As the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Hurricane Katrina response headed into its 20th day, their Disaster Animal Response Teams continued to rescue stranded pets while bracing for the potential arrival of Hurricane Rita, noted a press release from HSUS. Here’s the latest update on what’s happening in Louisiana and Mississippi from the HSUS.

Three weeks after Katrina struck the region and the flood waters rose in New Orleans, HSUS rescue teams were doing all they could to reach stranded pets in time. They’ve rescued nearly 6,000 pets and other animals. Many animals were in remarkably good shape, but others were severely dehydrated or have wounds or chemical burns. For some, help arrived too late. While individual National Guardsmen and military units have helped HSUS, “the federal government has refused to formally make animal rescue a top priority,” the release stated.

The temporary animal shelter at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, La., remained at capacity, according to the report. To make room for new rescues, personnel have transported more than 1,500 animals out of the facility to other shelters. The HSUS’ top animal sheltering professionals are finding the task of running the massive facility to be the most challenging assignment of their lives.
“Despite the federal government’s lack of response in helping with rescues, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Public Health Service have been a tremendous help at this facility, as have officials from the state of Louisiana,” noted the release. “We’re still in need of volunteers to help with the task of managing what has become the nation’s largest animal shelter. (Visit www.HSUS.org to fill out the volunteer form.)”

Amid the stress and hardship, HSUS staff and volunteers have witnessed incredible reunions of pets and their people—more than 400 so far. At the HSUS temporary shelter in Hattiesburg, Miss., a bell near the entrance is rung each time an animal is reunited with an owner. When the bell rings, cheers and applause break out through the facility