By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

UPDATE as of 11/15/2012: Much more information below on what you can do to help.  Many foster homes are needed also.

What can you do to help?

Sandy’s carnage has severely affected our area as you know, and many people have contacted me to offer their help.  For those that want to donate or help with the pets that have either been displaced and are in long term temporary shelters, or for our rescue groups and shelters that are in need, here is a preliminary list of who needs what.  I would also encourage you to go to your local shelter (and save on gas driving around) and see what you can offer them.  Or if you can carpool with someone to drop off donations for the list below, that would be a great way to conserve gas.

I spoke with Pam Green from Kent Animal Shelter today, and they just got power back yesterday but are still in need of cat and dog food, blankets and towels.  Also just spoke with Michael Arcari who is at Mitchell Field where he said, this will be a long term operation for at least the next 45 days of housing pets who are owned by evacuees who lost everything.  So many homes were lost in Nassau – so they will be moving to the Mitchell Field Gymnasium where they can hold more pets.  Right now they have about 100 cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and are expecting more from the overflow that went to some of the municipal shelters.  See below for what they need and where to drop off.

Nassau County:

To donate to Mitchell Field, go to 1 Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Uniondale, NY 11553 and the Nassau County # (516) 572-0400. (This is the county # listed, so it may or may not be working).  Pet Safe Coalition is there helping with all the animals as well as other organizations – please donate what you can. Here is a MAP.

They need the following:

Cleaning supplies, paper plates, cups, blankets, towels, paper towels, hand sanitizers, poop pick up bags, pet supplies like: collars, leashes of all sizes, possibly need crates, pet toys and pet food.  And if you want to bring non-perishable goodies for the volunteers I am sure they would appreciate it.  They need volunteers to do morning & afternoon walks and during the week is when they need them the most.  Please contact: JoEllen Cimmino of Pet Safe Coaltion at jcimmino@petsafecoalition.org.

Glen Cove Animal Lovers League:
Located at 40 Shore Road, Glen Cove, NY (516) 676-5913.

Anything people want to donate, like pet food, supplies, etc.  They also are housing evacuee pets and are always in need.

Bobbi & the Strays:

UPDATE!!!!– Just spoke to Bobbi and the dogs MUST be moved out of their location by tomorrow. FOSTERS OR SPACE DESPERATELY NEEDED ASAP!!!! Also need heaters to warm and dry out the shelter. Please share.email laura@bobbicares.org or call Bobbi at 718 845-0779 or 917 213-9840. From one of their volunteers Myra, “I’ve been at the shelter for the past 3 days and the amount of damage is unreal. Almost everything is ruined and needs to be replaced. Clean-up is still a disaster because the heat needs to be fixed to dry everything out and the part that is needed is out of stock everywhere. All of the cat trees are GONE as well as all of the dog beds. All the sheet rock walls need to be cut out to the level where the water rose so they can dry out the walls and replace the insulation. The doors are warped and cannot close properly. Bobbi REALLY needs as much help as possible in terms of labor–all kinds of contractors and handymen, cleanup, new supplies for the animals and of course monetary donations. If you can help IN ANY WAY, please do!!! Thank you to all who have already contributed,volunteered or helped in any way, but much more help is needed. The animals cannot return to the shelter until the heat and contracting work can be done. Please share with all your friends and animal lovers. the shelter is at 2 Rider Place in Freeport. The phone isn’t working but the shelter will be open tomorrow for help and donations only from 10am-5pm. The animals are currently at other shelters or in foster.”

All About Spay & Neuter:

From Joann B. Monez their Director, “During the storm AASN’s home (which is also my home) was flooded and everything inside is DESTROYED. We took in 27 inches of water into All About Spay Neuter, Inc. AND THIS IS WHERE WE DO ALL OF OUR HARD WORK. We also lost one of our precious rescue cats Cleo during the storm and her passing has saddened us.  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ALL THAT YOU CAN DO!!We need your help!!! We need a place to house our cats and kittens since our current home isn’t livable. The conditions are becoming unhealthy. We are currently looking for a place thats at least 1000 square feet with running water, electric and heat (obviously, this is what we need when life goes back to normalcy). We would like the place to be between Massapequa/North Massapequa and Merrick as we dont want to burden our volunteers with further traveling. We will roughly have 30 cats in the facility – 25 kittens will be caged, some will be free roaming. Please reach out to everyone you know and see if they have anything available. Please post on your facebook and help us find a place. THIS IS URGENT AS ANOTHER STORM IS COMING ON WEDNESDAY!! Please contact me by email at allabtspayneuter@aol.com or one of our volunteers Jenny at jenny.luca87@gmail.com.”

Suffolk County:

Kent Animal Shelter located at 2259 River Road in Calverton, NY 11993 MAP – they still don’t have phones but have been updating their Facebook page here.
In need of pet food, cat and dog, blankets, towels.

