Many Hands Makes Small Work...

As I look at the picture of the pines at Robbers Cave in southeastern Oklahoma I realize that the natural beauty of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi will take decades to recover. Hopefully, the lives, the commerce, and the homes of those affected will not take nearly as long.

Citizens of our nation and the nations around the globe continue to extend their hearts, hands, and funds towards the needs of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Many, many volunteers are working day and night to begin the road back to recovery. People from all walks of life are donating their time and expertise to the dire situation in the South.

The tasks set before the agencies and volunteers are daunting to say the least. It will take the efforts of many thousands of people to overcome this tragedy over the next several months. Some of the recovery operations may even take years. With everyone working together this monumental task can be overcome.

The staff at Neel Veterinary Hospital has become a part of the recovery effort. NVH has two staff members leaving today for Louisiana to help support the Veterinary Assistant Medical Teams (VMAT). The recovery efforts not only concern the well-being of dogs and cats but horses, cattle, and other animals including wildlife. Additionally, we have a co-worker that is opening her home to a displaced family that should arrive this Saturday.

For those who wish to support the American Veterinary Medical Foundation’s VMAT (Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams) you will find the information you need below.

Anyone who would like to assist any of NVH’s staff members that are taking refugees into their homes please contact us via e-mail. We will get you in touch with the staff members who need assistance in caring for the refugees. You can contact us through our contact page on our website.

Below is the information that has been provided via e-mail by the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association. I have copied and pasted this information here:



The VMAT efforts are made possible from an annual grant from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF). Please help support the VMAT program by donating to www.avmf.org ,calling 800-248-2862 ext. 6689, or sending to AVMFoundation, 1931 North Meacham Rd, Schaumburg, IL 601273-4360. The restricted fund designation is "Animal Disaster Relief and Response"

The AVMA has the disaster preparedness booklet, “Saving the Whole Family” available at http://www.avma.org/disaster/saving_family.asp. Full text is available for free from the Web site.

Louisiana Information:

Contact Numbers for LA Animal Rescue Needs
Small Animal Rescue Requests: 225-578-9900
Large Animal Rescue Requests: 225-578-9501
For Hurricane Katrina information, questions, donations, etc...
Katrina@ldaf.louisiana.gov
(888) 773-6489, 225-237-5665 fax
Website: www.vetmed.lsu.edu