The rescue of Yvonne Collery’s two cats, Laszlo and Lulu, missing after the East Village fire that took down three neighboring buildings, was a story featuring hero firefighters and her good instincts (I interviewed Yvonne here). Yvonne has been writing about her experience at The Villager and follows up there this week with sweet and important details about the four remaining missing cats, how devastated their owner-guardians are unaware of their fate, and discusses what can be done.
Four of the East Village Eight are Still Missing:
Sebastian, Kitty Cordelia, Laszlo and Lulu have all suffered though and miraculously survived a major disaster, but the same may not be true for Ryce, Leather Face, Sylvie and Sago.
The ASPCA and Animal Care & Control said they are holding out the most hope for Ryce at this point since he is also from our building, 125 Second Ave., which is still standing unlike the buildings that Leather Face, Sylvie and Sago came from. That being said, we believe that more can still be done and should have been done to find our cherished missing pet neighbors.
and:
From the outset, we were pleading with the ASPCA and ACC to do a thorough search in the interior of our square block (borders being E. Seventh St. and St. Mark’s Place between Second and Third Aves.). Obviously, our side of Second Ave. was off limits, but access could have easily been gotten from the west and north parts of the block. Historically, many “alley cats” have resided in these areas, and some missing felines from days of yore have been found in some people’s gardens and returned. We were asking that catch-and-release cat traps be put in these areas. It was never done. The agencies in question said that they could not gain access. This is mindboggling since the F.D.N.Y. had all sorts of top brass working at the disaster site, and since it is the F.D.N.Y that grants access, and has access to almost every building in New York City. We, the people of New York City and the pet owners who were let down, need answers. …
We who have had the joy of having had our pets rescued and returned are feeling deeply for our friends and neighbors who are still waiting, hoping and praying for some happy news. Could we not as a community help them? Let us all put pressure on our elected officials to ask the ASPCA and ACC to go into the gardens, alleys and courtyards of the interior of the block and to also search Enz’s store and basement. We, the people of this disaster, may be feeling beaten down and battered, but we are nonetheless still strong and we are as one. We need to help our smallest neighbors and we need to do it now.
Full story here via The Villager.
How do we all pick up the ball on this? In the past few weeks, this blog has addressed the need for more aggressive search, sussed out the area behind the explosion site. I also believe that we as a community have to get involved. Organizing a search committee would seem the best way to go as well as pressure on elected officials and the city agencies in charge. But really the time is now.
Previously at Washington Square Park Blog:
The Search to find Ryce at 125 Second Avenue, Other Cats Remain Missing, East Village Fire April 8, 2015
The Latest at East 7th and Second Avenue | Missing Animals Need “Aggressive, Detailed Search” April 6, 2015
All posts related to the missing animals and the gas explosion East Village can be found here.