WAIF is Home. All of the animals survived the evacuation well and are now settled back in.
If you were considering making a contribution and helping out WAIF now is a good time to do it. Evacuating all of the animals is expensive and now that we are back there are hundreds of animals (and humans) needing our help. We could use all of the donations we can get and as always we pledge that 100% of the money you donate goes to directly help the animals.
For those of you in the New Orleans area please stay safe and if you evacuate please take your faithful pets with you. They depend on your for their lives and safety. Please don't betray that trust. If you visit our LiveJournal or MySpace pages you will find lists of helpful information about evacuating your pets.
Please keep the city, people and animals of New Orleans in your thoughts and prayers.
For the latest news, rescue stories and welfare education please visit us on any of the following forums
and please don't forget to friend us!
WAIF stands for Wandering Animals' Insurance Fund
We are a small, grassroots effort to help animals. We trap, spay/neuter and release feral cats, But never underestimate 2 crazy ladies on a mission. Please note that WAIF is not a shelter. We are not equipped to take in owner surrenders. We utilize foster homes as caretakers for our rescues and adoptables. While this method provides the very best situation for the animals and aids in their recover, rehabilitation and mental health it does not provide us with the facilities to warehouse large amounts of animals.
If you are considering rehoming your faithful friend you need to understand that 70% - 80% of rehomed animals (animals given away, regardless if given to a person or shelter) will die, in one way or another, within 2 years. It's a sad statistic but it's accurate. Please reconsider your reasons for giving away your pet and make certain you are truly acting in the best interest of the animal. Their lives depend on you. Often there is a simple solution to the problem that causes you to consider rehoming. Please talk to your vet or an animal behaviorist to see if there are alternatives to giving up your pet.
we help people get their pets spay/neutered and we help those who love their animals afford necessary medical care when the expense is too great. When we are able, we also rescue, rehab and rehome animals in need. It’s a big job for just 2 people.
Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world.
And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.
-Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 4:8
If you are looking for a particular type, species or breed of animal and you aren't finding what you are looking for feel free to email us and ask for our assistance. We have helped hundreds of people find the pet of their dreams to rescue, even if it's not one under our protection. Our main mission here at WAIF is to help alleviate animal suffering and overpopulation and to help humans have a better relationship with their animal companions.
We also need help with setting, checking and transporting TNR cages and cats. If you can't foster then maybe you have the time to help the stray cats in the New Orleans area.
If you neither have time nor space you can always donate. WAIF runs as a 100% volunteer operation. No one gets paid so 100% of your donation goes to help the animals. There is no donation too small since every dollar counts. Please gather up that loose change out of the couch and consider sending it to us or dropping it into one of our donation jars located throughout the French Quarter. Donation jars are located at the following WONDERFUL establishments.
(please stop in and give them your business)
French Quarter Pet Asylum
The Artist's Market & Bead Shop
85 French Market Place
1228 Decatur Street
(you can walk through from one side to the other!)
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 561-0046
The Artist's Market & Bead Shop Website
Mary Jane's Emporium
1229 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 525-8004
Le Jardin Glass Art
612 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Le Jardin Glass Art Website
Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga
37 French Market Place
New Orleans, Louisiana 70116
(504) 581-4242
Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga Website
Island of Salvation Botanica
835 Piety St.
New Orleans, LA 70117
(504) 948-9961
Island of Salvation Botanica Website
Please note! TNR stands forTrap/Neuter/RELEASE
It does not stand for Trap/Neuter/RELOCATE
We cannot come to your location, trap cats and relocate them. It is not feasible for many reasons. Firstly, feral cats are used to their territories. They do not like to be relocated and will usually either run off , be chased off by the established cats in the area or try to return to the area they came from. This often ends in tragedy as they get hit by cars trying to cross roads, killed by stray dogs or die from illness or starvation. Another reason we will not relocate is because we have no where for them to go. Every feral cat colony we know of in the city is full. The existing cats do not want more cats to join, the feeders that pay for the food out of their own pockets cannot afford the extra expense and the people that live in these areas do not want more cats moving in if they can avoid it.
If you have a feral cat problem in your area the best thing to do is to Trap and Neuter the cats and return them right back to where you got them from. By neutering them you are stopping the colony from breeding and growing, cutting down the likelihood of disease and reducing the smell from unneutered cat urine and spraying. In return the cats will keep down the rat and mouse population in the area and keep out new cats that want to move in.
If you relocate the cats you are only making your problem someone else’s and your problem will return. When you remove feral cats you create a vacuum that new cats will move in to fill.
WAIF tries to help everyone in need but our TNR efforts are concentrated in the Marigny/Bywater/French Quarter areas. If you live outside these areas we are willing to help you TNR cats but we do ask for your help. We will be happy to loan traps at no charge (with a fully refundable deposit in case the traps are lost, damaged or stolen). We will show you how to set, bait and safely handle the traps and all of the tips and tricks we know to have a successful trapping. We then ask for your help in transporting the cats to us or to our vet for the animals to be neutered. Once done you can pick the animals up from us to return back to your location.
It’s really not that hard, it just takes a little time. We ask for your help because there is a high demand on what we do and we can’t do it all ourselves. Recently, in one evening of trapping cats, I drove close to 200 miles just to cover 3 locations between the city and the suburbs. By the end of the evening I had trapped only 5 cats. Success might have been higher if I wasn’t having to spend such limited time at each location. Volunteers would have been helpful and deeply appreciated.
