Best ways to contribute to disaster relief?

[theHandpuppet]

Red Cross? Salvation Army?

Any recommendations for the best ways to contribute to disaster relief for our neighbors in LA, MS and AL?

[booksenkatz]

1. I'm torn about the Red Cross after a DUer posted yesterday that

the Red Cross threw her out of a shelter when they discovered she had her little dog cuddled under a blanket. Apparently they don't let animals in. They threw her and her dog out of the shelter, I'm inferring it was during a storm...? Christ. At any rate, that upset me a great deal because I worry so much about pets (and zoo animals) when storms happen. I don't know if the Red Cross will be seeing any more donations from me if they won't figure out some way for people to shelter with their pets. Do I have answers? No, I don't. I'm hoping, though, that someone out there has a better answer than throwing people out of shelters with their dachshunds during a storm. Or forcing people to leave their pets at home to die. Gotta be something better.