Thanks to the team effort of many wonderful people from around the country, for the second time in a month, Project Starfish transported Katrina animals to Butler, PA. This transport was truly a group effort and we have many people to thank.

First, this effort would have been impossible without the amazing work by Sue Varner who put everything together on the receiving end. Her hard work made it possible for Project Starfish to bring 37 dogs and 6 cats to Pennsylvania.

Sue in turn relied on the extraordinary Butler County Humane Society, a wonderful no-kill shelter in PA. The staff and volunteers from the shelter provided a safe place for the dogs to arrive at and we cannot thank Cindy Dimmick, William McNutt, and the executive staff at the Humane Society enough for their generosity.

This transport was somewhat of an emergency situation. Broken Down Dogs needed to shut its doors but was left with about 40 animals. These dogs and cats were "left over" because another scheduled transfer fell through, leaving the shelter half-full when it was supposed to be empty. Understandably, this was a crisis, but thanks to lots of hard work (and lots of phone calls), Project Starfish was able to arrange for the animals to come north.

The animals arrived on Friday night thanks to the generosity of Eva and Julian Long of Alexandria, LA. The Longs are the unsung heroes of Project Starfish, they have been instrumental in all of our efforts in Alexandria. Without them, none of our work would have been possible, and this time they really saved the day. The Longs provided transport for the remaining animals at Broken Down Dogs, a very expensive service. This generous couple also has provided vet care and financial help. They are truly the biggest animal lovers of all of us, and that says a lot.

Now back to the transport. Kara Peterson and Cynthia Sweet of Project Starfish were on hand to help with the animals. They arrived Friday night and stayed until Sunday. The transport arrived near dusk, so the women unloaded the truck as fast as possible. Once the dogs were walked by volunteers, they were brought inside the shelter for a bath and a vet check. They also had their portraits taken for petfinder.com. Pam Olszak-Marcink and her staff from Barnyard Kennels were generous enough to volunteer their services. The women gave every single dog a bath!

The dogs spent the night and on Saturday they were matched with foster homes. Many of them may be pets and will be going on petfinder.com ASAP. Foster homes can adopt the animal only after 30 days. All but six dogs went into homes. If you might want to foster one of these dogs, see our adoptable animals section by clicking the link at the top of any page.

All of these animals are victims of Hurricane Katrina and are in desperate need of medical care, a safe place to sleep, and someone to love them. Now they all have what they need to feel safe and happy. We can’t thank Sue and her friends in Butler enough!

Please see the slideshow section to see photos of this transport.