Carolyn Wallace and Emily Marcus met through rescue efforts Online. Carolyn lives in Virginia, and Emily in Ohio. Emily went to Louisiana early-on and volunteered for four days at one of the main animal-rescue shelters there. Carolyn started helping with pet-rescue from afar, day two after the Katrina disaster, helping people find lost pets through Online resources and direct contacts in the field, calling and e-mailing officials to help with the pet-rescuing effort, etc. When Emily returned to Ohio, she too started working from afar to help in the pet-rescue effort. One of the many projects Emily began was to create a list of shelters where pets were being taken (with the help of other volunteers), and Carolyn contacted Emily to ask if she could help her, by developing a Web site with this information. Carolyn and Emily decided on the Web site name, and Carolyn created this site, findkatrinapets.com (with ongoing input from Emily and the many volunteers she coordinates).
Carolyn Wallace is a freelance writer and editor, with a degree in Writing from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Emily Marcus is a graphic designer (and graduate student) at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.
says:
I tried to think of something I could do to help the lost pets and loving pet owners reunite, after Hurricane Katrina separated them. Though this project quickly became all-consuming, and quite expansive, I don't regret it for a moment. If this site helps just one person find his/her pet, I will call this a major success. But, I hope it helps many, many pet owners find their pet family members. I have two dogs, Emmy (a completely sweet Westie) and Auggie (a lovable terrier "mutt" who was in a high-kill shelter, where he was rescued and brought to my husband and me). They bring me great joy each and every day. I know if I was ever separated from them, I would be completely heart-broken. So, I dedicate my efforts to them, to my super-dog Westie, Thurber, who died of cancer last year, and to my childhood dog, Rascal (terrier/beagle mutt) who disappeared mysteriously out of our backyard when I was young.
says:
Though my volunteer work "on the ground" in Gonzales, LA was emotionally and physically exhausting, it was one of the best things I've ever done in my life. I continue to help from here, in Ohio, doing volunteer coordination and helping with this site. I've got two dogs, Moose and Brill (an adopted Hurricane Katrina dog I met while I was volunteering), who live with me in my apartment. I'm happy to help anyone in any way that I can.
You may reach either Carolyn or Emily by e-mailing contactus@findkatrinapets.com
We want to give a special thanks to all of the volunteers who have worked (and continue to work) tirelessly to compile lists of shelters which have taken Katrina pets. These volunteers are also calling shelters to be sure the Katrina pets they have taken are listed and photographed on petfinder.com and/or on their own sites.
We also want to thank all of the many individual people and shelter representatives who have sent in additions for our shelter listings. We sincerely appreciate all information, and ask that you continue to tell us when you find any new information about which shelters are caring for Katrina pets. THANK YOU ALL!! You are all truly caring, dedicated pet-loving people!
Thurber died of cancer August, 2004. He was Carolyn's sweet, special Westie, and Carolyn works to help lost animals of Katrina reunite with their owners, in his loving memory.
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