Aug. 31, 2005 — Thousands of animals have been killed by Hurricane Katrina, the most devastating storm to hit the United States in decades, while many others are in need of rescue, according to wildlife officials, animal shelters and humane organizations.

Wildlife officials in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama — the three U.S. states hit hardest by the hurricane — believe thousands of wild, farm and companion animals have perished due to storm surging and flooding from Katrina's heavy rains.

Cattle, foxes, deer, raccoons, opossums and household pets are among the animals that have lost their lives to Hurricane Katrina, which plowed into the Gulf Coast on Monday, Aug. 29.

State officials are concerned that the floating carcasses will spread disease, endangering those survivors forced to wade through the rising flood waters.

In some areas, the hurricane has washed dangerous animals normally confined to lagoons and swamps into public streets. Places like Biloxi, Miss., have reported dozens of alligators and thousands of snakes swimming in flooded neighborhoods.

The Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Miss., was completely destroyed by the hurricane, according to The Daily Telegraph. Meanwhile, a trio of dolphins moved from the aquarium to a hotel swimming pool is said to be doing fine.

On a positive note, New Orleans' Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, which is considered one of the world's top aquariums, reported very few animal deaths, according to a report in The Baltimore Sun.

Aquarium officials told the The Baltimore Sun that only a few flamingos have died at the facility, which is home to some 10,000 animals. The nearby Audubon Zoo also had very few animal losses, according to the report.

In the days leading up the to the storm, animal shelters in New Orleans were urging evacuees to take their pets with them, said New Orleans' WDSU NewsChannel 6.

Shelters were also encouraging owners to carry photos of their pets and reminding them to make sure their animals were equipped with ID tags in case they got lost during the confusion, said the news station.

The Louisiana Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told WDSU NewsChannel 6 that anyone caught abandoning their pets "could be charged with cruelty to animals."

The Humane Society of the United States has been asking for donations to fund a "massive relief effort to rescue animals and assist their caregivers in the disaster areas," according to their Web site.

"Our highly trained Disaster Animal Response Teams are heading to Mississippi to begin a multi-state animal rescue and recovery effort," The Humane Society of the United States said on their Web site.

"Our 38-foot Disaster Response Unit and other rescue vehicles affiliated with our teams are fully stocked and on their way."

Several other organizations are also asking for donations to help the animals affected by Hurricane Katrina, including San Diego-based Petco and the American Humane Association.