Do you think that the people of Katrina who abandoned their helpless dogs to suffer and die should go to jail?

Question

My Cousins best friend who was 19 at the time had two dogs and the rescue helicopter said for her to leave the dogs and she stood her ground and they let her and her dogs on ......because if that ever go in the news that they abandoned a 19 year old that would look so bad ........People should always protect the helpless and personally i think that the selfish people who left their pets should suffer the same punishment.......If it were me i would never leave with out my pet NEVER ....how could you sleep at night
Why even get a pet if you are not going to at least guarantee it safety and good health..................My wife and I helped to rescue 11 dogs of Katrina and find loving homes for the innocent helpless traumatized dogs

Answer 1

No! the people who should be in jail over the "Katrina" problem are those in the state, county, and city governments that were so stupid as to let the citizens of the area build in an area that is below sea level...HELLO!. Rivers go were they want to eventually, dike or no dike. By the way if you ARE going to build a dike to hold back water, take a lesson from the Dutch. They use a combination of earth and concrete with extra reinforcing. Anyone that intends to rebuild should be governed by new building codes and not allowed to build any dwelling in an area that is BELOW SEA LEVEL. Sooner or later water will be there again. The state of Louisiana, and the parrish(what we call a county) and the city governments have been aware of the levee problem for over 50 years. studies have shown the river to change it's course on a regular cycle. That is how the delta was formed. A man built levee will not change that. Special note: over time water will NEVER be held back by dirt. See "LAWS of PHYSICS"

Answer 2

I think your going a little overboard. Let me ask you this... In an emergency like that and you only have room for you,your wife and children and they say there isn't any more room for your pets. Now who would be left behind? Would you leave your children for the pets? So, come on and be reasonable about the situation. Yes, I am a pet lover also, but if it comes down to either them or my family, well the pets will have to wait for the next help that comes along. I can replace a pet a lot easier then I can replace a family member.
So, at least be realistic about their situation. Do you really think they wanted to leave their pets behind? Come on. Some one is not thinking right. And yes, I bet the people of Katrina didn't want to leave them either. You are kind to help out the pets tho. But you have to think of the sacrfice they have been threw.

Answer 3

You sound like a very nice, but very judgemental man...you have NO idea how hard it must have been for those people who simply could not take their pets to safety!! Yes, I imagine they do lose sleep and a lot of it, worrying about those poor things that they loved being UNAVOIDABLY abandoned. You need to quit patting yourself on the back, although you are doing a fine thing in adopting pets, and rethink your superior attitude. Just because the people who rescued your "cousin's best friend" graciously allowed her to take her dogs on the helicopter is NO assurance whatsoever that every rescuer would allow that, and I am sure she was a very lucky, rare occurence. and i am through.....

Answer 4

Unless you were at the place where Katrina hit you can't ask that question. I really don't think people abandon their animals because they wanted to. If you owned an animal you have to know what they went through knowing they are leaving their animals behind. I can tell you that I wouldn't leave my dogs. Of course I would tell you that but I wasn't there. Who to say what you would do in a situation like that. Now if you ask if people should go to jail for abandoning their pets in normal condition I would say YES. I did my part to help the animals that were lost or abandoned during Katrina. Please don't judge people for what they do until you walk in their shoes.

Answer 5

No they should not go to jail. Those poor people have suffered enough. Look at the terrible living conditions they had at that big building(sorry can't remember the name), people were cramped in there like sardines, imagine having a bunch of dogs and cats to the mix. I hear what you are saying, I would hate to leave my pets behind but it was a terrible situation and much confusion. I feel sorry for the people and their pets.

Answer 6

No they shouldn't be punished. I have 2 dogs and a cat, and I would do anything possible to take them with me in a disaster. Those people didn't know that they were going to loose pets when they evacuated. Where you there? If not you have no right judging what happened? I wasn't there, but I feel for the animals as well as the owners that lost them. Maybe the people that used to own the pets that you adopted out to others, think you should be charged as a kidnapper, for giving their beloved pet to some strangers in the midst of a national disaster.

Answer 7

If your cousin's best friend had died because she refused to leave, would you still think she was so smart? If it was your cousin or your sister or your mother who died because they wouldn't leave their dog, would you still be so smug about their decision?

I love my dogs more than anything in the world. My sister had just moved out of the New Orleans area before Katrina, and she was in an area that was supposedly "higher ground". She wouldn't have left. Her old town is gone now. It makes me sick to think what might have happened if she'd still lived there. And yet if she'd been there and had chance to be rescued but only if she left her bulldog Bogie behind, I'm sorry, but I'd DIE if she were killed in the hurricane because she couldn't leave her dog. I love her dog, and my life absolutely revolves around my dogs, but that's my SISTER we're talking about here.

How dare you be so smug as to suggest jail time for people who placed human lives over animal lives in the midst of extreme disaster. How dare you blame the victims of Katrina for their plight.

Answer 8

I understand where your coming from. But I live in New Orleans. I work with pets day in and day out at my work. For some people in the area, it was either leave your pets or die with them. We werent told the extent of the hurricane until the saturday prior to it. We, at the time, only had one dog and it took ushours upon hous to find a hotel who would allow our dog. Now, for those who chaind their dogs up to trees, yes they should be punished. But you must understand, some didnt have a choice.

Answer 9

No, it's not like they had much choice put yourself in their shoes, no matter what you say, if you were there and had to evacute right away you would have done the same thing especially if you are a parent beside that, they suffered enough, so why would you wish them more pain, the cruel person here seems to be you no pet owner wishes their pet harm.

Answer 10

I personally have two dogs I love very much. I do not have kids and I have been married eleven years. All my attention is for my pets. As for leaving my pets behind in a situation like Katrina, I don't think I would. Pets after all do have feelings, you probably know this. On the other hand if it meant my pets life or a human life, I would have to sacrifice my pet for a humans life.