Press Releases

Halloo Communications Steps Forward to Reconnect Phone Service for Louisiana SPCA

Hosted phone service provider donates toll-free phone service to help reunite families with lost pets: 1-800-745-9151

South San Francisco, CA, October 24 &mdash For nearly two months, since the ravage of Hurricane Katrina, the phones at the Louisiana SPCA (LA/SPCA) have gone unanswered. Their shelter was only one of thousands of structures that were lost or damaged in the catastrophe, but the only facility of its type that the community regularly turns to for pet rescue and information. Thousands of families desperate to locate missing pets, and untold thousands of other callers trying to figure out what to do with found animals, have been unable to connect with anyone since the shelter was destroyed.

One California company has stepped up to intervene and put the non-profit organization back in business &mdash at least back in communication with the dispersed New Orleans community. Working with the executive staff of LA/SPCA as they scramble to open a new facility in Algiers, a section of New Orleans, Halloo Communications of South San Francisco, CA has successfully reconnected the organization with the community through their hosted phone service.

Effective immediately, community members can call a new toll-free number (1-800-745-9151) for any information about animal control issues, including pets lost or found, or other vital services. A variety of pre-recorded messages provide all important referral and reporting information. While staff and volunteer time is currently stretched to the limit, the new phone service will connect callers to staffers for emergency reports and assistance.

When asked why Halloo Communications decided to get involved, CEO Jim Li stated, “We just couldn’t stand by and watch as tens of thousands of families worry about the fate of their pets. Our employees tell me they can’t imagine the heartache and sorrow they would experience if they were separated from their companion animals. Helping the LA/SPCA is something we did as a responsible corporate citizen to ease the suffering of so many and help reunite families with their pets.” According to Li, the company is currently working to reconnect regional shelters in other major cities throughout the affected areas in several states during the next couple of weeks.

The company is already active in the region, providing hosted phone services to other companies. “This is the perfect use of the technology we provide to thousands of businesses,” said Li. “From a practical standpoint, there really is no difference between a pet shelter or any other business that has been displaced in a catastrophe like this. Each organization is faced with the same need to quickly restore their telephone service and get back in communication with their customers and vendors. What hosted phone services provide is the ability to connect businesses with customers without regard to location. We know that long-established businesses are being forced to operate from places like converted hotel rooms or makeshift offices in cities or states outside the impacted areas. We help to put them back in business, quickly and inexpensively. Since this is the technology that we offer to others, it just made sense for Halloo to step in and help the pets and their families. The real heroes are the dedicated staffers and volunteers, working around-the-clock to reunite the animals with their families. We’re just glad we could make this important contribution.”

“Getting our phone lines back in operation is a major step in returning to our pre-Katrina functions,” said Executive Director Laura Maloney. “It is important for residents to know that we once again have a physical location in New Orleans. We couldn’t have done this without the help from Halloo Communications and we appreciate their generosity in donating this vital phone service, training and assistance to us in our time of need.”

Background Information &mdash How Halloo Got Involved

Like so many people in the unaffected areas of the country wanting to help the hurricane-ravaged states throughout the Gulf region, Halloo Communications CEO Jim Li decided to do something, and drew upon the resources of his industry-leading, hosted phone service company to help those in need. With a soft spot in his heart for the plight of the tens of thousands of displaced families who have lost their family pet in the chaos of the evacuations and hurricane aftermath, Li reached out to the animal shelters in the region only to find that phone communications were virtually non-existent. Calls from frantic pet owners in search of their lost “family members” were going unanswered &mdash shelters across Louisiana and in neighboring states were uninhabitable, with no staff members or volunteers to answer the phones, making the continuing rescue of thousands of animals all the more difficult.

Following a considerable effort to connect with animal rescue and control representatives throughout the southern region, Li was finally able to establish communications with Laura Maloney, Executive Director of the Louisiana SPCA. He quickly assessed the magnitude of their need to restore communications and provide vital information to the thousands of daily callers either looking for their pet or trying to report a found animal. He pledged the resources of his company to bring their phone system back online and immediately went to work. Within the next several days, the LA/SPCA phone system was back in operation with a new toll-free number, giving access to a complete menu of recorded information and the means to have urgent and emergency calls answered by staff members and volunteers from any location around the country. Staffers forced to move in with relatives in far-flung states from New Jersey to California can actually field calls from the local parish, as if they were sitting in the now-abandoned shelter. The South San Francisco-based phone service company is providing their Web-hosted service, toll-free number, support and training to the LA/SPCA at no cost until the non-profit organization is back in full operation or relocates to a new permanent facility.

About Halloo

Halloo Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of Hosted Communications services for businesses, help desks, and contact centers. Our innovative solutions provide instant ROI with intelligent call routing, agent and supervisor consoles for dynamic call management, monitoring and recording, as well as unified messaging abilities. Halloo service plans deliver high-profile call system features for a wide range of organizations and operating budgets. Founded in 2002, Halloo is privately held, with headquarters at 400 Oyster Point Blvd., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, 1-888-238-3822, www.halloo.com.

About the Louisiana SPCA

The Louisiana SPCA worked in cooperation with several other agencies to rescue more than 8,500 animals after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29th. The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA/SPCA) is a private non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of animal suffering. Chartered in 1888, it is the oldest and most comprehensive animal welfare organization in the state of Louisiana, providing care and basic medical services for approximately 11,000 homeless and unwanted animals each year. The LA/SPCA is a membership organization that depends upon the support of the public. To make a donation to help the LA/SPCA, you can visit the www.la-spca.org website or you can send a check or money order to: Louisiana SPCA, PO Box 127, Mandeville, LA 70470.
_________________________

Company Contact: