STRAY GOES FROM HURRICANE HERO TO L.A. STAR.Byline: Josh Kleinbaum Staff Writer Jeff Mailes knew it was a great story: In the quagmire of New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded after Hurricane Katrina  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. , a dog plunges into neck-high water and drags a drowning man to safety. But what Mailes never expected was that the dog would become a member of his family and that seven months later, Katrina - as his kids' named her - would be a star attraction tonight at the Genesis Awards, the Humane Society of the United States The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is a Washington, D.C-based animal welfare advocacy group. It is the largest animal welfare organization in the world, with nearly 10 million members and a 2006 budget of US$103 million. , Hollywood, annual gala being held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. A two-hour special will air at 2 and 8 p.m. PST PST Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, see there on May 6 and at noon PST on May 13 on the Animal Planet cable channel. Mailes, a cameraman for a KCAL kcal kilocalorie. kcal abbr. kilocalorie kcal kilocalorie. (Channel 9) news crew covering the aftermath of the hurricane, said the crew noticed a man sitting on a porch surrounded by water not far from the French Quarter. The man, Kevin Williams, waved the crew over and told his story - how a strange dog had pulled him to safety. ``He had never seen the dog before, he didn't own the dog before, but he couldn't swim, he had been drowning, and the dog pulled him out of the water,'' said Mailes, a La Caada Flintridge resident. ``He was rather emotional about it.'' The KCAL crew aired Williams' story, then took him to the New Orleans Convention Center so he could be transported to a hospital. The next day, the crew returned to the same spot looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. the dog - and found her sitting on the same porch where they had found Williams the day before. After airing a story on the dog, Mailes got a telephone call. ``My wife and my daughters called me,'' Mailes said. ``They said, Hey, what's going to happen to the dog? We'd like to adopt her.'' The family did, and the Genesis Awards will honor them and Katrina as part of the group's effort to highlight positive portrayals of animals in the media. ``It's just one of the sweetest stories,'' said Gretchen Wyler, vice president of the Humane Society, Hollywood. Katrina is still adjusting to life in Southern California and recovering from the trauma of the Gulf Coast hurricane. During the cross-country trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles, when Mailes would stop at motels for the night, Katrina would jump onto a desk or the bed instead of sleeping on the floor. ``It's like she was trying to get away from water, scrambling to higher ground,'' Mailes said. During recent rainstorms, when the wind picked up, Katrina would hunch over and quiver. But the Maileses are trying to provide a haven for the dog, estimated to be about 2 years old. Their veterinarian veterinarian /vet·er·i·nar·i·an/ (vet?er-i-nar´e-an) a person trained and authorized to practice veterinary medicine and surgery; a doctor of veterinary medicine. vet·er·i·nar·i·an n. treated her for heartworm heartworm Species (Dirofilaria immitis) of filarial worm that parasitizes mammals, especially dogs. Up to 500 adult heartworms, which can grow to 6–12 in. (15–30 cm) long, live in the dog's heart, and the microfilariae (embryonic larvae) pass into the blood. and other maladies, and said she had probably never seen a veterinarian before. Mailes' two teenage daughters love to play with her, as does their golden retriever golden retriever, breed of large sporting dog developed primarily in Scotland in the mid-19th cent. It stands about 23 in. (58.4 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 60 to 75 lb (27.2–34.1 kg). , Teddybear. ``They love to wrestle with her, play with her, and she's a great retriever retriever: see sporting dog. retriever Any of several dog breeds, bred to retrieve game, that have a thick, water-resistant coat, keen sense of smell, and “soft” mouth that does not damage game. Retrievers are 22–24 in. - you throw anything for her, she'll get it and bring it back,'' Mailes said. ``She's a great dog.'' Josh Kleinbaum, (818) 713-3669 josh.kleinbaum(at)dailynews.com WEBLINK: www.hsus.org CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Jeff Mailes brought 2-year-old Katrina back from New Orleans to his family's home. (2) Katrina joined the Maileses' dog Teddybear at the family's La Canada Flintridge home after the hurricane. Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News |
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