Photos: Pets Stranded by Hurricane Katrina >>
Cajun, a four-month-old Labrador mix, is a Hurricane Katrina survivor.
"I'm a big boy with real long legs but don't let my size fool you. I still love to sit in someone's lap for cuddles and kisses," reads the black pup's description on the Web site of the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA (PHS/SPCA) in Marin, California.
Cajun is just one of thousands of animals rescued from the United States Gulf Coast almost four months ago that are now available for adoption.
To allow owners time to find their pets, U.S. animal-welfare organizations asked the 300 shelters in 40 states housing Katrina pets to hold them until yesterday.
Some pets had already been offered for adoption, either because their owners had surrendered the animals or because shelters were overcrowded. Most shelters, however, waited until December 15.
Overwhelmed by the number of stranded animals in Mississippi and Louisiana after the August storm, rescuers transferred thousands of pets to shelters in other U.S. states.
The PHS/SPCA took in 55 dogs and 8 cats, turning its back parking lot into a makeshift emergency shelter.
"We felt it was the right thing to do to open our doors to these animals," PHS/SPCA Vice President Scott Delucchi said.
Given all the media attention, it won't take long to find new homes for Katrina pets, he said.
"It often makes us think, Boy, wouldn't it be nice if we could say that about all the animals in the shelter," he said.
A handful of the hurricane animals will be made available for adoption each week at the PHS/SPCA, Delucchi said.
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