Lawsuit over New Orleans pet massacre!

[Laura's Babies]

Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:02 pm
Post subject: LAWSUIT LAUNCHED IN NEW ORLEANS PET MASSACRE!

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Pasado Update - LAWSUIT LAUNCHED IN NEW ORLEANS PET MASSACRE!

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, while Pasado's was in New Orleans rescuing 1200 animals, Mark got a call about three schools, in St. Bernard Parish, where hurricane evacuees had temporarily lived. They were forced to leave all of their pets behind - dogs tied up on leashes, cats in carriers.

The call Mark received reported all the animals - 33 dogs and cats, had been shot to death. Mark called the Louisiana State Attorney General's Office. Investigators joined Mark at the schools. Mark went to the local Wal-Mart and bought 33 Rubbermaid tubs, in which to scoop up the remains of the bodies for forensic investigation. He returned to the schools, and under the watchful eyes of the AG's Office Investigators, recovered all the bodies, shell casings and other evidence. He had found that the dogs had been shot in the body cavity, neck, joints, and legs.

Mark drove all of the remains to the State of Louisiana's Veterinary Teaching Hospital for necropsies. Pasado's Safe Haven paid for $7700.00 for necropsies to prove the animals suffered. Pasado's got the Louisiana State Attorney General to launch an investigation but so far, nothing has come of it. So far.

GREAT NEWS ANNOUNCED TODAY!
As we've patiently waited for the wheels of justice to turn in a criminal case, Pasado's has been delighted to work with a passionate attorney in New Orleans to see this case through as a civil matter on behalf of the people whose pets were killed. Today's Los Angeles Times article describes the civil suit that we're supporting with time, investigation, interviews with witnesses, the necropsy reports and one of our staff members (a paralegal) and all filing fees to bring this case to court. Eileen Comiskey, the brilliant New Orleans attorney, is leading the efforts on behalf of plaintiffs.

LosAngeles Times Story:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...la-home-nation

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...ck=1&cset=true

PLEASE NOTE!
Pasado's Safe Haven is attempting to fund this case and we are a small non-profit. The attorney is donating hundreds of her hours.
We need filing fees, fees for depositions, airmiles, and pre-paid long-distance phone cards. Can you help? Please donate here:
http://www.pasadosafehaven.org/DONAT...ation_Form.htm

And please cross-post to friends who can help. We need those who committed this horrible act to pay.

Visit Pasado's website: http://www.pasadosafehaven.org/

[ashleycat]

I feel so sad for all the animals from K,and their owners. How can someone just go and shoot all of them like that?

[Karen]

It should be an indictment of not only the people who carried out this crime, but of the stupid, inhumane government policies that forced people to abandon their pets in the first place.

[ramanth]

Those poor animals.

I sure hope they find and convict whomever did it. I don't understand how anyone can be that cold hearted.

[Lizzie]

Shooting pets that people had been assured were left in a safe place is bad enough, shooting them in the abdomen, etc. which ensured them many hours of extreme suffering, tied down and abandoned is the stuff of nightmares for their guardians. I've been following this story for months on the Pasado Safe Haven home page and am glad to hear that it's moving forward. I was afraid that it would be buried (not by Pasado's who are passionate about following up with litigation when needed) because it was deemed of little importance given the general suffering.

[CathyBogart]

When I saw the notes written on the walls, I just broke. Those poor animals, and their poor families....

[kitten645]

I volunteered to help with Katrina pets. Because of the extreme conditions (filthy water, snakes, risk of infections) I only got as far as Houston. There we chipped, washed, photographed and posted pets (dogs really) on the website to be reunited with owners.
I spoke with many who had actually been in NO during the evacuations and a woman there told me of a little boy about 8 who refused to get on a bus without his dog. She said he was screaming and crying and physically wouldn't get on the bus. The National Guardsman that was helping the evacuation finally lost patience, took the dog and shot it Then told the boy, "There. Now get on the damn bus." Can you imagine? I believe it's true as she told me she saw it herself and it wasn't a second hand account.
Can you imagine the mental scars on that poor boy?
I think alot happened with people that hasn't been revealed yet. I dread to think what that means for the animals.
I haven't seen it yet but here's a link for a documentary on the subject
Dark Water Rising

[Lady's Human]

I have serious doubts about the above story, because the National Guardsman in question would have been up for court martial so quickly he never would have known what happened.

You do NOT discharge weapons around civilians, and I doubt anyone but the roving MP's were even issued live ammunition.

[signorelli21]

I have serious doubts about the above story, because the National Guardsman in question would have been up for court martial so quickly he never would have known what happened.

You do NOT discharge weapons around civilians, and I doubt anyone but the roving MP's were even issued live ammunition.

exactly, thats one of the biggest infractions that exist in the military, you better have a DAMN good reason to discharge a weapon, you still get court martialed for an accidental discharge.

i don;t see why more people didn't resist leaving their pets, i mean can you imagine if they were told that children were not allowed to go either? YEA RIGHT!! also, why are the police that murdered the dogs/cats in the school being charged with destruction of property? why not murder? they will get probation for the stupid thngs they are being charged with, no big deal.