Local Rescue Trying To Get Supplies To Oklahoma For Stranded Pets Of Tornado Victims

ATWATER VILLAGE (CBSLA.com) — Among the victims of the Oklahoma tornado are pets who have yet to be reunited with their owners.

A local rescue group has gathered supplies to help the animals, but is still looking for a way to deliver them to Oklahoma.

Atwater Village resident and Oklahoma City native Courtney Morris is heading the effort to help these animals and their owners.

"These people don't have houses anymore," Morris said. "So they may know that their dog is sitting at a rescue waiting for them, but because they don't have anywhere to take it right now, they basically told these organizations, you know, 'please hold on to my dog for me while I figure out what I'm going to do'. So they're just going through supplies like crazy."

Around 300 pets have reportedly been displaced, but the stories of tornado victims being reunited with their pets has been providing hope as the effected people begin to pick up their pieces.

"I know owners are always grateful  when they're reunited with their animals," JeanMarie Wisniewski, who runs Directors of Animal Welfare (DAWS). "They'll be very grateful when they get some of these supplies that are so badly needed."

Wisniewski is collecting pet supplies at her home in Atwater Village, but she is still looking for a way to transport the goods to the victims in Oklahoma, and she has no shortages of ideas for potential methods of shipment to help out.
"Fedex, UPS, Fire department, trucking companies, anybody" Wisniewski suggested. "It is too costly to ship at this point, so we do need transport."