structural and civil engineers and architects and water-control experts and animal-removal experts could have all been set up somewhere out of the storm path but close enough to swoop in and pluck the soaking victims out of harm’s way despite the collapsed bridges and levees the minute the winds stopped blowing and minute the tide subsided without missing a heartbeat. Who could have anticipated or taken the responsibility for the cost of all this preparedness if the levee had held and most of the current rescue effort had not been necessary. To most of the residents it was the standard mode of operation to prepare for the storm and after the storm, clean up the area and back to business as usual. This was a first in the lifetime of most residents and they were unprepared to even comprehend reality of the storm's effect on their lives.
Why must we believe that if we suffer from a natural disaster, it must always somebody’s fault? In the insurance world it is called an "Act of God". We must all face the inescapable fact that there are some times and some places where the need you face is simply greater than the resources you have at that moment or even days after that moment or even weeks after that moment, and agonizing decisions must be made. The decisions made on the allocation of scarce lifesaving resources does not stop the tears, but at least they did not just throw up their hands and give up. Ninety foreign governments have offered assistance.
Informative Links of the Equine Community
Here are updates as I get them.
Wednesday, 12 October 2005 "Update"
The final count on survivors is three breeding stallions, one weanling filly and five young stallions that were at two training facilities. The young stallions will be offered for sale.
Friday, 16 September 2005 "Update"
Lois is at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center and has arranged to move the horses to her vet's clinic temporarily for treatment until they are able to be moved to someplace safe. The stallion's legs are all stocked up from lack of exercise and having been left in their stalls which haven't been cleaned. The stalls are in terrible condition because there just aren't enough volunteers to keep the stalls cleaned. The filly is running a temperature and needs more care than is available at the Center. We figure that two weeks at the vet will get these horses back to good heath.
Thursday, 15 September 2005 "Update"
Lois is enroute to the LSU staging area at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center at Gonzales, LA to identify her horses and hopefully there might be some of the young ones found there that haven't been microchipped yet. The traffic is bumper to bumper and she doesn't expect to get there before evening.
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Tuesday, 13 September 2005 "More Sad News"
I talked with LSU today and they told me that unless some other rescue group has some of Lois' horses, which is unlikely, the rest of the horses didn't survive.
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Monday, 12 September 2005 "Sadder News"
Maxine Doner reported the following:
I spoke with Lois today on the phone. She said there was 10 ft of water
at her barn and 15 ft at her house. They had told her not to evacuate
because the hurricane was going to Fla. She said there was a foot of
sludge in her house and all her acrege is contaminated, one of the
horses that got out died of the contaminated water. Out of 70 horses on the
place she has 3 stallions left and one filly that they found in a tree. Her
husband stayed and the stallions were trying to fight in the 10 ft of water.
She said Reactor was gone. They have found 30 bodies. Some of her dogs died due
to the contaminated water. She crammed as many animals, cats and dogs
into the car as she could but not all would fit. As she was driving over the
bridge the water was starting to come over the bridge.
She took such excellent care of her animals. She went way above and
beyond what was necessary. All 70 vaccinated for West Nile, ceiling fans
in the stalls, she got in a huge load of grain in case the hurricane came,
stored water, all gone. The hurricane wasn't the big problem; it was the
flooding from the broken dikes. She may not have understood genetics
that much, but she is an honorable and caring, committed person.
She said every day just gets worse. They won't let her back in to even look
for horses, cats, anything. She said they will probably condemn the house
and the property. My Reactor's Glorious Lady is out of Reactor. She is
awesomely gaited, loves people, if I could have afforded one and the space,
I would have loved to have her. I can hardly imagine the heartache. It
breaks my heart and I didn't know her horses personally.
*********************************************
Saturday, 10 September 2005 "Sad News"
We have received word that only three of Lois' stallions were rescued and a
2005 weanling filly found in a tree. 14 Stallions ranging from yearlings to
15 years and 37 mares ranging from yearlings to 22 years remain
unaccounted for. There are also a number of weanlings not accounted for.
We are not giving up.
List of Lois' TWHs still unaccounted for and hopefully still alive
We have two weeks to move the rescued ones from the LSU rescue facility.
The rescued horses are:
 |
Goldlite - TWHBEA#984557 - Palomino Stallion - 15 hands |
 |
Mr. Pearl Jam -
TWHBEA# 20010901- Perlino Stallion- 15.2 hands |
 |
Thriller's Maverick-TWHBEA #9810430- Cremello Stallion-15.2 hands |
|
No picture available |
"Lola" - TWHBEA (not registered yet) 2005 - Cremello Filly Lola was rescued tangled in a tree |
Friday, 9 September 2005
We are still waiting for word from LSU on horses rescued. I faxed a list of Lois'
horses to LSU today.
