Wayne Pacelle Rescue Quotations

There were millions of Americans focused on animal welfare issues in the wake of the disaster, and we also know the bungled federal response to the animal crisis undermined the effectiveness of the human rescue mission.

The evacuation of New Orleans doomed these animals to a fate of dehydration and starvation. We rescued people, but we left their pets behind to die. Amazingly, we are finding more alive every day, but after three weeks we are hitting the critical hour.

If you don't account for the pets in disaster, you undermine the effectiveness of the human rescue operation.

We need the federal government to say that, when it doesn't conflict with human needs, federal responders can rescue animals and cooperate

We were on the ground Tuesday, the day after the hurricane hit, but we were excluded from going in by state and federal authorities for the first several days. We've received 2,000 e-mails and phone calls from people who evacuated from New Orleans, who left animals in their homes and are pleading with us to rescue them. That's just in New Orleans. It doesn't count surrounding areas.

Puppy mills create misery for dogs and pain for the unwitting purchasers of the animals, and they indirectly deny suitable homes for animals in need. There are millions of healthy, adoptable animals available from shelters and breed rescue organizations.