Hurricane Prepareness for your Pets

[angelwing]

=====REPRINT and FORWARDING PERMISSION GRANTED - SEE END OF ARTICLE=======

June 1st marks the start of the 2007 hurricane season. Are you ready? What
about your pets? Do you have a plan? Now is the time to get ready - before
hurricane season starts. AnimalHelp.Com is making the challenge: let 2007 be
the year all of us who own pets are ready for hurricane season with an
effective family plan in place. Do not ever think it will not happen to you.
If you live in a coastal area, it CAN happen, and you must be ready.

Jodi Beck Witte is no stranger to hurricanes. As a long time member of a
federal veterinary disaster response team, she has seen her share, including
Hurricane Katrina, Wilma, Rita, Jeanne, Frances, Charlie, and many others.
"The common element is always so many people who do not have plans for their
animals and as a result, too many get left behind, or those pet owners will
not evacuate because they won't leave their pets," said Ms Witte.

The most notable example of the lack of preparedness came with Hurricane
Katrina and the devastated animal population of Louisiana. Thousands of pets
were left to die, despite hundreds of volunteers trying to save them after
the fact. Nationwide outrage and blame was reported in the news directed
toward FEMA and the government. In reality, at the most basic level, it was
the pet owners who failed to prepare for the possibility of such an event.
Since her federal deployment to New Orleans to help the animals left behind
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Ms Witte has spent considerable
effort trying to educate the public about their preparedness needs.

With the passing of the new PETS Act, all states are required to include
pets and pet owners in their disaster plans. While this is a great step
forward in animal disaster preparedness, Ms Witte encourages pet owners to
completely understand how they are ultimately responsible for their pet's
safety and evacuation in the event of a hurricane or other disaster. She
offers the following information to help the pet owner prepare:

Responsibility: It is not the job of FEMA, nor any federal, state, or local
government entity to evacuate you or your pet before a disaster. While your
local government may have transportation available for those who need it to
local shelters, people come first and even if pets are allowed on these
transports, the need may arise where precious space must be given to a
person rather then an animal. The same holds true for shelter space. If you
do not have a plan in place for your own animals, you can not expect others
to take full responsibility for them. The responsibility is yours, first and
foremost, as a pet owner.

THE PLAN
Where to Evacuate To: The first thing to set up your plan; have a safe
location to evacuate to where you can take your pets. This may be a
pet-friendly hotel, a relative or friend, or even a boarding facility well
inland who can safely house your pet during the storm. You must arrange this
location before hand, not when the evacuation orders come in. This month,
before hurricane season begins, make contact with a hotel, boarding
facility, or your relatives and make sure you will be welcome with little
notice and wagging tails.

Transportation: The second part of your plan to have in place is
transportation. If you have pets, try hard not to rely on what will be an
overburdened emergency response. If, at all possible, have your own
transportation and make sure you can fit your family and all of your pets in
that vehicle. It may take more then one vehicle to move the entire family -
don't wait until the last moment to try to figure out how to make it work.
Car Pooling with friends and neighbors may work well if you have planned
together.

The Supplies: The third part of your plan must be to have all necessary
supplies on hand, ready to go, if an evacuation order comes down. These
supplies are separate from the supplies you use with your pet everyday.
These should be purchased and stored separately in an easily assessable
place in the event of an emergency. Do not use these supplies for any other
reason during the hurricane season.

Your pets must have identification. Make sure that there is an alternate
phone number on that ID where a message can be left. If the only phone
number on the tag is your home phone number, it won't do your pet much good
if you have been evacuated.

Each dog must have a leash at the very minimum, and better yet has both a
leash and a crate. Cats must have a crate or you can purchase a cardboard
carrying box from your vet made just for cats. The crate will be necessary
if you or your pet must stay in a shelter, and some hotels may require it.
For small pocket pets such as gerbils and hamsters or birds, purchase small
travel crates or plastic containers made for these little critters and
available at your local pet store. Have them pre-labeled with the animal's
ID. Photo copy all of your pet's current health records so you have proof of
vaccination history. Take a couple photographs of each pet and place the
records and photos all together in a waterproof container such as a zip lock
baggie. Ask your veterinarian for an extra 2 week supply of any current
drugs your pet may need if applicable. Purchase a 2 week supply of food,
several gallons of water and have a food and water dish for each.

For emergency storage, place each pet's emergency leash, food/water dishes,
and emergency medications in their crate labeled with the pet's name and
your contact information. Place these together with the food and water
supplies, and the vet records, in an easily assessable place. These are your
"go" supplies. You will be able to quickly evacuate with your pets if these
are ready.

Other Animals: Horses, cows, and other livestock present a serious challenge
for evacuation. If you cannot evacuate these animals, be sure you keep
plenty of food supplies on hand at all times, placed as high as possible in
your barn. Have copies of their records and photos which you can take with
you for identification later. When the evacuation orders come down, label
each animal with spray paint right on their body with your name and
emergency phone number. The paint will not hurt them and will stay on even
in the rain.

Horses and livestock have better chances of survival if they are turned out
in their pasture versus being closed up in a barn. While we may feel the
urge to put them up in the barn to keep them from the storm, this presents
many dangers and traps the animal if the building is damaged or in the event
of a flood. Under no circumstances should any animal left to face a storm,
including livestock or pets, be tied to any structure or placed in a stall
or kennel with a roof on it. In the event of a flood these animals will not
be able to swim or escape rising water.

One month, three steps to prepare, a family to keep safe. AnimalHelp.Com
challenges you to be ready this year, for your entire family. This May, get
your family ready and help others get ready. Start with your family and then
help your neighborhood. Talk to the pet owners and educate them. Develop a
support system so that if someone is not home, or cannot get back to get
their pets, someone else can. Have them designate a spot where all their
"go" supplies will be for their pets, where their support person will know
where to find everything. Once your neighborhood is ready, expand your
efforts to include your whole town. Train your friends to train their
friends. Keep it going and pass it forward. Education and preparation are
key. Do not sit back and expect the federal or state governments - or anyone
else for that matter - to come in and rescue your pets if you cannot put
forth an effort to make arrangements for them before the disaster.
This year let us not allow a hurricane to cause the loss of life we saw with
Hurricane Katrina. Everything else is replaceable.

Visit http://www.animalhelp.com during the month of May for more information,
resources, supply lists, activities, flyers, posters, and materials you can
use to help get prepared and help educate others.

About the author:
Jodi Beck Witte is the CEO of AnimalHelp.Com http://www.animalhelp.com and is also
a member of the Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT), part of the
National Disaster Medical System, US Department of Homeland Security. In
addition to her disaster response experience, she has worked as a veterinary
technician in both small animal practice and at a zoo, and has done wildlife
rehabilitation for many years. She is certified in Chemical
Immobilization/Remote Capture, Large Animal Rescue, and is certified as a
Weapons of Mass Destruction Specialist.

=====REPRINT and FORWARDING PERMISSION GRANTED=======
- You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print in
publications such as a website, newsletters or an ezine as long as the
bylines and links are included, and the article is published in full. If you
wish for a shorter version of the article, please notify jwitte @
animalhelp.com who will gladly help rewrite the article to fit the space you
have available.