Not Left Behind: Rescuing the Pets of New Orleans

by Best Friends Animal Society and Bob Somerville

Not Left Behind is the story of how Best Friends Animal Society rescued thousands of pets from the storm-ravaged, flooded streets of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The story is told... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976744252
• ISBN13: 9780976744252
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Yorkville Press
• Length: 95 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.3" x 10.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Photos of Dog Rescues Post-Katrina

This photo-log captures some of the desperate and hopeful moments of post Katrina pet rescues. The photographer spent a few weeks early in the rescue effort snapping shots of mostly dog rescues. The royalties from the book sales go to Best Friends Animal Society, a worthy organization that stepped in to rescue animals after Katrina devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas. The book is mostly pictures of dogs, though all kinds of animals were rescued.

Beautiful and Heartwrenching--A Must Buy

This is a haunting photographic depiction of one of the worst tragedies to befall people AND animals in our country....and of the heroic, going-beyond-the-distance efforts of groups of animal rescuers, who flew, drove and bussed themselves into this Katrina-Ground Zero, sleeping on the ground at night, slogging thru toxic water during the 15 hr. days, weeks and months, in the 95 degree heat, often having to break into destroyed houses up to the ceilings with water, to rescue pets that were near-death. Hopefully the Pets Act will go thru, the bill that is currently just passed the Senate, so that from now on, every state in the union that sets up a people-shelter for hurricanes and other disasters, will have to provide one for animals as well, so that people won't refuse to evacuate because they can't take their pets. And, there will be NO PETS LEFT BEHIND. See hsus.org ( Humane Society of the U.S.) for details on the Pets Act and how you can help. Best Friends Animal Rescue is one of the best rescue groups in the world. Bless them for all they do.

Something Positive From Katrina!

"Not Left Behind" presents a series of photos taken of Best Friends Animal Society members over a two week period, rescuing dogs and cats (a bit problematic - had to trap them using food) left behind. The operation continued over a 249 day period, with up to 75 volunteers on-site at a time, including veterinarians, dog groomers, and other animal lovers. During that time period they rescued over 3,000 animals, with almost all surviving, and none left behind - either returned to owner, adopted out, or taken back to Society headquarters in Utah, 2,000 miles away. Society members found the military very helpful - often identifying animal locations for them, and feeding those that they could. Clearly Katrina was (and still is) a tragedy, a tragedy made worse by the inane prohibition against evacuees bringing their pets. (I remember TV showing a little boy ready to board one of the buses, being told he could not bring his dog, and crying his eyes out). "Not Left Behind" helped make up for some of the sadness.

Be sure to have a box of tissues nearby

This book is very put together for impact, and I got teary throughout my reading. It's amazing the work that people did to get the animals out of danger, but the entire time, while it is a hopeful book, one can only imagine how many weren't able to be saved. The page on cats, in particular, made me sad, as they mention how hard it was to rescue cats compared to dogs, as they wouldn't come when called. The photos are great, and the stories of rescue are extremely heartwarming. It's an inspiring book written by some great people. I wish it could have been longer and more detailed, but it's great anyway.