Plaquemines Parish animal relief efforts

Plaquemines Parish pet owners have 10 days to reclaim pets

In the days following Hurricane Ida, the Louisiana SPCA has taken in more than 180 animals. While the normal stray-hold period in Plaquemines Parish is five days from the date of intake, the parish is extending this to 10 days from the date of intake due to Hurricane Ida. Due to the volume of stray and abandoned animals being found, it is vital that pet owners report and reclaim missing pets as quickly as possible.

The animal relief efforts in Plaquemines Parish are well underway and the parish has activated two national groups to assist the parish run animal control, The ASPCA and The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The Louisiana SPCA is aiding these efforts by providing pet food to be distributed to residents and to field response teams feeding-in-place. Multiple independent rescue groups have attempted to enter Plaquemines Parish and subsequently been asked to leave as a they are working outside of the official response efforts coordinated by the parish. Any groups wanting to assist in the animals response efforts should contact the parish directly at 504.297.2477.

Once a stray animal has been held for the 10-day stray-hold window the Louisiana SPCA becomes the legal owner and can determine the best placement option for that animal, including adoption. All animals taken in since Hurricane Ida can be viewed at www.louisianaspca.org/strays.

If you see your pet on the Louisiana SPCA’s website, here’s what you should do.

• Immediately fill out a lost report at www.louisianaspca.org/lost. If you are unable to fill out the report yourself, call 504.934.6931 for assistance.
• Once the report is received, someone from the Louisiana SPCA will contact you within 24-hours to set an appointment to reclaim your pet.

As the state assesses the damage for Hurricane Ida, many of our residents might be searching for temporary foster care for their pets until they are able to get back on their feet. 911FosterPets is a resource for families dealing with the aftermath of the storm, linking their pets with temporary foster homes. Doing so prevents these pets from having to enter a shelter and prevents pet owners from having to permanently give up a pet. If you are willing to foster a pet temporarily whose owner may have been displaced or you are looking for temporary foster care for your pet, please sign up through the 911fosterpets.com. The Louisiana SPCA is not able to board owned pets.

If you have lost your pet and don’t see them on our website, these are the steps to take:

• Complete a lost report with us at www.louisianaspca.org/lostreport to fill out a lost report or call us at 504.934.6931. We cross-reference our lost reports with our found ones filed and the animals in our care.
• Post lost pet information on your Nextdoor group and on Lost and Found Facebook groups. It is possible your pet may be at a neighbor’s home being cared for rather than being at the shelter.
• Additional tips to find a pet can be found at: www.missionreunite.com

Please note that the Louisiana SPCA’s Plaquemines Parish Campus is still closed to the public but is operating lost and found services by. For the most up-to-date information about the Louisiana SPCA’s operations visit www.louisianaspca.org/ida or call 504.934.6931.

At the time, the Louisiana SPCA is asking the public to consider making donations of pet food to support the recovery efforts. Unopened bags of pet food can be dropped off to the Louisiana SPCA’s Plaquemines Parish Campus at 455 F Edward Hebert Blvd. in Belle Chasse.