As the BP oil-spill civil case unfolds in New Orleans, we thought this would be a good time to update you on some of the companion animals PETA rescued as people fled the region in the wake of the catastrophe. 

Disasters such as the one in the Gulf flood animal shelters with dogs and cats whose families lose their jobs or see their businesses go bust. With support from the fabulous Pamela Anderson, PETA workers drove a Winnebago carrying more than 40 homeless dogs and nearly 30 special-needs cats from New Orleans–area shelters to Virginia, where they were placed in permanent homes, including three who live in PETA's Norfolk headquarters, the Sam Simon Center. 

It's a testament to their resilient spirits that these animals have rebounded from abandonment and are now thriving in their new homes. Here's where some of them are now:

• Daisy: At 4 months old, this Chihuahua mix found her forever home in Washington, D.C., and will celebrate her third birthday next month. She instantly bonded with Chloe—another dog PETA rescued—and loves to play fetch and snuggle under the blankets.

• Duke and Buttercup: These Chihuahuas act like shadows of their new guardian, Amber, following her everywhere she goes and meeting her at the door every evening after work. Both dogs delight in the companionship of Amber's two children and Nikita, a mutt rescued by PETA during another disaster, Hurricane Irene. 

• Bubbles, Brandi, and Marshall: These three have become the beloved feline residents of the Sam Simon Center. Bubbles' expertise is in intercepting tossed balls of paper, while Brandi proudly carries around a rubber lizard. And although Marshall is missing a leg, that doesn't stop him from playing "King of the Castle" with the other two on their multistory cat tree.

PETA's rescue work is made possible by the support of kind people like you. To help PETA save animals in danger, become a member today.

It breaks our hearts to report the passing of Roxie "Rock Star" Patterson, a little wiggly slip of a dog with an exuberant personality as big as a 20,000-seat stadium. Roxie was rescued 11 years ago by PETA cruelty caseworkers after one of the other dogs in her home killed the family's cat and started eyeing her next. The caseworkers discovered that poor little Roxie was also being bullied by the family patriarch because she wasn't "macho" enough. Roxie won the heart of former PETA Foundation Director Jannette Patterson and thereafter went with her everywhere. She seemed to enjoy flying and napping under Jannette's airplane seat, always ready to give her a smooch upon arrival.

We knew Roxie by another name, too—"Noodlehead," for her silly natural '80s hairband hairdo. She became internationally famous after she was featured on the cover of Animal Times and the PETA calendar, on PETA holiday cards, and in a spay-and-neuter public service announcement with John McEnroe. She was even chosen by the New York Daily News as New York City's Ugliest Dog (go figure).

To commemorate the 11 years that she shared with Roxie, Jannette is dedicating the next 11 days to helping other animals who are abused, as Roxie once was. For every dollar that Jannette spends on non-essential items (such as shoes, clothing, books, and coffee-shop lattes) during the next 11 days, she is going to donate an equal amount to PETA's "Roxie Rules" Matching Fund—and she's asking her friends, family, and fellow PETA members to do the same.

We know that Roxie's passing leaves a big hole in Jannette's heart and in the universe. We are grateful that Jannette, in typically kind Jannette fashion, has chosen to channel her grief into helping us rescue the next canine rock star out there waiting for a chance to show everyone what she's got. Rock on, Roxie.

The little dachshund was allowed to roam, and that's what he was doing when he probably got attacked by another dog, sustaining an eye injury that became painfully abscessed and swollen. Untreated, Slim's infected eye bulged grotesquely out of its socket.

When PETA learned about Slim, we pressured local animal control officials to compel the owner to get veterinary care for the suffering dog. The owner made a vet appointment, but the cost of the recommended surgery was beyond his means. When animal control told the owner that his only two options were to get Slim the surgery that he desperately needed or to surrender him to people who would, the owner relinquished him.

Within 72 hours, Slim had the surgery. Now, he is on the mend in a foster home, and as he awaits adoption, he is finally receiving the loving care and attention that every dog deserves.

A driver on a rural highway in Ohio spotted a dog lying on the side of the road. She stopped her car and got out to check on the dog but couldn't tell much about her condition, other than that she appeared to be breathing. The driver called PETA but unfortunately hadn't contacted local police or animal control and had left the scene instead of staying until help arrived.

PETA immediately contacted local authorities, but we were told that they had just one officer on duty, who would check on the dog "when he has time." So we sought help from our most valuable resource: our members. After a few phone calls and e-mails, we found a young woman, Jess, who was willing to drive the two hours from her home to go to the dog's aid.

