My first two cases

I was so excited when I was finally able to join the ranks and start working independently on my own cases.  I received two and I remember being so nervous.  Was I going to be able to find their people?  Would I be able to keep track of them and where they were being moved?

So many pets post-Katrina were being kenneled, fostered, moved around and some ultimately adopted.  It was difficult to keep track of their wherabouts sometimes.

When I received my first two cases, I found they were being forwarded by Best Friends Animal Society in Tylertown, Mississippi.  I came to learn that Best Friends was by far the rescue people that I wanted to work with if my journey were to ever take me to Louisiana in this whole thing. 

I worked very hard for these two kitties.  All I had were their pictures, their faces, and very little information of where they came from.  Like so many pets I was assigned, these two looked like every other cat or dog I worked on.  I really learned to see the differences in their specific markings, sizes, and personalities.  I was almost glad that I only had names with some in the beginning.  As time went on I had names and had many conversations with the actual evacuees looking for their babies.  THAT was tough!!!



BFC1961





BFC1959

Each pet was given a five digit PetFinder number as well as a Best Friends number.   It was so very important to make sure they ALL matched.  One mistake could send the search efforts into a small hurricane themselves...  swirling with misinformation. 

Ecstatically, I was able to reunite BFC1961 with his mom, Pamela, in New Orleans.  I learned his name was Gizmo!!  He was the first that I was able to reunite and get transported back home.  He was picked up in New Orleans, taken to Tylertown and then on to Eleventh Hour Rescue in New Jersey.  Since Gizmo was the standard white cat with greenish eyes, his mom was able to give me a bit of information that sealed the identification deal.

It was his meow, or lack thereof.  She said he had a meow as if he lost his voice.  She said it was a bit raspy. 

Sadly, I was unable to find BFC1959's people.  I worked so hard for this little one.  But, in the end, he was adopted to a loving family.