October 29th, 2012 Hurricane Sandy ripped through Rockaways and changed the landscape I once new since a child. As a child, I remember waiting to see Whalemenia as was drove off the 95th Street exit. Whalemenia was destroyed during the hurricane. Pieces of the once known historical landmark began to wash up on Rockaway Beach. I am lucky enough, thanks to Elizabeth Gardner for finding a piece and bringing her to me. I now have a piece of her set in a Show Box frame in the Sun Room of my home. My second question to friends and family was, what happened to the whale? I was so upset to see she was destroyed into the smallest pieces of glass. My first question, was what about all the animals? Days followed, and we began to receive emails, about lost pets. Families devasted, theyve lost everything they owned and worked for their entire lives. Their pets gone, I remember speaking to a woman who shared with me the last moments she had with her dog. It was dark, smoked filled the air, she couldnt see, there was a home on fire across the road, as she opened the door, the wind took it...and out her dog ran..into 4 feet of water, she couldnt find her, she couldnt see...but she heard her barking and screeching screams. She yelled into the phone, please help me find my dog. I dont know if she ran into the fire or drowned. My life and dedication to finding lost pets has changed me forever. We never found her missing dog. Several weeks later when the bridge was finally opened, I made my way down there with Pedro at the time. We had a plan, had we found any strays wed bring them to his shelter and hold them until we found an owner. But sadly enough, when we drove around there was this eerie silence. The Rockaways were destroyed, who was I fooling, everything has been washed away. The space where Whilamena was washed away. The city was paralyzed for the next 5- 10 days...then agencies began to do their work. And we began to do our work. Rescuers kicked in to help foster displaced animals, collections from all over the US shipped into to rescue groups to help families. My childhood memories of Rockaway are now over shadowed with the devastation of peoples lives, who are still rebuilding, some still without a place to live. Rockaway will always live in my heart. (And from that day forward, we never named a rescue dog Sandy) Peace.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 13:27:39 +0000
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