Gaus, a law student at Tulane University in New Orleans, is the founder and director of Dogs of the 9th Ward, which rescues stray, abandoned and feral dogs in the devastated, storm-stricken community.

Welcome to Treme, a New Orleans neighborhood with a rich African-American history, especially in music. The neighborhood is the setting for the hit HBO show of the same name.

Surprisingly, despite bans on fishing off the coast and well-publicized closing of some of the state’s oyster beds, many businesses and local restaurants that specialize in seafood said they have yet to feel the effects of the oil spill.

It’s 6:05 p.m. on a Wednesday evening and 13-year-old Roland Moore is not home in front of a TV or an Xbox.