When Jess found the pup, she was no longer lying by the roadway. Instead, she was running in the neighborhood nearby—and she wasn't alone. A male dog, who was likely trying to mate with her, was now at her side, and he growled every time Jess tried to approach. Undaunted, Jess began knocking on doors in the area and finally located the male dog's guardian. With the other dog safely out of the way, Jess could now try to catch the stray, but the wily dog kept dodging her. With night closing in, Jess knew she had to go home and try again in the daylight.

Before setting out again, Jess borrowed a trap from animal control and baited it with tempting food. The starving dog likely hadn't had a decent meal in days, and she was quickly lured into the trap—and into Jess' waiting arms. Jess took the pup to the local animal shelter, and as she headed back to her home, she was content in knowing that with just a few hours of her time, she had helped a forgotten dog get a chance at a home of her own. 

Can PETA call on you when an animal is suffering in your area? Join PETA's Action Team to help save animals when they need you most. 

Hannah, my German shepherd-something-something-something mix, and I love our walks. I let her choose which direction she wants to head in, and we ramble off in search of new sights and smells.

No matter which path strikes Hannah's fancy, we always seem to see other dogs out for their evening strolls whose guardians act like it's a race to the end of the block. When the dogs try to stop and sniff something, send some "pee-mail," or greet Hannah, their guardians sometimes yank them away and drag them down the street. You can practically see the dog's nose twitching, trying desperately to catch whatever interesting smells he or she can as their human rushes along like a marathoner.

I've developed a little trick to use when Hannah starts to approach a dog or when another dog wants to stop and sniff near us: I say to her, loud enough for the other guardian to hear, "OK, just say 'Hi' for a minute," and that's usually sufficient to spare the other dog a bad case of leash-lash. My boss, who is equally irked by leash-lashers, takes a more direct approach. She matter-of-factly says, "Can our dogs meet for a minute?" or "Why don't we just let them sniff?"

When a friend of mine is out and sees anyone with a dog—although she doesn't have one—she always stops and says, "Oh, what a beautiful, smart face!" or "They love to be outdoors, don't they?" to get people to appreciate their dogs and to remember how much walks matter to them. When provoked, that friend can bite, too! Seeing someone dragging a dog along or keeping a leash too tight, she will say to the guardian, "Boy, that dog isn't allowed much fun on his walk, is he!"

Whatever approach works, I think we owe it to dogs to try to stop their guardians from yanking them away from whatever they're interested in, denying them the social interaction and ability to explore surroundings that they need and crave and possibly even injuring them. When you consider that a walk is the highlight of the day for most dogs, don't they deserve to enjoy it?

We all know by now that chaining or tying up dogs outside is cruel and dangerous, right? But if you're thinking that an "invisible fence" is a safe way to give your dog some time outdoors, think again.

Painful, Dangerous, and Bewildering

Like us, dogs are made of flesh and blood and nerve endings, three things that don't mix well with electricity. Invisible fences deliver a painful shock when dogs cross a buried electrical wire. There are collars that do the same thing. Some are controlled by the owner, who keeps a remote-control shocking device handy to be used whenever the owner feels that the dog has misbehaved, while others shock automatically, triggered by barking. Beyond the physical pain and the anticipatory fear that the shocks induce, these devices can injure a dog both physically—from burns to cardiac fibrillation—and psychologically, causing severe anxiety and displaced aggression.

Not understanding why or how they're being hurt, dogs subjected to shock collars and invisible fences may direct their fear or aggression toward what they believe is the source of the shock—which may be passing bicyclists, the mail carrier, or your neighbors' children.

Punished for Coming Home

Has your dog ever recklessly bolted after a squirrel or in a panic at a loud noise? Dogs often run right through invisible fences in the heat of the moment, but to cross back over that line means that they'll get a painful jolt—a prospect that leaves some too scared to return. And even if invisible fences succeed in keeping animals contained within certain boundaries, the nonexistent barrier certainly won't protect them from cruel humans and roaming dogs or other animals who can easily come onto your property.

No dog should live in fear of getting shocked for barking or crossing an invisible line. Real fences and positive training methods in which dogs are rewarded for good behavior are humane and effective. If you want to give your dog a stimulating experience, throw a dog party instead!

When PETA's Community Animal Project (CAP) fieldworkers first met the sickly Lab mix they had received a call about, her condition broke their hearts. She was covered with fleas and ticks, was malnourished from too many days of going hungry, and was limping because of an injured back leg. Her owner had skipped town, pausing just long enough to tell his neighbor that he was leaving his dog behind and that the neighbor could "have her."

