The stories coming out of Louisiana are heartbreaking. Epic flooding stemming from torrential rainfall reportedly claimed six lives and forced thousands from their homes.
As reported on foxnews.com Monday, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said more than 20,000 people had been rescued across South Louisiana as of Sunday night, and more than 10,000 people were in shelters.
On Tuesday, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries provided an additional update on the number of people and animals rescued from flood-ravaged areas.
“Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement agents have currently rescued a total of 3,139 people and 603 animals to date due to the flooding in Louisiana,” the agency said. “Agents began search and rescue missions around 4 a.m. on Aug. 12 and have ran search and rescue missions around the clock ever since.”
Agency spokesman Adam Einck told foxnews.com that the vast majority of animals rescued early on were pets.
“It does present a lot of challenges, but our agents have been trained for this,” Einck said. “What our guys do is very heroic – they are going into these neighborhoods, the terrain is very treacherous, they work throughout the night.”
The next challenge will be reuniting animals and owners separated due to the disaster — and the Companion Animal Alliance (CAA) of Baton Rouge is already on the job.
In a message posted on its website, the CAA says it had taken in 90 animals as of Sunday night, and offers advice for people who have lost and found pets.
“Lost pet owners and finders should put the information on Lost Pets of Baton Rouge on Facebook. Look at Visitor Posts for recent activity,” the agency’s message says. “There are also Lost Pet pages for Zachary and Central. Learn more about reuniting pets and families on our Lost and Found Pet page.”
The CAA says it is also in desperate need of “temporary fosters” for rescued animals waiting to be reunited with their owners. Interested parties should contact foster@caabr.org or call 225 774 7701.
For more information about how to help animals affected by the flood, click here.
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