four-legged friend survived hurricane

By

NITA MCCANN

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ &045; While helping his company, Acadian Ambulance, evacuate thousands of homebound patients in the New Orleans area ahead of Hurricane Katrina &045; and then being unable to return to his St. Bernard Parish home &045; David Hussey couldn’t evacuate one of his best friends.

Fortunately, this is one Hurricane Katrina story that has a happy ending.

Hussey grew up in St. Bernard Parish, which lies between New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a place where many long-timers, people who were around for the devastation of Hurricane Betsy of 1965, were complacent about evacuating for Katrina.

&uot;Many of them said, ‘It couldn’t be that bad,’&uot; Hussey said, sitting at the kitchen table of his mother, Nancy Rodgers, who moved to Natchez in February.

But as it became apparent Katrina would come closer than expected, Hussey and his fellow EMTs had to rush to transport patients out of the area in a hurry. &uot;That was Friday and Saturday before the storm hit,&uot; Hussey said. &uot;By Sunday night, if you hadn’t gotten them out, it was too late.&uot;

Hussey then drove his two daughters, 11 and 16, to his brother’s house in Baton Rouge and found himself barred from returning to his home.

&uot;I had everything packed, but everything was there, Š and my house got 6 feet of water,&uot; he said.

Worst of all, he couldn’t get back to save Tara, the Australian blue heeler his daughters gave to him as a puppy &045; a Father’s Day gift &045; more than five years ago.

Watching Hussey’s eyes well with tears as he talks about his guilt on being unable to return home &045; and watching Tara look up at him adoringly &045; it’s easy to see what an ordeal that was.

&uot;I went down (to St. Bernard Parish) at the end of the first week, and it was eerie quiet. No dogs barking anywhere,&uot; Hussey said.

&uot;We couldn’t get through to by street.&uot;

Meanwhile, Hussey assisted &045; and still does, on the days he’s assigned to work &045; in responding to 911 calls in hard-hit New Orleans, a place he calls &uot;just like a battle zone.&uot;

But on Monday, with debris in St. Bernard Parish newly cleared, he was able to get to his home &045; and couldn’t believe who was waiting there for him.

Hussey has no idea where Tara waited while floodwaters receded.

He does know that when authorities broke open doors searching for survivors or for bodies, they found and broke open the dog’s bag of food so she could eat from it.

Back at the Natchez home of Hussey’s mother, Tara seems none the worse for wear.

She checked out in good health at a local vet’s office Wednesday, despite having lost four-and-a-half pounds.

Hussey’s family &045; those with four legs and those with two &045; are some of the lucky ones.

All Hussey can do is shake his head when he thinks of what he and other emergency personnel working in New Orleans have seen post-Katrina &045; the bodies, the destruction, the anger of many of the people left behind.

&uot;Nobody could ever prepare for something like that,&uot; Hussey said.

So he’s especially thankful for all he’s been able to save.