Not Without My Dog; Part 2
Thomas Reed was a 2005 survivor of hurricane Katrina. He lived in Chalmette, LA., one of the hardest hit areas. He attempted to evacuate but after learning he'd have to sit in traffic for 2 hours to get 5 miles, he decided that at his age he'd be safer staying and he was right. Several elderly lost their lives during evacuation. The storm blew over that night causing moderate damage but the next morning the levies breached. " I heard a roaring noise, stepped out my front door and saw a wall of water coming down the street". Tommy ran back inside and grabbed his dog Weezie, a dachshund, then ran next door to a two story where he and Weezie would spend the next few days trapped in an attic living off of Vienna sausages and cheese snacks that had been washed upward from the kitchen below. He would have been rescued on several occasions of the ordeal but rescuers ordered him to leave Weezie behind and he refused. " This little dog is my family" he said, " She's the sweetest, most trusting little thing. No way was I going to leave her behind. " Gradually the waters began receding and they were able to go to the second floor where they sometimes fished floating food items out of flood waters from a window. On day 5 a Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued him and Weezie, delivering them to the airport, now a makeshift evacuation center and hospital, but once again, Weezie was not welcome so Tommy slept outside of the airport on the concrete. The next morning he began walking a few miles to his son's vacated home when a stranger named Sal took him and Weezie to his house with a generator where Tommy and Weezie enjoyed a shower, food, water, air conditioning and a bed! On day 7, Jefferson Parish allowed residents back in to collect their valuables and Tommy's son, Glenn, drove from northern Arkansas to collect his father and take him back there.
Many articles were written post-Katrina about Tommy's refusal to leave Weezie behind and the many others who refused to leave their fur babies, some even losing their life for their love and devotion. Tommy's story is told in Bark, AARP Bulletin, Hurricane Preparedness literature, and numerous publications pertaining to animals. His story helped spotlight the need for pet evacuation and in 2006 the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act was passed.
Tommy lost everything except the clothes on his body and Weezie in that flood, yet he returned and settled in Slidell,LA.
In 2012, Weezie passed away. Tommy was devastated. He had her cremated and placed in a heart shaped urn with her picture on it which he kept on his mantel.
On March 19, 2014 Tommy joined his beloved Weezie after succumbing to pneumonia. Weezie's urn was placed in his arm near his heart and buried with him.
Thomas Reed was a civil engineer for both Plaquemine and St.Bernard parishes. He served in the Marine Corps as an aircraft mechanic. He is survived by three sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren.
A BIG THANK YOU TO A BIG HEART- ALWAYS REMEMBER...NEVER FORGET- FOR SPONSORING THIS MEMORIAL. THANK YOU JOANN!
Thomas Reed was a 2005 survivor of hurricane Katrina. He lived in Chalmette, LA., one of the hardest hit areas. He attempted to evacuate but after learning he'd have to sit in traffic for 2 hours to get 5 miles, he decided that at his age he'd be safer staying and he was right. Several elderly lost their lives during evacuation. The storm blew over that night causing moderate damage but the next morning the levies breached. " I heard a roaring noise, stepped out my front door and saw a wall of water coming down the street". Tommy ran back inside and grabbed his dog Weezie, a dachshund, then ran next door to a two story where he and Weezie would spend the next few days trapped in an attic living off of Vienna sausages and cheese snacks that had been washed upward from the kitchen below. He would have been rescued on several occasions of the ordeal but rescuers ordered him to leave Weezie behind and he refused. " This little dog is my family" he said, " She's the sweetest, most trusting little thing. No way was I going to leave her behind. " Gradually the waters began receding and they were able to go to the second floor where they sometimes fished floating food items out of flood waters from a window. On day 5 a Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued him and Weezie, delivering them to the airport, now a makeshift evacuation center and hospital, but once again, Weezie was not welcome so Tommy slept outside of the airport on the concrete. The next morning he began walking a few miles to his son's vacated home when a stranger named Sal took him and Weezie to his house with a generator where Tommy and Weezie enjoyed a shower, food, water, air conditioning and a bed! On day 7, Jefferson Parish allowed residents back in to collect their valuables and Tommy's son, Glenn, drove from northern Arkansas to collect his father and take him back there.
Many articles were written post-Katrina about Tommy's refusal to leave Weezie behind and the many others who refused to leave their fur babies, some even losing their life for their love and devotion. Tommy's story is told in Bark, AARP Bulletin, Hurricane Preparedness literature, and numerous publications pertaining to animals. His story helped spotlight the need for pet evacuation and in 2006 the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act was passed.
Tommy lost everything except the clothes on his body and Weezie in that flood, yet he returned and settled in Slidell,LA.
In 2012, Weezie passed away. Tommy was devastated. He had her cremated and placed in a heart shaped urn with her picture on it which he kept on his mantel.
On March 19, 2014 Tommy joined his beloved Weezie after succumbing to pneumonia. Weezie's urn was placed in his arm near his heart and buried with him.
Thomas Reed was a civil engineer for both Plaquemine and St.Bernard parishes. He served in the Marine Corps as an aircraft mechanic. He is survived by three sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren.
A BIG THANK YOU TO A BIG HEART- ALWAYS REMEMBER...NEVER FORGET- FOR SPONSORING THIS MEMORIAL. THANK YOU JOANN!
