[00:00:02]
HI, THIS IS PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG HERE WITH OUR DIRECTOR OF J PS JEFFERSON PROTECTION AND ANIMAL WELFARE SERVICES.
AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE WORK THAT MICHELLE AND HER TEAM DOES DURING A STORM AND DURING A HURRICANE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, IN THE PRESS CONFERENCES I DO, YOU HEAR ABOUT DRAINAGE AND YOU HEAR ABOUT ROAD CLEARING OF DEBRIS AND YOU HEAR ABOUT TRAFFIC SIGNALS, BUT SOMETIMES I DON'T ALWAYS GET TO WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES IN VERY IMPORTANT WORK IS OUR ANIMAL WELFARE.
AND MICHELLE REALLY HAS BROUGHT, I MEAN, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH STORMS NOW, BUT EVERY STORM WE GET BETTER.
AND MICHELLE REALLY HAS BROUGHT WHAT I CALL NEXT LETTER LEVEL LEADERSHIP TO TAKING CARE OF ANIMALS DURING A STORM.
SO THE FIRST THING IS THAT WE FLY ANIMALS OUT ON AIRPLANES.
WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT? SO, UM, GOING INTO A STORM, WE GET AN ANIMAL CENSUS.
SO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF THE TYPES OF PETS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, AND WE SEND THEM OUT TO THE NATIONAL GROUPS TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THEM TO MOVE BEFOREHAND.
IT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE LATELY, BUT AFTER THE FACT THEY'LL TRY TO, LIKE BISSELL CAME IN, GREATER GOOD CAME IN.
ALL OF THESE GROUPS CAME IN TO HELP TRY TO MOVE AS MANY AND PLACE AS MANY AS THEY CAN INTO RESCUE GROUPS.
AND THAT'S KIND OF OUR FIRST STEP IN HELPING THE COMMUNITY IS TO TRY TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE OF THE SHELTER BY MOVING THE ANIMALS THAT, UM, WERE HERE BEFORE THE STORM.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT AS A PARISH WE'VE REALLY IMPROVED SINCE IDA IN, IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, IS SHELTERING OF PEOPLE.
OBVIOUSLY WITH IDA, WE HAD PEOPLE IN LA FEET WHO IMMEDIATELY NEEDED SHELTER BECAUSE THEIR HOMES WERE FLOODED OUT.
AND WE'VE, AS A GROUP, WE'VE REALLY IMPROVED THOSE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE.
BUT A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE BRING PETS WITH THEM.
AND REALLY, WE HAVE THEM IN SHELTERS WITH US A LOT.
BUT MICHELLE AND HER TEAM HAVE REALLY DONE, AGAIN, ANOTHER NEW THING THAT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEING DONE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS WITH SHELTERING AND, AND FOR PEOPLE WITH THEIR ANIMALS.
WELL, WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT DURING, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LARGE EVENTS LIKE, LIKE WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH IDA, UM, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE DISPLACED ALONG WITH THEIR PETS.
AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS, I MEAN, WE HAVE CO COHA SHELTERS THAT WE SET UP, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE JEFFERSON IS, IS REALLY GREAT WITH HELPING PEOPLE STAY WITH THEIR PETS.
BUT WE WANTED TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER.
I MEAN, WHO BETTER TO HOUSE PEOPLE WITH THEIR PETS? 'CAUSE WE LOVE PETS.
UM, IN THE FACILITY, SINCE WE ARE CLEARING OUT ANIMALS, WE'LL HAVE SPACE FOR THE OWN PETS AS WELL AS THE OWNERS.
SO WE ACTUALLY TOOK ALL OF THE CLASSES AND ALL OF THE TRAINING NECESSARY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HOUSE PEOPLE WITH THEIR PETS HERE.
SO, I MEAN, IT, IT'S ALMOST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ANIMAL PEOPLE.
THEY'RE ANIMAL PEOPLE, SO WHY NOT JUST HUNKER DOWN AND GET THROUGH IT TOGETHER? SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE PET IS BEING SHELTERED AND THE OWNER IS THE ACCOMPANYING
SO IT REALLY IS NEXT LEVEL, UH, INITIATIVES AND WE'RE JUST REALLY PROUD OF YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
SO I REALLY WANTED A HIGHLIGHT IN THIS VIDEO AND THANK MICHELLE AND HER TEAM AND ALL THE DEDICATED PEOPLE WHO WORK DURING THE STORMS CARING FOR OUR ANIMAL POPULATION.
AGAIN, THIS IS NEXT LEVEL LEADERSHIP THAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, IN THE MIDST OF STORMS AND IN THE MIDST OF OUR STORM SEASON.