Dirty Jobs

The Deepwater Horizon Response Consolidated Fish and Wildlife Collection Report shows that to date, there have been over 4,000 animals collected and examined for oil. Of those, a little over 2600 were dead at the time of collection. On a brighter note, over 500 birds have been cleaned and released, 11 sea turtles cleaned and released, and 11 sea turtle nests have been relocated. On thursday we told you about the sea turtle rescue efforts by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. You can revisit that story below or by clicking here. Today I wanted to share a couple more little stories with you about other efforts to protect the wildlife in the Gulf.

Dr. Mike Strain, veterinarian and director of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, reported that his organization had moved 3,000 cages to the southern tip of Louisiana to aid rescued animals. Additional resources have also been sent to staging areas along the coast to aid wildlife rehabilitation specialists and biologists in their efforts to care for oiled birds and other wildlife.

Here's another organization, though much smaller and more informal, called Join the Paws. This group was started by three people in the veterinary community that wanted to help provide aid and support to injured rescue dogs during hurricane Katrina and the disaster in Haiti; it has since evolved into a strong coalition. Their organization has started a Twitter and Facebook campaign to raise funds to support the National Wildlife Federation and its efforts to rescue and provide aid to the wildlife in the Gulf. To find out more information or to make a donation, go to their facebook page here.

For a more in-depth look at what's being done for the wildlife in the Gulf, visit the Oiled Wildlife Care Network blog or their website, or go to the Deepwater Horizon Response site.