When Osiris Albrecht watched the story of a dog protecting its dead owners from a pack of feral dogs during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, she couldn’t help but cry.

“The owners weren’t even alive,” said Albrecht, an adviser in the Department of World Language. “They were laying in the street, killed by the hurricane, but (the dog) still protected them. He was trying to save their lives. When I heard the story I was just crying.”

Then, she couldn’t help but lend a hand.

Albrecht decided to join the relief efforts and organize a campus-wide canned food drive for the thousands of lost and abandoned pets.

“We can do so much to help,” Albrecht said. “There are so many stories out there of animal victims.”

Albrecht recently donated to the Red Cross and urges students, faculty and staff to participate in the collection and give what they can.

Donation boxes are located on every floor of Cooper Hall, and more will be placed throughout campus, Albrecht said.

The supplies will then be donated to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Tampa Bay on Friday.SPCA has been gathering supplies to be delivered to Mississippi throughout the week, requesting help and volunteers.

The Society provides services for between 16,000 and 18,000 homeless and abandoned animals each year.

Once it is determined that an animal is physically and emotionally suitable for adoption, the SPCA provides food, shelter, medical care and behavioral training until the animal is adopted.

Albrecht will also donate supplies to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

According to a press release from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), it is providing temporary emergency shelter in Hattiesburg, Miss. More than 500 animals are at this facility that were rescued from southern Mississippi counties, according to the release.

According to Tracey McIntire, who works in the HSUS’s media department, the society has rescued 5,722 animals displaced by Hurricane Katrina as of Tuesday afternoon.Rescue workers and volunteers are providing shelter and have reunited 350 animals with their families since the disaster, said Belinda Mager of HSUS’s media department.

Supplies are no longer being accepted at the Louisiana emergency animal shelters as they are at capacity with supplies and cannot manage anymore.

However, supplies can be sent to the local Humane Society or animal shelters, Mager said.