Anyone wishing to help horses, horse owners, veterinarians, or small animals in Mississippi should contact the Mississippi Animal Relief Fund toll-free at 888/722-3106. Mississippi State Veterinarian Dr. Jim Watson said today (Sept. 16) that while there still is a need for feed, baled hay, general supplies, and veterinary supplies in his state, he said, “The main thing our folks need is financial help to rebuild their barns and get ther farms back together.

He said the next six months to a year is going to be tough on horse owners in affected areas. Owners currently are getting donations of feed and hay taken to their farms from the Hattiesburg, Miss., staging area, and Watson said the industry has been tremendous in this response to the needs of animals and owners in the Gulf area.

However, he added, many of the veterinary clinics in the area were wiped out, and most farms lost barns and fencing necessary to operate safely. Donations of these types are being sought, but monetary donations through the Mississippi Animal Relief Fund are applied in their entirity to helping horses, small animals, and veterinarians. “There is no administrative overhead,” said Watson.

He noted that individual or group donors can specify whether they want funds to go toward helping animal care, rebuilding for veterinarians, or to whever is the greatest need