Protect Your Pets In Emergencies
We are currently sifting through the final remains of Tropical Storm Fay.
It came ashore about thirty miles from here, around Chokoloskee Island (south of Everglades City) early Tuesday morning.
In my abode, we are lucky; most of this county is without power and cable.
We are going to be busy picking up and cleaning up for most of the next two days.
I though that this would be a good time to again remind all pet owners of some general safety tips regarding their pets and hurricanes, but most of this information applies to emergency weather conditions in general.
These tips on pet-friendly shelters come courtesy of FloridaPets.net
Why pet-friendly shelters?
1. As of 2006, they're required - or no FEMA funds to help
According to the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS) of 2006, state and local emergency preparedness operational plans must address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following a major disaster or emergency IF they want to qualify for grant $$$ from FEMA. The Act gives FEMA authority to help communities develop pet-friendly shelter facilities and practical assistance for individuals with pets and service animals, and the animals themselves, following a major disaster. Some counties think just saying they will not have a pet-friendly shelter until later and offering names of a couple of motels miles away on their Web site that "used to" accept pets is "addressing the needs." That is incorrect. Actually, the PETS Act does away with all the excuses from county and city governments without pet-friendly disaster plans.
While this is indeed progress, it has come at great cost. Laura Maloney, head of the Louisiana chapter of the SPCA, said as many as 70,000 pets were either killed or abandonded after Katrina left much of New Orleans under water in August 2005.
2. They're part of responsible pet guardianship
People who have pets are responsible for their health and safety and must have a plan during a disaster that includes those pets. That plan should not include leaving them tied to trees during the storms or left in empty house with a little food and water. As Hurricane Katrina showed all of us, the lives of both humans and their beloved pets depend on the humans being prepared, being smart and staying smart. Of the 70,000 pets who died or were abandonded as a result of Hurricane Katrina, only about 15,000 were saved and only 20 percent of those were reunited with their owners. The rest ended up in various shelters around the United States. Many are probably still wondering where their families went.
3. They're ethically correct. Pets are a barometer of our humanity
For many people, pets are part of the family. It's ethically vital to help people keep all members of their family safe. A 2006 survey found that 44 percent of those in New Orleans who remained at home did so because of a pet, while only 18 percent failed to evacuate because they wouldn't leave a family member behind.
Plan in advance.
Locate and pre-register with pet friendly shelters in your neighborhood.
You are responsible for your pets and their safety.
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