After
Katrina:
Moving Forward, Four Years Later Paws to Rebuild Campaign
We'll never forget those of you who came to help us in our hour of need.
Four years ago today, things changed forever for all of us in New Orleans.Around this time, shortly after the hurricane roared ashore near the state line, we actually thought our hometown had dodged a bullet. Exhausted from the massive evacuation of 157 shelter animals, we thought we'd simply have to wait a few days, then return our animals home. Little did we know that wasn't to be; we'd soon become a part of one of the largest animal rescue efforts in history.
Because of the kindness of strangers from across the country, our rural property in Tylertown, MS--where we had evacuated our shelter animals--was transformed into Camp Katrina. It became
a beacon of hope for more than 1800 animals, who were rescued during the storm's aftermath.
500 volunteers rushed to our aid, and new friends and donors from around the country pitched in to support us in our hour of need.
Now, four years later, we're entering the final phase of our hurricane recovery. We're kicking off
our Paws to Rebuild capital campaign today, and we'd deeply appreciate your SUPPORT. 
Stu is one of the Katrina survivors who still lives at our sanctuary.
For us, the timing is finally right. For the first two years following Katrina, we had little choice but to operate strictly in disaster relief mode. We worked tirelessly to respond to the crisis, and with volunteers, members and donors displaced, we had no way to know if our grassroots group could literally weather the storm and remain in operation over the long haul.We also endured disappointment after disappointment after the hurricane. Our insurance company failed to reimburse us for our losses. Key members and supporters continued to leave the area. Our Tylertown shelter was hit by a tornado, and then, this time last year, Hurricane Gustav once more transformed our compound into a hurricane evacuation and disaster response center.
Then, at the end of our Gustav disaster relief efforts, our nation was plunged into the worst economic crisis our country has seen since the Great Depression. 
Betsy is a feral kitty who fled with us from the city
of New Orleans before the storm.
But now, despite so many setbacks, HSL is ready to take the next step forward towards recovery!With our Paws To Rebuild capital campaign, we'll replace the shelter we lost with a suitable facility in Tylertown. New construction will enable us to continue our shelter programs, to house Katrina survivors, and to offer disaster relief and evacuation services to animal protection groups in the region.We'll soon reopen an administrative office in the Greater New Orleans area, as well, where we've operated programs nonstop since 1988.Please take some time to learn more about our Paws To Rebuild campaign. We've come up with a no-frills plan for shelter construction. With donated supplies and labor, we'll get things done on the cheap. We don't even expect our operating costs to increase dramatically, once we're up and running. We'll get significant cost savings out of streamlining our shelter operations.On this four year anniversary of Katrina, we're so grateful for what we have and for how far you've enabled us to come. We know times are tough, but if it's possible for you to make a contribution towards our final recovery, we would deeply appreciate your support.Sincerely, 
Dana Dell Nesbitt
President
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