Hurricane Katrina

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Equine Health Studies Program established the Horse Hurricane Helpline on Thursday September 1^st and faculty, staff and students began fielding countless calls around the clock from people reporting horses in need of rescue. A “Central Command” was set up in conjunction with the Helpline whereby we mapped out areas where these horses were located and quickly developed a rescue strategy. The LSU Hurricane Equine Rescue Operations began assembling rescue teams comprised of veterinarians and staff from the LSU Equine Clinic, private equine veterinarians and numerous volunteers, often times consisting of a convoy of several trucks and trailers.

We deployed between 1 and 7 teams daily beginning on Friday September 2^nd once we were granted access into the affected areas. Some days we rescued 60 or 70 horses from a given area and other times we rescued only 1 or 2 horses. This has been an extremely dynamic process. Some of the horses required rescue out of high water and others needed to be moved to an area where they could reliably and safely be provided with sufficient food and water.

Water Rescue

Following Hurricane Katrina we evacuated nearly 400 horses from 7 parishes and transported them to the Lamar Dixon Expo Center where a satellite veterinary clinic was set up and staffed by LSU Equine Clinic personnel and numerous volunteers in order to provide veterinary medical care, shelter, food, water and lots of compassionate tender loving care. The horses underwent careful identification and documentation upon arrival for purposes of re-uniting them with their owners. Some horses required medical treatment in the field prior to transport, and all horses were thoroughly examined and evaluated by veterinary staff at the Lamar Dixon facility and provided necessary treatment. Care was provided by veterinarians, veterinary students and volunteers under the supervision and guidance of an LSU Equine Clinic staff veterinarian. A volunteer served as the coordinator of the equine facility at Lamar Dixon and helped keep track of the horses and makes sure sufficient food, water, supplies and volunteers were available.

Our primary goal was to care for these horses until we could successfully re-unite them with their owners. Several of the horses required some level of veterinary care while at Lamar Dixon and approximately 10 of the horses required referral to the LSU Equine Clinic for more advanced veterinary medical care. As of October 25^th there were only 15 of the nearly 400 rescued horses still remaining at Lamar Dixon; these horses were subsequently transported to a nearby farm where they will be cared for until they can be re-united with their owners.

The response of the numerous people involved in this rescue operation is amazing considering the extent and intricacy of the problems resulting from Hurricane Katrina, and compounded by Hurricane Rita. The most rewarding part of this operation has been to save the lives of these horses and to re-unite horses and owners. It has been said that veterinarians are good for horses; and horses are good for people. It is our greatest reward to see that circle complete, to play a role in protecting the bond between humans and animals, and to experience in the joy that so many of these owners have had in being reunited with their horses that they care so deeply for.

Many of the owners lost absolutely everything, and the only thing they have to hold onto is their horse – thus, these horses represent an extremely powerful emotional attachment to their homes. We have witnessed numerous tearful reunions of horses with owners that thought their horses had perished subsequent to the storm.

In addition, the LSU Hurricane Equine Rescue Operations teams rescued over 300 dogs, several cats and some birds, rabbits, goats, potbellied pigs, iguanas and even several people. The group also continues to haul feed and water for horses, livestock, dogs and cats into these areas. We have taken numerous truckloads of food and supplies, including generators, for the people that remained behind in areas in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes to help care for the horses and other animals. The Helpline staff has procured numerous loads of hay and supplies from around the country – these have been transported and delivered to victims in several parishes by the LSU staff and numerous other volunteers.

Just as our role as rescuers changed to that of situation monitors and supply providers, our state was hit yet again with another extremely dangerous storm. Hurricane Rita slammed into the Louisiana coast on September 23^rd causing additional flooding in some of the mid-eastern portions of the State, and brought hurricane winds, rain, and 15-foot tidal surges into the Southwestern region of Louisiana.

Again, LSU was there. Re-activating the LSU Horse Hurricane Helpline 24 hours before the storm hit, we again were receiving calls for help. Immediately upon learning of the hardest hit areas, LSU was instrumental in coordinating efforts with local veterinary practitioners and Parish officials. A new staging area, the Sugarena in New Iberia, Louisiana was identified as the most adequate and strategically located facility for housing displaced horses and other animals. This facility was set up and began receiving horses and other animals before the storm hit and has continued to accept animals in the days following Rita. Hay, feed and supplies have been shipped there and this facility has been staffed by several veterinarians and volunteers who continue to provide care for these displaced animals.

LSU personnel, along with area volunteers, and local practitioners again embraced the task of organizing rescue efforts as they were needed. While the storm experience was similar to that of Katrina, the aftermath was different, in that the marshlands of southwestern Louisiana are not bound by levees. The tidal surge swept seaward almost as quickly as it came ashore; but its impact was very similar. Homes and businesses were ripped from their foundations and shrimp boats and sea life were found displaced in the middle of sugar cane fields. Most livestock were left in open pasture, a lesson learned from Hurricane Katrina. And while many were able to find high ground, several were caught in fences and sadly drowned from the force of the flood.

Rescue teams were dispatched to Iberia, Vermillion and Cameron Parishes. Others went further west to areas near Lake Charles and Sulphur. LSU teams brought 20 horses out of Sulphur and delivered veterinary supplies to Sugarena to assist with the effort of the local practitioners who are monitoring the day to day health of the evacuated horses. Over 80 horses have been evacuated or rescued and taken to Sugarena for veterinary care, food, water and shelter. Numerous other horses and cattle were rescued or evacuated by owners and ranchers.

Over 40 faculty, staff and students of the LSU Equine Health Studies Program along with private equine practitioners and volunteers completely refocused their priorities for the last several weeks and worked tirelessly to assist the horses, horsemen and horsewomen and other animals and owners in an attempt to restore some normalcy to the people whose lives and property have been so severely affected by the these storms.

This entire experience taught those involved many valuable lessons regarding how to assimilate and organize a team to respond to a disaster of this magnitude. Few if any of us were prepared for the enormity and complexity of this disaster and its aftermath, but everyone rose to the challenge and helped to make this operation successful and rewarding. There will be ongoing needs and challenges faced by many people, farms and businesses as the state’s equine industry, which prior to the storm was ranked 5^th nationally and worth an estimated $2.5 billion, begins to recover from the effects of these two storms.