On the 11 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Mike Fry of No Kill Learning wrote about disaster profiteers who portray themselves as rescuers. In the wake of Hurricane Florence, which is continuing to cause havoc on North and South Carolina, it is wise to remember these words:
"One thing that has not changed [since Katrina], however, is the fact that opportunistic people and organizations are working to make the most out of the floods in order to line their own pockets. Without a doubt, the worst offender in that department has got to be People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) who has made a big deal out of "rescuing" 60 animals from the Louisiana floods and bringing them back to their Norfolk, Virginia shelter, which has maintained a kill rate of about 90% for years."
The fact of the matter is that across the USA today, high kill animal shelters are rushing to social media to beg for money so they can "rescue" animals affected by Hurricane Florence. One of the most egregious examples we have been told about is the Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS).
According to the most recent reports from GBHS, they are barely keeping 50% of the animals that enter their shelter alive. Yet, they are begging for donations to go to the Carolinas to "rescue" cats.
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While it might seem nice for GBHS to ask for donations to help, a rational mind would need to ask, "why donate to a high kill shelter in Alabama to help animals in North and South Carolina?" The obvious answer is that the shelters and rescues directly affected by the hurricane need your donations far more than an organization like GBHS. The most recent statistics report for GBHS, it is worth pointing out, clearly shows that in the month of July only 251 felines left the organization alive, while 245 cats left in body bags. Why would a shelter that can barely keep half of its cats alive be begging for money to bring in more cats from out of state? The most logical answer is that disasters tug on heart strings and heart strings open wallets.
At the end of No Kill Learning's blog, Fry listed some general disaster giving guidelines. The most important tip is to give locally to the agencies directly affected. Donating to other organizations that are not affected only takes money away from those who need it most.