Break The Chain Program:
Igloo doghouses for large size dogs, bedding, blankets, dog bones, chews, collars/ leashes…ANYTHING. We are also happy to accept new or gently used. We will also accept non perishable foods for the owners and coats.  Drop off much needed doghouses/ supplies: 2 locations:

1.) 151 Pine Acres Blvd. Deer Park, NY 11729
2.) 9 Cliff Ave. Sayville, NY 11729

Little Shelter in Northport:
Parts of their shelter were severely damaged in hurricane. If you’d like to help, Little Shelter will certainly need funding for repairs and is in dire need for foster and permanent homes for the loving cats and dogs.  Please call 631-368-8770, or visit Little Shelter at 33 Warner Road, Huntington, NY 11743.

Appaws Petsitting and Grady Animal Hospital are collecting pet food and supplies to be distributed to Long Island pet owners and animal rescues/ shelters affected by Sandy. We are collecting dog and cat food, blankets, leashes, collars , toys, and bowls. Drop off at
Grady Animal Hospital,
465 Montauk Hwy, Sayville
For info please email appawspetsitting@yahoo.com or call 631-255-4480.

Guardians of Rescue: –> UPDATE 11/15/2-12 Pet Clothing, Pet beds and pet toys are desperately needed, owners in Staten Island are living in homes without heat with their pets, and have lost everything.
They are in a lot of need for Pet Food (dog/cat), kitty litter – donating daily in Staten Island and other very hard hit areas.
Guardians of Rescue is organizing a multiple drop location for pet and human supplies.  You can go donate items at the following locations:

VERY IMPORTANT:

If you know of anyone who had to leave their pets behind during Hurricane Sandy, there is a 24 hour hotline to call for rescue. The phone number to call is 1-855-407-4787.

Also if you have lost a pet please check your local town municipal shelter first See the list below for all LI Town Animal Shelters – and if you found a dog, there is also a big Facebook community looking to help those find the owners of missing pets.  You can bring the dog or cat to your local veterinarian to see if they have a microchip.

Other things you can do:

Foster a dog or cat – this is huge, as our local shelters are already full – now getting more and more displaced pets or lost pets.  Contact local rescue groups that are affiliated with shelters – Shelter Link at the Town of Islip, The Shelter Connection at the Town of North Hempstead and many more throughout Long Island.

As more  information comes in were affected by Sandy and need supplies and help, I will post and to those of you who are already helping and reaching out to offer help – a very big THANK YOU!  If you have been affected, please take our quick 4 question survey – this will help for future needs.  Currently, many people are looking for people to Foster their dog or cat temporarily, could be long term though, so if you can foster – please post your information below in the comment section – just register to post a comment and do so.  It is difficult trying to point people in the right direction of Fosters that can help.  Thank you!

Long Island Town Municipal Shelters – where lost pets could be:

Town of Babylon Animal Shelter
51 Lamar Street
West Babylon – 11702
631-643-9270

If you are a bird owner and need help:

The American Federation of Aviculture can help bird owners who were affected by the storm who need food, etc. for their parrots.

7 Responses to “Pet Evacuees, How to help”

1. 
   adognanny Says:
   November 3rd, 2012 at 1:48 pm

   I would consider a foster. adognanny@aol.com

2. 
   admin Says:
   November 3rd, 2012 at 1:53 pm

   Thank A Dog Nanny that is wonderful. 🙂

3. 
   ayla67 Says:
   November 3rd, 2012 at 4:22 pm

   Hello Everyone! I am a rabbit and small animal 4-H leader in Sussex County, NJ. I have extra cage space to foster rabbits or small animals that need a temporary home due to the storm; whether you have found a furry friend that you cannot foster yourself, or if your home has been greatly affected and need someone to care for your pet while you get things back in order. Please don’t hesitate to message me! Additionally, if anyone knows some good ways my 4-H club could help out with the disaster effort, specifically working with small animals, please let me know!

4. 
   ayla67 Says:
   November 3rd, 2012 at 4:26 pm

   Oh, my email is ayx3la@yahoo.com.

5. 
   northforkdogs Says:
   November 4th, 2012 at 8:48 am

   I can foster a dog friendly dog, and my mom can as well. You can reach us at ashagallacher@yahoo.com.

6. 
   admin Says:
   November 4th, 2012 at 1:25 pm

   Thank you Ayla67 and Asha of North Fork Dogs! Keep the foster information coming, many in need!

7. 
   krisdafish Says:
   November 5th, 2012 at 10:47 am

   I can foster a dog or two. I currently have a three year old golden retriever named Maggie, and a 12 year old cat named Mister Kitty. We live in the town of Islip, and are blessed to have heat, power and a home that sustained little damage. If you need help, you can contact me at KRLanzano@gmail.com. Be safe out there!