I’m sure that watching footage of the devastation Hurricane Katrina has wrought on the citizens of the Gulf Coast has been just as heart-wrenching and distressing for all of you as it has for me. I’ve watched hard-bitten news reporters break down on camera, at a loss for words at the sheer tragedy of this storm and its after-effects. We’ve all winced and cried a little thinking about the incredible losses all those families have experienced. And while our hearts go out to those people now suffering, as animal lovers, we also think of all the four-legged friends who are struggling to survive and in desperate need of help.

In times like this, every little bit helps, and every person has different ways of giving. Some might be able to donate just $20, which seems like so little. But if it buys a bag of dog food that helps keep one beloved pet alive while he waits for his owner, isn’t that a huge contribution?

Others have shouldered huge amounts of responsibility and gone to great lengths to help (see In The Country p. 52). Hunter-jumper trainers Dennis Mitchell and Kim Burnette-Mitchell, of Tennessee, have taken the last week to fill their semi-trailer–usually used to ship horses from their farm to shows–full of donated food and supplies for the pets in need. They’ve already completed two trips to the Jackson, Miss., area, with a tractor-trailer full of hay, grain, and dog and cat food.

“The people were ecstatic to see the truck. Even though there are no lines of communication open, word spread fast. There seemed to be plenty of food and water coming in for the humans, but no one else was there with feed for the animals,” Burnette-Mitchell wrote in an e-mail update. “There were numerous people who drove to the truck with only a few gallons of gas in their tanks (that must last for who knows how long?) to pick up food for their animals. Wouldn’t we all do the same thing for our animals?”

We don’t all have tractor-trailers to load up and drive south. But there are many individuals who have opened up their fields and barns for refugee animals. There are many who have volunteered a trailer, or truck, to help convoy supplies. Hundreds have donated their time and work to care for the animals in need.

It’s been said that tragedies like this bring out both the best and the worst in people. The worst can be seen in the horrific looting and violence that pervaded New Orleans in Katrina’s wake. The best is the huge outpouring of support, assistance and selflessness shown. We are truly lucky that there are people willing and eager to put aside their own lives to help others. Yes, our gas prices may be through the roof, but that inconvenience pales in comparison to the losses Gulf Coast residents have suffered. The city of New Orleans will never be the same, and thousands of peoples’ lives have been irrevocably changed.

I urge you to choose to let the events of Katrina help bring out the best in yourself. Pat your horses, dogs and pets, and send your blessings that you have them, and all your loved ones, safe and around you. Then, think beyond the boundaries of your own life. Send what you can to the charity of your choice. Donate what you would have spent on one entry fee to help a family or pet in need. Even the smallest contribution has an impact.