BF: St Francis Animal Sanctuary is still saving lives
Source: Best Friends
One of the sanctuaries that was so critical during and after Katrina is still going strong:
In Katrina’s aftermath, St. Francis Animal Sanctuary needed to reinvent itself. With the flood, it lost its donor base, many of whom lived in New Orleans but never returned to their homes. Co-founders Pam Perez and Heidi Krupp and a dedicated board of directors have worked hard to continue helping homeless animals in the Mississippi and Louisiana region.
Gone are the tents, dining hall, motor homes and temporary runs that housed Katrina dogs. Kitty City, once used for Katrina cats, now houses St. Francis felines. The “real life” room, inside a building where caregivers once socialized dogs, is now part office and part puppy and small dog area where the pups get to hang out with St. Francis office staff.
Slowly but surely, the hard work at St. Francis is paying off. In 2007, its adoptions tripled from what they were before the storm. Nearly 300 dogs and cats – a record for the six-year-old sanctuary – went home last year. “The adoptions mean we can help other animals within our community,” Heidi says. “Without the adoptions, we’d have to turn them away.”
