Katrina at 20

20 heroic tales of people helping animals 

as told to Sandra Sarr, LSU Vet Med strategic communications

Dennis French, retired LSU Vet Med professor of large animal medicine

“The primary memory I have is the incredible efforts that these students put in during the first 10 days of our service to the horses. We worked together from 6 in the morning until we were done, usually 10 or 11 at night. The days were long, it was hot, and never did this first group of students ever complain to me. Attempting to keep the horses comfortable and negotiating with people that had all sorts of different interests and agendas was a challenge. However, because there was little to no security in the beginning, the students in this group also had to deal with individuals trying their best to ‘rescue’ horses. 

Our job was to care for horses once they returned to Lamar Dixon, so we had to wait for trailers that left early and returned in the late afternoon or evening. Most of the horses that came to us were in reasonable shape, so the medical emergencies were not a major issue. Trying to keep track of where they came from and how they were identified was a big challenge. We only sent a few horses to the school. Most were cared for on site. Dealing with all of the different factions that were housed at Lamar Dixon was also a great challenge, but the students were up to it on all counts.”