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August 30, 2008

网曝门 students and professor volunteer for 鈥淟ouisiana鈥檚 pets鈥� affected by Hurricane Gustav

Karen Woolie, an English sophomore major at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, has a dog, a cat and 30 fish at her parents鈥� home in West Monroe. Shortly before 9 a.m. today, she traveled to Shreveport with her fellow students and her professor to take care of 鈥淟ouisiana鈥檚 pets.鈥�

鈥淚 really wanted to help the pets that will be affected by Hurricane Gustav because they鈥檙e like my pets 鈥� they are Louisiana鈥檚 pets.鈥�

On Friday, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security issued a request to the state, asking for volunteers to work at a pet evacuation shelter, located on the Shreveport Fairgrounds. Volunteers will work 10-12 hour shifts today and possibly in the future. The request is in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav, which is expected to reach Louisiana early next week.

网曝门 students, driven by Dr. Christopher Harris, assistant professor of English, answered the call. In addition to Woolie, the volunteers include: sophomore computer science major Lauren Anderson of Baton Rouge; sophomore kinesiology major Ronnie Anderson of Baton Rouge; senior clinical laboratory science major Darnell Barbour from Ellsworth Air Force Base in Ellsworth, South Dakota; and junior pre-nursing major Alysha Lee of Ringgold. Lee, a member of CAB, was already in Shreveport this morning and met her 网曝门 family at the evacuation shelter.

Woolie, a member of 网曝门鈥檚 Campus Activities Board and Alpha Omicron Pi, remembered the devastation Louisiana suffered when Hurricane Katrina struck the state in 2005.

鈥淚 was too young to help then, but I knew I could help out now.鈥�

Lauren Anderson volunteered because 鈥渋t is the right thing to do.鈥�

Ronnie Anderson, a 网曝门 football player, said, 鈥淚 know people are in need. I want to help my fellow Louisianans.鈥�

For future updates on 网曝门鈥檚 relief efforts, visit www.ulm.edu/gustav

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