*******************************
Thursday, 8 September 2005
LSU is moving horses from off the levee and Mr. Pearl Jam and Goldlite both
survived and a perlino filly so far. I talked to the Vet at LSU and she asked me
to fax a list of Lois' horses with descriptions which I have ready and all the
adults have microchips so we can identify them. Only the weanings weren't
microchipped yet, but all the horses had been vaccinated. LSU will do Coggins
on all of them and rebooster all the horses before they can leave the state.
She said there are over 200 horses out on the levee and they are going to
bring them all in and then sort them out this weekend.
Elsie
***********************
Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2005
9:40 PM
Subject: Re: Good News!!!!!! Help to Rescue of Colors of the Wind Tennessee
Walkers
Lois,
Good News!!! Here is what I have done so far. I hope we are in time to save
the
ones left after the storm. At the bottom is a news release on Louisiana equine
rescue.
I also sent this to TWHBEA and the Voice in hopes that they might offer some
assistance to help a fellow member to recover since we don't know the condition
of your farm, but hay, feed and basic equipment will be priorities. With all that salt
water, the land might not be useable.
I contacted the equine rescue people at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center at
Gonzales, LA and talked to Dr. Katherine Kough, DVM, who is an Associate at LSU
Vet School. I explained that 75+ horses were at the farm when the storm turned
and headed for Gulfport and it wasn't possible to evacuate and so all mares, youngsters
and some of the stallions were turned out in hopes they might have a chance of
survival, but there was 15 feet of water in places. She says your case is critical and
needs immediate action and is now on the priority list. I gave her Rachelle's
number and your number and my number. I told her that there were reports of cattle
running with
the horses also but they weren't
yours.
She said they would start planning how to get there and if possible would
have vets
with big vans prepared to deal with medical needs to go there for the rescue.
They have barns with over 500 stalls available for the rescue effort. She will
get things moving and will keep in touch.
Do you have the records of Microchip implants? Are they TWHBEA Microchips
or
Microchips required by LA for the Coggins test?
I hope the rescue effort finds most have survived.
Elsie
**********************************************
From: Lois Deverede
Sent: Saturday, September 3, 2005 10:47 AM
To: Elsie Darrah <darrah5015@yahoo.com>
Elsie,
I just spoke to my husband. He is okay physically. He is very upset. He
said
that a friend saved three of my stallions. One of them is Mr. Pearl Jam. A lot
of my horses are dead. I put them out, but Glenn said he thinks someone came
back and put them back in. I don't know if this is true. I need to get them out.
If you can help me to get them out I would appreciate. I just am not thinking
clearly. I need help to figure this out. Please help me. I was told that there
are a lot of horses on a levee along with cattle. I don' t know whose horses
they are. They could be mine. They need to get out of there. My dogs all made it.
Thank God. One of my cats died last night. My animals are like my children.
Glenn is getting the dogs out today to Baton Rouge. If you can help I would
appreciate. If you could just help make a plan.
Lois
**********************************
Friday, September 2, 2005
I contacted the Louisiana State University and the Louisiana SPCA and as of
last night Lois is a priority rescue. They are working on the plan to get there
and will send a mobile vet unit and big vans as soon as they can determine
if there is a road open. If the Chalmette Ferry can be used it could transport
equipment in and out.
I talked to the LSU Vet this morning so now I am waiting for updates but don't
expect anything for several days.
Elsie
*********************************************
From: Lois Deverede
Sent: Friday, September 2, 2005 8:08 PM
To: Elsie Darrah
Elsie,
Thank you. There is no help yet. My farm is east of New Orleans. I am in St. Bernard. I have been told that is very unlikely that any of my horses are alive. I am so devastated. I heard there were some horses on the levee. I don't know if they are mine, but nonetheless they will need help. I don't know how we would even be able to get them out. Right now they are using the Chalmette Ferry to get people out. I was told that the only way in or out is through New Orleans. The twin span is gone. I was told that they had to wait until the other parishes were in control again before we could go through anywhere. I am at a lost. My poor horses did not know what hit them. I feel like I am having a really bad nightmare and I pray that I wake very soon. Each day seems to be getting harder to deal with. More and more bad news keeps coming. I could not evacuate them quicker enough. It all happened so fast.
If I hear anything surviving horses of mine or of anyone else I will let you know. I am very touched by so many people writing and offering their help. Truly I appreciate it.
Thank you,
Lois
*********************************************
From: Elsie
Darrah <darrah5015@yahoo.com>
Sent:
Friday, September 2, 2005 7:48 AM
To: Lois Deverede
Lois,
Are you and your horses okay or if not are you trying to contact one of the
animal disaster teams.
I will try to
alert someone to check on you. You are in my prayers.
animal rescue sites:
http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pa_disaster_relief
Elsie Darrah
Last Chance Farm
Tennessee Walking Horses
Quality first and then we add “COLOR”
email:
darrahe@hotmail.com
Web Site:
http://www.lastchancefarm.com
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