Tag: COVID-19

Mystic Krewe of Barkus launches fund to assist pet owners with vet care during COVID-19 pandemic

The Krewe of Barkus parade in 2009. Photo by Mark Gstohl | CC.

A fund was launched by the Mystic Krewe of Barkus on Sunday to assist pet owners with veterinarian care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Barkus is a canine-centric krewe. Founded in 1993, the krewe parades with dogs and their human companions through the French Quarter during Mardi Gras.

The fund, however, isn’t meant only for dogs.

The crowd-sourced Barkus COVID Care Fund was established by the krewe to help pay for urgent, non-emergency care for any pets.

Other serious veterinary care needed beyond routine procedures, including surgery and medications, will also be considered.

Additionally, pets with serious chronic health problems will be reviewed.

Since launching on April 13, the fund has generated more than $400.

Funding applications and instructions are found on barkus.org. The amount provided is determined on a case-by-case basis and goes directly to the veterinarian, not the individual.

For more information or to consider donating, email info@barkus.org or visit the krewe’s Facebook page.

‘Queen of Bourbon Street’ Mamie Marie recovered from coronavirus just in time for Easter

As soon as Mamie Marie Francois recovered from a bout of coronavirus, she resumed her Bourbon Street rump-shaking booty duty with a vengeance in a sign that the French Quarter is starting to resemble the way it was before the COVID-19 outbreak.

And just in time for Easter Sunday.

In a video post to social media by user Nancy Mae, Marie was recorded riding her signature rolling tricycle disco down an empty Bourbon Street at midday on Friday before disembarking and twerking in a pink bunny suit.

Described as the “Queen of Bourbon Street,” Francois has become a fixture of the Vieux Carre gracing pedestrians with dance moves and a decorated musical tricycle.

Francois, 72, came down with a 100-degree temperature in the days following St. Patrick’s Day and eventually went to the doctor where she tested positive for coronavirus, according to the The Times Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate.

She has since recovered, at least to some degree, and is back patrolling the streets making sure the French Quarter stays weird.