LaGRANGE — The Troup County Marshal’s Office is aiming to help some of the four-legged victims of historic flooding in Louisiana.

Chief Marshal Lonza Edmondson and his deputies, Lisa Lindsey and Bubba Oubre, have been collecting donations of food for dogs, cats, livestock — even hamsters and birds.

“A lot of people have come forward to donate,” Lindsey said. “People have even ordered online and had it delivered here. We ‘guesstimate’ we’ve had about 3 tons donated already.”

Next week — either Wednesday or Thursday — Lindsey and Oubre will deliver the supplies to flood victims in Louisiana, Oubre said. The donations have been so great that their original plan to use a pickup truck had to be altered to include a livestock trailer that Oubre owns.

The idea for the feed donation drive came when Oubre and Lindsey were at the Marshal’s Office in the government center on Ridley Avenue watching news of the flood. Because the Marshal’s Office handles animal control in unincorporated Troup County, Lindsey told Oubre she thought the Marshal’s Office should do something to help the animals.

At first, Oubre said he wasn’t completely sold on the idea, but after sleeping on it, he came back to work and told Lindsey he agreed.

They started collected donations Monday, and soon, local businesses, residents, churches and even the school system became involved and started donating animal food. Tractor Supply, D&D Farm Supply, Troup County schools’ student services division, Oubre Rodeo Company, former commission chairman Ricky Wolfe, Ayres Memorial United Methodist Church and several other individuals have all donated, or are collecting donations, to send the Louisiana, Lindsey said.

Oubre said he hopes it will relieve some stress for the already burdened human victims of the floods.

“Even if it’s temporary relief, it’s something,” he said. “You’ve got to think about it, if a cattleman has 150 cows, they’ve still got to be tended to, even if the pasture is underwater. I know it’s a little late, and the waters are starting to recede, but people are in distress and so are their animals.”

Anyone wishing to make a donation of animal food to the Troup County Marshal’s Office may make deliveries to their office on the first floor of the Troup County Government Center, 100 Ridley Ave. in LaGrange, or call 706-883-1627. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.