Not Without My Dog; Part 2
Thomas Reed was a 2005 survivor of hurricane Katrina. He lived in Chalmette, LA., one of the hardest hit areas. He attempted to evacuate but after learning he'd have to sit in traffic for 2 hours to get 5 miles, he decided that at his age he'd be safer staying and he was right. Several elderly lost their lives during evacuation. The storm blew over that night causing moderate damage but the next morning the levies breached. " I heard a roaring noise, stepped out my front door and saw a wall of water coming down the street". Tommy ran back inside and grabbed his dog Weezie, a dachshund, then ran next door to a two story where he and Weezie would spend the next few days trapped in an attic living off of Vienna sausages and cheese snacks that had been washed upward from the kitchen below. He would have been rescued on several occasions of the ordeal but rescuers ordered him to leave Weezie behind and he refused. " This little dog is my family" he said, " She's the sweetest, most trusting little thing. No way was I going to leave her behind. " Gradually the waters began receding and they were able to go to the second floor where they sometimes fished floating food items out of flood waters from a window. On day 5 a Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued him and Weezie, delivering them to the airport, now a makeshift evacuation center and hospital, but once again, Weezie was not welcome so Tommy slept outside of the airport on the concrete. The next morning he began walking a few miles to his son's vacated home when a stranger named Sal took him and Weezie to his house with a generator where Tommy and Weezie enjoyed a shower, food, water, air conditioning and a bed! On day 7, Jefferson Parish allowed residents back in to collect their valuables and Tommy's son, Glenn, drove from northern Arkansas to collect his father and take him back there.
Many articles were written post-Katrina about Tommy's refusal to leave Weezie behind and the many others who refused to leave their fur babies, some even losing their life for their love and devotion. Tommy's story is told in Bark, AARP Bulletin, Hurricane Preparedness literature, and numerous publications pertaining to animals. His story helped spotlight the need for pet evacuation and in 2006 the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act was passed.
Tommy lost everything except the clothes on his body and Weezie in that flood, yet he returned and settled in Slidell,LA.
In 2012, Weezie passed away. Tommy was devastated. He had her cremated and placed in a heart shaped urn with her picture on it which he kept on his mantel.
On March 19, 2014 Tommy joined his beloved Weezie after succumbing to pneumonia. Weezie's urn was placed in his arm near his heart and buried with him.
Thomas Reed was a civil engineer for both Plaquemine and St.Bernard parishes. He served in the Marine Corps as an aircraft mechanic. He is survived by three sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren.
A BIG THANK YOU TO A BIG HEART- ALWAYS REMEMBER...NEVER FORGET- FOR SPONSORING THIS MEMORIAL. THANK YOU JOANN!
Thomas Reed was a 2005 survivor of hurricane Katrina. He lived in Chalmette, LA., one of the hardest hit areas. He attempted to evacuate but after learning he'd have to sit in traffic for 2 hours to get 5 miles, he decided that at his age he'd be safer staying and he was right. Several elderly lost their lives during evacuation. The storm blew over that night causing moderate damage but the next morning the levies breached. " I heard a roaring noise, stepped out my front door and saw a wall of water coming down the street". Tommy ran back inside and grabbed his dog Weezie, a dachshund, then ran next door to a two story where he and Weezie would spend the next few days trapped in an attic living off of Vienna sausages and cheese snacks that had been washed upward from the kitchen below. He would have been rescued on several occasions of the ordeal but rescuers ordered him to leave Weezie behind and he refused. " This little dog is my family" he said, " She's the sweetest, most trusting little thing. No way was I going to leave her behind. " Gradually the waters began receding and they were able to go to the second floor where they sometimes fished floating food items out of flood waters from a window. On day 5 a Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued him and Weezie, delivering them to the airport, now a makeshift evacuation center and hospital, but once again, Weezie was not welcome so Tommy slept outside of the airport on the concrete. The next morning he began walking a few miles to his son's vacated home when a stranger named Sal took him and Weezie to his house with a generator where Tommy and Weezie enjoyed a shower, food, water, air conditioning and a bed! On day 7, Jefferson Parish allowed residents back in to collect their valuables and Tommy's son, Glenn, drove from northern Arkansas to collect his father and take him back there.
Many articles were written post-Katrina about Tommy's refusal to leave Weezie behind and the many others who refused to leave their fur babies, some even losing their life for their love and devotion. Tommy's story is told in Bark, AARP Bulletin, Hurricane Preparedness literature, and numerous publications pertaining to animals. His story helped spotlight the need for pet evacuation and in 2006 the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act was passed.
Tommy lost everything except the clothes on his body and Weezie in that flood, yet he returned and settled in Slidell,LA.
In 2012, Weezie passed away. Tommy was devastated. He had her cremated and placed in a heart shaped urn with her picture on it which he kept on his mantel.
On March 19, 2014 Tommy joined his beloved Weezie after succumbing to pneumonia. Weezie's urn was placed in his arm near his heart and buried with him.
Thomas Reed was a civil engineer for both Plaquemine and St.Bernard parishes. He served in the Marine Corps as an aircraft mechanic. He is survived by three sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren.
A BIG THANK YOU TO A BIG HEART- ALWAYS REMEMBER...NEVER FORGET- FOR SPONSORING THIS MEMORIAL. THANK YOU JOANN!
