My Soft Spot: Pets and Katrina

I read, with horror, the fact that pets were not allowed on the buses used to evacuate refugees in New Orleans. Unless my daughter's life was in imminent danger, I wouldn't go anywhere without my dog. Period. I'd walk to Texas first.

In an exerpt from Foxnews.com: At the back end of the line, people jammed against police barricades in the rain. Refugees passed out and had to be lifted hand-over-hand overhead to medics. Pets were not allowed on the bus, and when a police officer confiscated a little boy's dog, the child cried until he vomited. "Snowball, snowball," he cried.

I can't imagine this poor child going through everything he'd gone through, and then to be stripped of one thing that gave him comfort. This breaks my heart.

Or here on CNN.com: As Valerie Bennett was evacuated from a New Orleans hospital, rescuers told her there was no room in the boat for her dogs.

She pleaded. "I offered him my wedding ring and my mom's wedding ring," the 34-year-old nurse recalled Saturday.

They wouldn't budge. She and her husband could bring only one item, and they already had a plastic tub containing the medicines her husband, a liver transplant recipient, needed to survive.

I've already made a donation to the Salvation Army for the people, but I wanted to find somewhere I could donate to help the animals. I found it: Noah's Wish.

From their About Us Page: Noah's Wish is a not-for-profit, animal welfare organization, with a straightforward mission. We exist to keep animals alive during disasters. That's it.

Perfect. I'm heading off to their "How You Can Help" page right now.

Ammendment: I discovered that Petfinder.com has information regarding rescue efforts that have recently gotten underway, and also information regarding found pets and their location. If you are from the area, and had to leave your pets behind - check here.