In Praise of Katrina Pet Rescuers

The human pain and sorrow caused by Hurricane Katrina is unprecedented. Adding to the overwhelming human tragedy is the great number of pets, including cats, dogs, and birds, which were displaced by the disaster and are now ownerless.

Donna Powell, who lives in Baton Rouge and runs 911ParrotAlert.com, has become a real-life hero to trapped pet parrots in Louisiana. For the past week, she's been travelling around the devastated region rescuing birds whose straits have become increasingly dire as conditions have worsened in New Orleans.

To date, Donna has rescued and/or sheltered 20 large parrots, 7 cocketiels and 35 parakeets, even though her home has lost power and is solely reliant on a gas generator. You an make a donation to Donna via her Web site, or you can send a check to:

911ParrotAlert
c/o Donna Powell
16365 Woodmere
Baton Rouge, LA 70819
United States