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Katrina Disaster Animal Rescue Update:

642 Animals Rescued and Being Cared for by Noah's Wish and Slidell Animal Control in Louisiana

SLIDELL, La., Sept. 18, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Noah's Wish, a not-for-profit organization that works exclusively to rescue and shelter animals in disasters, is caring for 642 rescued animals at a temporary shelter in Slidell, Louisiana. Cats, dogs, rabbits, ducks, chickens, geese, a rat, a snake, a turtle, hamsters, a scorpion, a tarantula and one emu are among the animals that have been rescued in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by Noah's Wish and Slidell Animal Control. At the request of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Noah's Wish has taken 49 owned cats from the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzalez, Louisiana. The cats will be cared for at the temporary shelter in Slidell until they can be reunited with their owners.

Slidell residents searching for their pets should come to the temporary shelter in Heritage Park. The information booth will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day for the next several weeks. Pet owners must come in person to determine if their pet is at the shelter. "Every day, owners are coming in and being reunited with their animals," said Terri Crisp, Founder & Director of Noah's Wish. "While some pets have gone home, most have not been claimed. We have many animals in our care who have been identified but need to stay in the shelter until their owners find permanent housing."

The Slidell Animal Control building sustained extensive damage during Hurricane Katrina and will need to be leveled due to structural damage. Noah's Wish will provide financial assistance to rebuild and replenish the animal control facility so that it may continue to provide animal care and control services to the community after disaster recovery efforts subside.

WWW.NOAHSWISH.ORG

Noah's Wish is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization based in Placerville, California (near Sacramento). Donations may be made at www.NOAHSWISH.ORG or mailed to Noah's Wish P.O. Box 997 Placerville, CA 95667. For more information, contact Noah's Wish via e-mail: info@noahswish.org or 1-877-NOAHSWISH.

Note to reporters: Photographs and B-Roll are available. Contact: Patricia Jones, pellen325@yahoo.com

CONTACT:  Noah's Wish
          Patricia Ellen Jones
          (347) 306-2442
          pellen325@yahoo.com