WASHINGTON —As another hurricane blasts the Gulf States with wind and rain, The HSUS Thursday night relocated 150 of the animals rescued during Hurricane Katrina from the HSUS Gonzales, LA facility to the Dixon Correctional Institute (DCI) in Jackson, La., some 57 miles north.
After a 10 p.m. truck drive from Gonzales to Jackson, HSUS personnel, working with Warden James LeBlanc and Dixon’s re-entry coordinator Amanda Smith, helped settle the animals into their new temporary home in a converted dairy barn on DCI property.
“We are so appreciative that Dixon is going to house these evacuated animals until they can be properly re-united with their families or placed in foster homes until they can be adopted,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “Not only does this help the animals by providing what our vets say is an exceptional new home, but it is also the start of a new program at Dixon where trustee prisoners, under HSUS supervision, will care for the animals on a daily basis. Everyone benefits from this creative solution.”
“Helping with these animals has a positive effect on our inmates,” said Warden LeBlanc. “They enjoy interacting with animals, who, in turn, respond positively to them. It’s rehabilitative. Also, many of these offenders are from the New Orleans area, and by allowing us to help, HSUS has created a situation where they are actively participating in hurricane relief efforts. I would hope this partnership could develop into a long-term arrangement where our correctional facility could be utilized for this kind of relief during future disasters within our region.”
After Katrina, The HSUS and a coalition of other animal welfare organizations launched the largest ever animal rescue effort in New Orleans and along other parts of the Gulf Coast, where residents fled the city and were forced to abandon dogs, cats and other animals by the tens of thousands. The Gonzales shelter has cared for more than 4000 of the rescued Katrina animals. The 1000 animals not moved on to other facilities will be sheltered in place until Hurricane Rita passes through the area. At that time, the reuniting of pets and their owners and movement of animals to other facilities will resume.
Dixon Correctional Institute, located in East Feliciana Parish, opened in 1976 and was the first medium security satellite prison in Louisiana. In 1993 DCI was accredited by the American Correctional Association and it has maintained its accreditation since then. DCI is a multi-level security institution, with a maximum capacity of 1,340 inmates. The main compound is located approximately 30 miles north of Baton Rouge and encompasses 1,549 acres of pasture, 428 acres of timber, and approximately 450 acres reserved for crops in and around Jackson, Louisiana.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization representing more than 9 million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country. Online at www.hsus.org.
