The Ones Left Behind
By Robyn Shepherd
In
the immediate wake of the World Trade Center disaster,
thousands of people were forced to flee their homes,
leaving their pets to an uncertain fate. In the first
few hours, people were concerned about getting themselves
and their loved ones to safety. Many thought they would
be able to return to their homes. Many were simply unable
to gather their pets in time. But the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals realized that
it wouldn't be long before owners' anxieties turned
to their animals, left in a dusty, debris-filled atmosphere
devoid of electricity, food and water.
Sure enough, within 24 hours of the disaster, hundreds
of people started calling the ASPCA in response to their
rescue effort at Ground Zero. People were not only calling
to ask about the welfare of their pets, but the pets
of their missing neighbors and family members. On September
13, at least 50 volunteers were dispatched to shift
the organization's headquarters from uptown Manhattan
to mobile units 15 blocks away from Ground Zero on King
Street. There, rescued animals were given medical treatment,
reunited with their owners, or placed in foster homes.
ASPCA director Gail Buchwald explains the importance
of rescuing these animals. "Companion animals are
a source of comfort and security to their owners. For
those owners who were separated from their pets, finding
their animals again helps them to re-gain their sense
of control and well-being. In cases of perished pet
owners, the pets may represent the last link the family
has to their beloved, and they may express the strong
desire to adopt the animals."
The process of rescuing the beloved pets was an arduous
one. After being alerted to the location of an animal
by calls, search-and-rescue teams from the ASPCA's Humane
Law Enforcement (HLE) department entered abandoned buildings
that were sometimes strewn with debris. Lacking electricity,
they had to maneuver dark, cramped staircases with the
aid of flashlights. One of the few camera crews allowed
on location, the Animal Planet channel documented HLE
special agents climbing as many as 36 flights of stairs
to reach the apartments. "We hope that a toilet
seat was left up, or that people were using automatic
feeders," Special Agent Mark MacDonald said on
that program. Many times, Buchwald says, the officers
arrived at the apartments to find that the animals,
reported by well-meaning neighbors, had already been
rescued by their owners.
Some pets were harder to catch than others. "Cats
pose a challenge because, when frightened, they will
hide beneath furniture or debris and are difficult to
retrieve," says Buchwald. In many cases, this is
why owners could not take their pets with them when
they fled. Also problematic were exotic animals, such
as turtles, because they had to be removed from their
tanks and controlled environments and "re-homed."
Most
of the pets rescued by the ASPCA were found in enough
time to be in good condition. In the first few weeks,
the mobile hospital near Ground Zero treated animals
for dehydration and respiratory problems related to
ash and debris. Many animals were treated for eye irritations.
The overall good condition of the animals was due in
part to the compassion of others. "In many cases,"
says Buchwald, "Building managers and superintendents
had gone into the buildings before they were evacuated
and put down food and water."
Buchwald reports that there were very few orphans.
"Next of kin and friends of victims have come forward
to claim the pets. In a few cases, like in the case
of two cats that belonged to a firefighter who perished,
we have found some pets wonderful adopted homes."
Gail's sister Emily, a pediatrician, found herself giving
foster care to three cats that belonged to a man she
never met. Their owner initially fled from his ash and
debris-strewn apartment in Battery Park City to Boston,
but was able to return a few days later to replenish
their food and water. He is now staying with family
in upstate New York. It was two weeks before he realized
that the ASPCA had rescued his cats.
"I didn't have any information on them," she
says. "I didn't know how old they were. I didn't
know their names."
After speaking with the owner, Emily realized that he
was traumatized by the incident, and was unsure when
he'd be back to pick up his pets. Four weeks later,
Tippy, Munchy, and Chili Pepper are the only WTC animals
still in foster care. But Emily, who has no other pets,
doesn't mind the extra company. Despite a rough start,
she says they're "one big happy family." The
cats are in good condition. One of the cats is getting
over a respiratory infection, for which Emily had to
give it antibiotics. And Tippy was initially loathe
to warm up to a new owner.
"I thought she was evil.," Emily says. "She
wouldn't let me get into bed. I referred to her affectionately
as Bin Laden in the first few days. But now they sleep
in my bed with me, and they're very happy."
Emily's charges are lucky. Some of the rescued animals
were in far worse condition. A pedigree Persian named
Precious was stuck on the hot tar roof of her building
for 11 days, with nothing to eat and nothing to drink
but rainwater. When rescue workers finally heard her
crying on the roof, her paws were burned. But she was
given the medical attention she needed and returned
to her owner.
The efforts of the ASPCA have resulted in the rescue
of approximately 200 animals. 300 additional animals
received treatment from ASPCA veterinarians. Currently,
the organization is providing pet bereavement services
for those whose pets were not able to be rescued. "Those
who have lost their pets grieve for them as much as
they would in the event of any tragic loss they might
experience," says Buchwald. In the Animal Planet
special "Animal Precint at Ground Zero," one
woman agonized over how to tell her daughter that the
family dog escaped during the evacuation and was probably
lost under the debris.
"I can't lie to her," the woman sobbed.
"But I can't tell her that Freckles is in the wreckage."
As depicted on "Animal Precinct," owners (many
of whose names cannot be released by the ASPCA) who
feared the worst often became extremely emotional when
reuniting with their pets. One man insisted that he
meet the officer that saved his cat, Ginger. "Thank
you," he said as he embraced his pet's rescuer.
"We're all together now."
Amazingly, more than a month after the disaster, only
one of the animals rescued is without a foster home,
as its owners left New York and could not take their
cat with them. But the cat's future is by no means bleak.
"I have to be it's mommy," says Emily Buchwald,
who has warmed up to the idea of being a pet owner.
"When these kitties go back to their original owner,
I would like to take that one."
Although there was much to attend to at the site of
the World Trade Center, the ASPCA's rescue effort demonstrated
that every form of life was precious. The HLE agents
who entered the buildings battled respiratory problems
and difficult climbs up dark stairwells to make sure
that every pet possible was saved.
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the author
Related Links:
American
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
ASPCA.org's
Photos of Rescue Efforts
ASPCA
Responds to Inaccurate Reports of WTC Pets Orphaned
The
ASPCA Continues To Provide Aftermath Services Related
To The World Trade Center Disaster
Animal
Planet Channel's "Animal Precinct" homepage
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