WASHINGTON - A Humane Society of the United States animal
handling expert, who also served in the U.S. Navy, is on his
way to join a team who will be on stand-by to assist with the
rescue of Forgea, the dog aboard an abandoned tanker ship whose
plight has captured worldwide attention.
David L. Pauli, director of The HSUS' regional office in
Billings, Montana, arrived in Hawaii this morning and will join
a capture team to assist with the rescue of the stranded
terrier on the Insiko, an Indonesian tanker that became
disabled and was evacuated earlier this month. The dog was
believed to have been lost at sea with the ship until the
Insiko was spotted by the U.S. Coast Guard late last week. A
fishing vessel went out to the ship but the crew was
unsuccessful in retrieving Forgea.
All indications are that Forgea is still alive on board the
disabled tanker, which is adrift about 180 miles east of
Johnston Atoll, a wildlife sanctuary. The island is 825 miles
southwest of Honolulu. The two-year-old mixed-breed terrier ran
away and hid from crewmembers of two fishing vessels who tried
to capture the dog on Sunday. Currently, there is a second
rescue attempt in progress, as the American Quest, a salvage
ship contracted by the Coast Guard, is on its way to the
Insiko. The crew has humane traps and food, provided by the
Hawaiian Humane Society, to help them capture Forgea.
Pauli, along with Dr. Rebecca Rhoades, a veterinarian and
executive director of The Kauai Humane Society and Linda
Haller, director of operations for The Hawaiian Humane Society,
are prepared to travel to the Johnston Atoll to assist the
American Quest if the crew is unable to capture Forgea. Pauli,
Rhoades and Haller are all experienced animal handlers.
Time is crucial, as the Insiko drifts closer to the Atoll,
or island, and becomes a greater ecological threat to the
wildlife sanctuary. The crippled ship contains about 60,000
gallons of diesel fuel and oil, according to reports. The U.S.
Coast Guard has ruled out towing the vessel to Johnston Atoll,
according to reports, because of the great risk of the ship
breaking open and spilling the fuel. Instead, the Coast Guard
is considering sinking the ship in deep waters.
In another development, Forgea's owner, Captain Chung Chin
Po, has been contacted in Taiwan and is said to be thrilled
that "Fuji" has been found alive.
The HSUS initially agreed to help the Hawaiian Humane
Society cover costs for American Marine Corp. to start search
and rescue efforts when the dog was reported to be left behind.
Since then, private donations have been pouring in to the
Hawaiian Humane Society to fund the rescue mission and The HSUS
has not had to cover the bill.
"We made the pledge on good faith and would have covered the
cost had the donations not come in," said Martha C. Armstrong,
HSUS senior vice president of companion animals and equine
protection. "Protecting animals is what we are about. We saw a
situation where we could help and took action. The flurry of
donations to support this effort shows that we are not alone.
The HSUS, along with the U.S. Coast Guard and Hawaiian Humane
Society, are doing everything we can to safely save Forgea. At
the same time, the Coast Guard is working to keep the Insiko
from running aground which would make for an awful ecological
disaster for countless marine and wildlife." The Humane Society
of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection
organization with more than seven million members and
constituents.
