After watching local and national news coverage of Hurricane Katrina's devastation, Pewaukee's Caryn Majeskie loaded up her van and drove down to the coast to help. Majeskie had been involved with animal rescue efforts for seven years, so once she got to Gulfport, Miss., she immediately found her niche and started Operation Bring Animals Home (OBAH).
Over the course of 36 hours, Majeskie rescued over 100 animals, including an emaciated dog and her four newborn pups. She then drover further south and continued rescue efforts.
"We were able to provide cat and dog food, collars and leashes, crates and advice to people who had lost everything but still wanted the best for their animals. We met many survivors who told us their terrifying stories," says Majeskie, the mother of three young children.
Majeskie returned to Milwaukee briefly after her initial rescue mission, but later returned with Hope Safehouse, a no-kill animal shelter in Racine, for a second mission a couple of weeks later. Now, she is working to build "animal homes" for lost and neglected animals affected by Hurricane Katrina.
"We are so lucky here in Wisconsin that the majority of our shelters here really make an effort to be no-kill and the volunteers are so caring," she says.
According to Majeskie, it's a different story in parts of the south, where many of the shelters still utilize the gas chamber when euthanizing. Plus, fewer animals are spayed and neutered.
Aside from the building of "animal homes" -- which are friendlier and cozier than typical shelters -- OBAH is assisting the Los Angeles State Attorney General's Office with the investigation of the person(s) responsible for various animal massacres in the area.
"OBAH hopes to become an important asset to Wisconsin and other areas in the search and rescue mission," says Majeskie, 28.
OBAH's Web site is operationbringanimalshome.com/.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
