A Bethesda, Maryland-based nonprofit that was on the ground 16 years ago following Hurricane Katrina is heading back to the Gulf Coast after the destruction of Hurricane Ida to deliver supplies for pets.
Alley Cat Allies loaded up a Gulfstream IV jet with emergency relief supplies for cats and dogs on Tuesday. They headed to the Gulf Coast to help animal welfare organizations respond to Hurricane Ida.
“They need everything. There’s no supplies, there’s trees down, there’s water. Nobody has electricity or cell service. It looks like a war zone. There are several parishes within New Orleans that are covered in water,” said Becky Robinson, Alley Cat Allies founder and president.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
We are flying out an urgent delivery of emergency relief supplies today to help cats and other animals affected by Hurricane #Ida.Watch the video from our President and Founder Becky Robinson, en route right now with much needed emergency supplies ⬇️
Posted by Alley Cat Allies on Tuesday, August 31, 2021
The group is also planning rescue missions for any animals that were left at home as people fled the storm.
“We hope that we can also get some Kodiak boats down and assist with some of the rescues. People have left pets in their home, which is exactly what our worst fear was. Now we have to find a way to rescue those animals in their home,” Robinson told WTOP. “And as people who have cats know, cats will hide. They will not make themselves known, they hide under beds, and all kinds of places. So we’ve got to get to these homes… and the clock is ticking because they don’t have food or water.”
Robinson said they will establish a base camp where they will try to reconnect any lost animal to their rightful owners.
With Ida drawing comparisons to Hurricane Katrina, Robinson said the group is planning on staying in the area for the long haul.
“We’ll be down there for as long as it takes,” she said. “After Hurricane Katrina, it was several months.”