Instead, the neighbor phoned PETA for help. It wasn't CAP's first encounter with the dog's owner. He had let her have a litter of puppies and had called PETA asking us to find homes for them all. Fieldworkers had taken the puppies to the Virginia Beach SPCA for adoption, and now they were meeting the pups' mother. Despite all that she had been through, the sweet dog nuzzled her head under their hands and happily wagged her tail, grateful to be getting a bit of affection.

Back at PETA's Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters, a veterinarian determined that the dog was suffering from heartworm disease and that she had been shot in the leg months ago but was never treated for the injury. She would require heartworm treatment and extensive surgery on her leg. Fortunately, the dog with the dark past and the bright eyes had already captured a PETA Foundation staffer's heart. Robin had just lost one of her dogs, and something about this little girl's soulful eyes spoke to her. Within a few hours of the pup's arrival at PETA, she had a new home.

She also had a new name—Maggie—and four new canine siblings with whom she instantly bonded. Robin got her in to see her vet right away, and after hearing Maggie's story, he decided to help Robin out with the expensive treatments that Maggie would require. A bone graft, two rods, two screws, and a cast later, Maggie was on the mend.

With heartworm treatment and good food, she gained 20 pounds, and Robin reports that she can practically see herself in Maggie's shiny coat. Now she is a joyous, bouncy girl who loves to swim, go to the dog park, and "review" her guardians' DVDs (she gave Harry Potter two paws down—but it tasted delicious!). After likely getting no affection her entire life, Maggie soaks it up now, and she will gladly play from sunup to sundown.

Maggie's life, like her bowl, was once empty. Now her cup runneth over. 

Once upon a time, there was a sweet little girl named Coco. Like Cinderella and Snow White before her, Coco faced true hardship. When Prince Charming PETA's fieldworkers found her, she was chained to a trampoline—which served as her only "shelter"—and her coat was badly matted, as you can see:

The fieldworkers, though, instantly recognized the princess beneath the tangled fur and, with some persistence, persuaded the owner to surrender the little poodle. She was whisked away to be bathed, groomed, spayed, and vaccinated before finding her happy ending: being placed into a wonderful home. She now has more than an acre of kingdom fenced-in area to explore and enjoys watching TV, staring at herself in the mirror, and—most of all—snuggling with her human family. Here she is today, in royal repose:

Here's the moral of Coco's story: You don't have to be a godmother with a magic wand. For abused, neglected, and abandoned animals, a helping hand can turn a potential tragedy into a fairy tale—and adoption provides the "happily ever after."

What You Can Do

PETA is always looking for people who can give animals loving homes. If you are an East Coast resident and are interested in adopting a companion animal from PETA, contact Adopt@peta.org. No matter where you live, please never buy an animal from a pet store or breeder—for a real fairy-tale ending, always adopt from an animal shelter or rescue.

It's National Pet Month, the perfect occasion for animal guardians to give their best friends some extra love and attention. Animals aren't tough to please—they appreciate even just a little quality time with us. Our funny friend Fred Willard and his canine buddy like to spend time together practicing table etiquette and trading dog jokes:

Some tried-and-true ways to tell your loyal companion how much he or she means to you are extra-long play sessions, a new toy, or homemade treats. Check out these doggone good tips from Ingrid E. Newkirk's book Let's Have a Dog Party! and purrfect pointers from 250 Things You Can Do to Make Your Cat Adore You for more fun ways to speak your animal companion's language.

Brrr! A cold spell has gripped us here in Los Angeles, with night temperatures dipping down into the 50s—much too cold for Angelenos … and for goldfish. When the guardians of one rescued goldfish, Sadie, turned on her tank's water heater this week, she immediately swam over to bask in the warmth, just like a kitten seeking a sunny patch or a dog seeking a place by the fire.

A sympathetic PetSmart employee rescued Sadie when she was deemed "valueless" because of a genetic defect. She was born with one eye—likely caused by overbreeding, a practice that is rampant in the hideous "pet" trade. The employee, an aquatic animals expert who cautions that caring for fish requires expensive equipment and frequent tank cleanings, subsequently left PetSmart in protest over the way the retailer treats animals as if they were commodities rather than recognizing that they are feeling individuals.

Please, never support companies such as PetSmart that put profit first—at the animals' expense. Reputable local rescue groups and shelters often have fish who need new homes. If you or someone you know has aquatic animals, please also constantly check to be sure that the water temperature is in the proper range for the animal during winter months. After all, they can't dust off their spare blankets or snuggle up with a friend for the night.

Written by Heather Faraid Drennan