LOST AND FOUND: Volunteers searching on-foot for animals in Rolling Fork

Published 5:16 pm Sunday, March 26, 2023

Recovery and rescue missions are not just taking place for human residents in Rolling Fork. They are also underway for missing and displaced animals.

Many have made their way to the tornado ravaged city to volunteer in helping find animals that have been lost and are needing to find their owners. Gaila Oliver is one of them.

And because of the severity of damage from the tornado, Oliver said, that means folks are setting out on foot to locate animals.

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“We can’t drive; you have to walk the community,” she said, since many of the roads are impassable.

“We found two dogs yesterday that had been injured,” Oliver said, and a horse that was loose. “It was near the armory, just running.”

Also found were three-month-old puppies that were behind a truck whose trailer had been turned over.

Four-week-old kittens that had lost their mother were found in a tire, and a male cat that was roaming.

“They were taken to a no-kill shelter in Jackson,” Oliver said.

Oliver, who works with Precious Paws MS, a 501(c)3 designed for reporting and sharing Lost and Found pets as well as animals which are victims of abuse, said many other animals have been taken in by shelters in neighboring towns. Many of the veterinarians in the area, Oliver said, have also stepped up to care for animals in need of medical care.

“Dr. Tom Watts, a veterinarian from Columbus, was on-site yesterday to help,” she said.

The Greenville Clinic is offering free boarding and the Allen and Griffin Animal Hospital is offering free veterinarian service for victims of the tornado.

In an effort to help reunite pets with their respective pet owners, Oliver said a Facebook Page was set up by MEMA: Animals Lost and Found Rolling Fork and Silver City Mississippi Tornado.

As of Sunday, displaced animals are being taken to Sharkey Issaquena Academy.

At this time, Oliver said donations of food are not needed, but for those who would still like to help, she suggested monetary donations could be made that could go toward rebuilding the animal shelter in Rolling Fork, which was destroyed.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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