It appears to be that many animals in New Orleans died because Governor of LA Kathleen Blanco, FEMA and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin did not allow people affected by Hurricane Katrina to stay with their pets or to return to New Orleans to rescue their loved family pet members. Some 40,000 companion animals reportedly died because they had been left at home, either starving to death or suffering from injuries. Some pets who survived have been lost in the system because it took organizations several months to get organized enough to be able to list so many rescued animals. Many people have complained about incompetence of Humane Services of the United States in particular, saying that HSUS lost their pets in "the system." Volunteers in many areas are still overwhelmed with trying to take care of the displaced animals: Needs Assessment as of November

It appears that some 10,000 companion animals did survive. Animal advocates are asking for people to notify gulf coast residents and displaced people that there are now several resources that they can use to search for their pets..

Read resources and tips for finding animals