In the aftermath of the hurricane, humans aren't the only ones that desperately need help. Thousands of dogs, other pets, and even wildlife are suffering and dying as each day goes by without shelter, food and clean water. Many are injured and in need of immediate veterinary care.

Noah's Wish is a not-for-profit organization that works exclusively to rescue and shelter animals in disasters is rescuing animals from evacuated homes in Slidell, Louisiana. The pets are being housed at a temporary animal shelter and Noah's Wish is working with Slidell Animal Control to coordinate the rescue of hundreds of abandoned and stranded pets in the city of Slidell.

Noah's Wish has 800 animals currently under their care. They currently have a team of approximately 75 volunteers on site which has included 4 BC coordinators and at least 5 volunteers who have come from Canada with more Canadian volunteers due to arrive in the up coming weeks.

All of the vet practices in Slidell are still closed, with no indication of when they will open. One of the clinics was severely damaged and will have to be demolished.

Medical needs the many volunteer vets and vet technicians have treated so far include: dogs and cats with severe dehydration, mange, broken limbs, kidney failure, heat exhaustion, loose stool, vomiting, flea infestation, chemical burns and emaciation. As of September 19th Noah's Wish had transferred 18 critical care dogs and cats to the LA State Veterinary Hospital for treatment and no animal under the care of Noah's Wish will be euthanized due to vetting costs.

Feeding stations for feral and domestic cats have been established throughout the Slidell area and domestic cats are being live trapped by Noah's Wish volunteers and various other cat rescue organizations.

There are now over 50 dog runs set up in the back of their shelter under tents. They are still finding animals alive in homes as they continue their rescue in the city of Slidell. Locked in the laundry room of one house, a rescue team found an over-bred, emaciated pit bull mix huddled between a tipped over washer and dryer. The house had almost 6 feet of water in it. There are dogs that are seen on the streets, as time goes on, they are beginning to get hungry enough to start coming closer.

Volunteers have been doing food, water and pet supply distribution throughout the city. Supplies of pet food are slim to none in stores that are open, and many people are finding their food is destroyed by flood water. Additionally, team members will be making arrangements for foster care for pets that are not able to go home in the near future. Fostering is going to be done as locally as possible, because they want the pets to stay close by their humans. They need each other right now. In some cases, the pets are the only thing the families have left other than their own lives.

Please go to http://www.noahswish.org and send any donation amount that you can afford. It all helps.

Video of Gail Moerkerken in Slidell