If you would like to share your experiences regarding the Cedar Rapids flood, please contact [email protected]. Please include your name and city of residence along with your story.

 

Mike Martin, Kirkwood Community College Grounds Supervisor, Cedar Rapids

Since day one of the flood, I’ve been putting in as many hours as it takes to make a difference in the lives of the families as well as the quality of life for the many animals we receive here daily at Kirkwood.  I can’t begin to describe all of the support the community is giving the animals sheltered, the veterinary personnel, the rescue squads and the staff here at Kirkwood who are tirelessly working to give these animals and their families comfort when things haven’t gone so well.  They may not have a home, but they have each other.  

Here at Kirkwood, we’re prepared to do whatever is necessary, for however long it takes to provide shelter for these animals.  As the water recedes, the number of animals needing shelter goes up.  [Cedar Rapids Animal Shelter Director] Anne Duffy knows the numbers, I don’t, all I know is that it’s not unusual for the rescue squad to bring in 80 – 120 rescued animals at the end of each day, not counting the ones that families are bringing to us for shelter because they currently don’t have the means to provide them a home.  They are processed the next morning, then placed in the appropriate building for shelter and care.  These animals are scared, depressed, in shock, disoriented and untrusting, but as soon as they get a little attention, get fed, get out and run, are held, talked to and loved, they give it back to you tenfold.  

I’m really getting to know these dogs, especially the ones at Tippie Beef [Education Building]. One dog was truly depressed and was really a concern for all of the staff.  This dog wouldn’t eat, he wouldn’t drink, he didn’t want to go out for a run and fresh air.  All he wanted to do was lay in his pen with the saddest face you will ever see and be left alone.  He would look at you when you talked to him, but his eyes told you his story, he really missed his family.  I think it was yesterday, my days are all a blur, a lady came in and described her dog to Valerie (one of the tireless Vet Assistants).  Valerie thought this dog was here and pointed over to one of the cages.  Immediately, this lady began to cry and she ran over to the cage.  The dog recognized who she was, stood up and began to jump around like a little puppy.  It then barked and made a loud whimpering sound as if it were crying and shouting out loud all at the same time.  I had to walk away for a second before I lost it.  This is what it’s all about.  This is why we work the long hours.  This is one of many stories I’m now seeing on a daily basis.  Though the sheltered numbers keep rising, many are now being reunited with their families.  Some of these families are without a home, so these animals will remain here until they are able to care for them without problems.  This could be a long process, but Kirkwood is in it for whatever it’s going to take.

 

Tom Martin, Cedar Rapids

The painting shop where I work was under about 7 feet of water. We have two cats at the shop. One is a blue gray female we named Polly. She was very friendly; she would sit in my lap at the end of the day and let me pet her. It was a good way to forget about the day if it was a bad one. We also have another kitten who is all black and meows a lot. We thought the cats would be ok during the flood, as we set out enough food and water for many days. The cats were able to climb up on the work bench and jump up on a wall and sleep on the insulation over the office where it was warm and dry. The water rose 12 feet higher than anyone thought it would, but we all thought they were fine.

Sunday morning, I woke up at 5:00 am. My first thought was if the water is down enough, I’m going to get the cats out. As I sat looking at the damage to the shop, another coworker showed up and we went in to get them. The little black cat was high up in the office and fine, but scared. We couldn’t find Polly, but knew that she has other hiding places. 

I’m sorry to say that we found her this [Monday] morning when we could finally get some doors open, and let some light in. She had drowned. We have a terrible muddy mess to clean up, but everybody is just sad about Polly. No little animal should have to die that way.