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Department of Agriculture and Forestry News Update BATON ROUGE -- With the opening of a secondary Red Cross evacuation shelter at Southern University in Shreveport, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry officials are now allowing pets from self-evacuators to be located in the Bossier Animal Control Shelter. "The Bossier shelter can take the pets of self-evacuated owners," said LDAF Assistant State Veterinarian Martha Littlefield. "The pet shelter can be used to house pets whose owners have evacuated to the Red Cross shelter at Southern University at Shreveport." Littlefield said all pet owners are expected to provide care for their animals twice a day. "If a pet owner is staying at the Red Cross shelter, he or she must come twice daily to the pet shelter to walk and feed their pets," Littlefield said. "They must provide proof that they are staying at the Red Cross shelter by wearing their temporary evacuation center bracelet." Previously, the Bossier Animal Control Shelter on Old Shed Road had been set up only to take pets whose owners had critical transportation needs. Littlefield reiterated the Bossier pet shelter is not a "stop and drop" and is only for evacuees who are staying in the Red Cross shelter. "Pet ownership is your responsibility," Littlefield. "You must take care of your pet while you are evacuated." For the latest information on Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, you can visit emergency.louisiana.gov or call the state's emergency hotline at 1-866-288-2484 to listen to a recorded message with the most up-to-date information. |