EVACUEES: Take your pets with you, PLEASE!

[ixocean]

I've been a long-time lurker, newbie poster, so bear with me...

I'd like to STRONGLY ENCOURAGE people who have pets to include them in your evacuation plans. If you don't plan to do so and think it is acceptable to leave them behind, you shouldn't have them. Domesticated animals look to their human family for protection and companionship. The have feelings of abandonment, fear, anxiety, sorrow, and pain just the same as humans. Do them a favor and follow through with your commitment to their care when you brought them home. They aren't a DVD, toy, or object, but rather a family member, so treat them as such.



USHES SOAPBOX OFF TO SIDE:

Thank You

[skysummit]

Yes, please do so. There are so many pets that are lost here, or have died, or have been rescued, but no owners to claim them. Please take them with you.

[Houstonia]

The buses picking up people in Galveston who have no other way off the island are allowing people to bring pets with them. They have crates for the pets and a local number for people to call if they don't have pet crates.

[SoupBone]

The buses picking up people in Galveston who have no other way off the island are allowing people to bring pets with them. They have crates for the pets and a local number for people to call if they don't have pet crates.

That is awesome...

[ixocean]

The buses picking up people in Galveston who have no other way off the island are allowing people to bring pets with them. They have crates for the pets and a local number for people to call if they don't have pet crates.

Great news indeed! Good to see EM folks realizing the importance of keeping people and pets together. It is often all they have left after a major disaster. Unconditional love is a great thing...

My wife and I agreed, if we were forced to choose between staying with our dog or leaving her behind, we would stay. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her. It breaks my heart to see people suffering, but I am equally upset seeing the pets left to starve or drown.

[Callista]

Not to mention that abandoned pets add to the chaos if a hurricane turns major. Just look at Katrina.

[Radar]

Just some helpful advice for pet lovers who want to evacuate:

Motel 6 is one hotel chain that I know of that accepts pets nationwide. They are very good about allowing pets but you must accompany while outside and they won't let their maids clean your room if an animal is inside the room unattended... But I have stayed at Motel 6 repeatedly through the years while I have had to evacuate for various storms and they are a very pet friendly motel chain.... Also CALL NOW for reservations or you will be having to travel further then you want to, to evacuate!!

[Starburst]

Great site for pet owners helps you find shelter for them and hotels:
Lets Go Pets.com

[crazy4disney]

Also CALL NOW for reservations or you will be having to travel further then you want to, to evacuate!!

I think it might be too late... I have been on the phone all day -- I think I have called every darn town in all of central TX -- and the closest I could find any vacancies was AMARILLO... Holiday Inn said the closest they had anything open was in Oklahoma City. (!!!)

I'm glad our state was able to welcome so many Katrina evacuees, and I hope we would respond the same way again, but unfortunately it has meant that our own state now has no place to go...

-gina-

[Shoshana]

Have you tried the local hotels like in La Grange? Temple? Belton? What about San Antonio? Austin and Round Rock are reportedly all booked up - but there's Georgetown ...

Oh all the official shelters that people are going to once it's a mandatory evac - take pets.

[ixocean]

Oh all the official shelters that people are going to once it's a mandatory evac - take pets.

Sadly, none of the shelters here in Naples accept pets...

[blueeyes_austin]

We've got a massive music festival here in Austin this weekend...I was poking around this afternoon and the only rooms I could find in the whole town were at the Hilton and Hyatt...for $250+ per night.

[digitaldahling]

La Quinta takes pets. We, like others here, won't leave our two beagles behind. No way we go without them.

All of you on the TX coast are in my thoughts and prayers. My sister-in-law and her husband are leaving tomorrow morning from Bay City. I was trying to give her tips about what to pack and how to secure things. Told her to take at least two pictures of every room in the house for insurance purposes. That was wasted effort...she informed me they have no mortgage so they've never bought insurance. I could have died.

http://www.petswelcome.com/

http://www.pets-allowed-hotels.com/hurricane1.html

http://www.dogfriendly.com/

[Mac]

Yes, make plans to evacuate your pets if you can. But if you can't, and you have to decide between staying behind with your pet or getting out and leaving your pet behind, then leave your pet behind and get yourself to safety. You can worry about whether you were a bad pet owner for not having a better plan later. And at least you'll be alive to feel guilty about it. Somehow I don't believe your death would benefit your pet any more than leaving it behind.

[simplykristi]

The buses picking up people in Galveston who have no other way off the island are allowing people to bring pets with them. They have crates for the pets and a local number for people to call if they don't have pet crates.

I am very happy to hear this!

Kristi... one happy pet owner

[cancunkid]

Glad to read that Texas is thinking ahead on the subject of how to deal with pets. Just to let everyone know Baymont Inn and Suites takes pets.

[seaswing]

I have been to Lamar-Dixon staging area in Gonzalez, LA where the animals have been evacuated from Katrina. I am so sorry to say that many of these pets will never be re-united with their owners. Some of them will not survive. It is horrendous there, I kid you not. I work at the College of Vet Med at UF and we have taken over 100 animals from there to be adopted after they receive medical care. It is pure chaos there and very sad. PLEASE, PLEASE do not assume that your pet will be rescued and delivered to you if you evacuate without them. Some of these animals were rescued because the owners called HSUS and told them where they were (what address) after Katrina. Unfortunately, a lot of these pets will never be identified by the owners because there are just way too many animals and the staff is too overwhelmed to do anything but treat them and send them on to other staging areas. It is so sad....these animals are lost and afraid and some are getting very sick.... AS I HAVE STATED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE STORMS....TAKE YOUR PETS WITH YOU.... even if you have to 'sneak' them into a motel....do whatever you can to protect them because as I have seen first hand in the last week.... you may never see them again...

[seaswing]

Mods...could you please make this a sticky???? I think it needs to be in the forefront instead of on the list of things to do to prepare....

Thanks in advance

[gpickett00]

Its not that people dont love their pets enough to take them. Im sure every family does their best to include pets in the plan. When it comes down to it and there is one hotel room left and they dont accept pets, its life or death. Save a human life. There arent enough places to stay when a cat 5 hurricane is bearing down to take a pet.

[george_r_1961]

If I still had my cat I would sleep in my car before id leave her behind. Period. She used to sleep outside my door when I was ill as a child and was always there to greet me when I came home from school. Now way would I abandon a friend like that under any circumstances.