Plaquemines Parish, La. -
After thousands of livestock drowned after Hurricane Isaac, a council has been formed to review animal relief efforts. The Humane Society of Louisiana wants to take a closer look at what was done to try and protect the animals during the storm.
Images of cattle stranded in Isaac's floodwaters are hard to look at for some observers.
"They had some great big black Angus cattle, actually dead in the mud. They had two or three of them in the ditch across the street, stranded, couldn't get out, nobody could get to them," said Myrtle Grove business owner Steven Breaux.
Breaux says it was about 11 days after Isaac passed before he was able to get to his Myrtle Grove Bar. His business took on more than nine feet of water.
"They had two cows right there on that porch, you couldn't get no more on there, you only had two, you know. It was jammed up in there. They were looking for higher ground anywhere you go," said Breaux.
Breaux says normally the field across from his business off Hwy. 23 would be full of cattle, but many died after the storm. Some say there simply just weren't enough boots on the ground to save all the livestock.
"Usually they try and get them out of here and get them to higher ground. I don't think they had the opportunity with this," said Breaux.
Airboats and cattle herders teamed up to try and rescue hundreds trying to get to higher ground. But many still drowned.
In Plaquemines Parish alone, more than 2,000 heads of livestock are still unaccounted for. Parish president Billy Nungesser says 241 dead carcasses have been removed so far.
"It's a major problem, it's something we need to get a little better with each evacuation, with each storm," said Nungesser.
"We've brought together a group of well-educated people to take a look at these disasters, why are we losing so many animals after the fact," said Jeff Dorson, director of the Humane Society of Louisiana.
Dorson says more precautions need to be in place so more animals can save themselves.
"Build mounds, six to eight feet, slopes where they can walk up to, maybe with rudimentary shelters. Something like that would have saved hundreds of lives," said Dorson.
"I'd like to talk to the cattlemen about possibly doing that in those pastures to build a safe haven," said Nungesser. "There are a few levees and ridges, you saw the cattle stranded in those areas, but if you did it a little closer to the highway, I believe the funds are in place to raise Hwy. 23 before next hurricane season. And obviously if we do that, we cut the fences and the cattle comes to the highway, we see minimal loss of life."
The search continues for missing livestock. The new council to protect animals in disaster plans to introduce legislation to monitor and regulate funding to protect livestock during hurricane season.
Cattle are stranded on a slim piece of dry land as floodwaters recede in Plaquemines Parish, La., Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012. (AP Photo)
