Hurricane Katrina had a devastating effect on the people of New Orleans and the surrounding area. So many of the stories we are hearing are so completely heartbreaking that we can hardly stand it.

Some people are in the middle of things working tirelessly to help make the situation better, one step at a time.

One such person is Donna. She lives in Baton Rouge, very close to the disaster area. Donna runs the 911 Parrot Alert email list that keeps track of lost and found birds all around the world in order to help birds to be re-united with their families.

Although without power at her home, Donna immediately set herself up to rescue pet birds from New Orleans and began receiving birds in need. This story is about one of her rescues.

Renee and Marty had fled from Katrina with everything they could fit into their tiny car. They only had 2 hours to take whatever they could fit and had the horrible decision of deciding which of their pets could not go with them.

They took with them 2 changes of clothes, a personal papers folder, 1 cat named Fat Cat (no carrier) & her small cat box, a 29 year old African Gray Parrot named Napoleon in a kitten carrier, a King Snake named Arnold Snakanegger in an plastic apple juice jar with holes punched in the lid & a small cooler with drinking water in it.

Thinking they would be able to return within a week, they left 4 Cockatiels and a Conure behind in the safest place they could find – a friend’s 3rd story apartment in a sturdy building, with enough food and water to last for more than 7 days. It was a heartbreaking decision, but one that they did not have time to think about and there was simply not enough room in the car to hold their cages.

When Renee and Marty realized that they would not be allowed to return, they sent out a plea for help. The thought of their birds dying was too much for them to bear and they were desperate.

Donna, her son Neil and a friend James from the 911 Parrot Alert e-mail list, were quick to move into action. They drove into New Orleans and went past several roadblocks, which delayed them greatly - but they were allowed through. The roads were dry by this time, although they could see where the water had been and could smell the horrible smells around them. Although they saw some people around, there were very few and not in the area they were. It was already dark but still very hot when they found the apartment where these birds were. With the permission of Renee and Marty’s friend who owned the apartment, they broke in and rescued the birds.

The rescuers were on the cell phone with Renee and Marty as they entered the apartment and when the sound of their birds chirping and happy to see someone was heard through the phone they broke down in tears of happiness.

Although it was already late, Donna, James and Neil still had one more bird to find and they continued on to locate one more Cockatiel at another location before heading home for the night. Donna will be fostering these birds until the owners are able to return to get them.

Since then, Donna has continued to go back into New Orleans on a daily basis. At last word, she is now fostering over 150 birds at her home.

For more information on 911 Parrot Alert, please go to their website here

For information on Best Friends, an animal rescue organization that is rescuing pets left behind, please go to their website here

For information on Noah’s Wish, an animal rescue organization that is also rescuing pets left behind, please go to their website here

All these organizations need donations to help them continue their work.

Donna of 911 Parrot Alert needs cages, food, toys, people to help, money for gas and supplies, etc. If you can help out in any way, please check the above websites and find out the best way to proceed.

For information on how to prepare yourself and your birds in case of an emergency evacuation, please see Emergency Travel Kit For Your Bird.

For the continuation of this story - please see Hurricane Katrina - Pet Bird Rescue Continues.