LCAS
Urges Pet Owners to Prepare for Disaster
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Rescuers
saved
these
dogs
after
they
were
chained
up
during a
2005
wildfire
evacuation.
Pets who
are left
behind
during
evacuations
face an
uncertain
fate.
Fire
swept
through
this
region
and
these
dogs
could
not have
escaped
the
smoke
and
flames.
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Everyone – including
companion animals –
must be prepared for
disaster. Lewis
Clark Animal Shelter
urges all pet owners
to take their pets
with them if they
must evacuate.
“There
is no excuse to
leave pets behind,”
said LCAS Executive
Director Tami
McReynolds “Pets who
are left to fend for
themselves during
wildfires, floods and other
emergency situations
face an uncertain
fate. Don’t take
that risk – take
your pets with you
when you evacuate.”
LCAS also urges pet owners to make
preparations
before disaster
strikes:
-
Set aside a
leash for
your dog and
a
well-ventilated
carrier for
your cat or
other small
animals.
Keep these
items in one
place so you
always know
where to
find them –
especially
in a hurry!
If you have
just moments
to evacuate
your home,
you will not
have time to
search for
them.
-
Make sure
all
companion
animals
always have
current
identification.
Include a
“back-up”
telephone
number on
your pet’s
ID tag (such
as your cell
phone) in
case
telephone
service at
your home is
disrupted.
-
Have a small
bag of your
pet’s
regular food
on hand so
you can take
it with you.
Changing
your pet’s
diet –
especially
during a
highly
stressful
time – may
cause severe
intestinal
upset.
This is
especially
important if
your pet is
on a
prescription
diet.
-
If your pet
is on
medication,
be sure to
take it with
you. It’s
wise to keep
a few extra
doses in a
safe, secure
place so you
can find it
when time is
of the
essence.
-
Prepare a
small,
easy-to-carry
“emergency
kit” for
your pet. It
could be as
simple as a
duffle bag
or backpack
that is
prepacked
with your
pet’s
medication;
a small bag
of his food;
a bottle of
water; an
extra leash;
a towel or
blanket for
bedding;
paper
towels/plastic
baggies for
quick
clean-ups; a
favorite
toy; a
brush; and
other
necessary
pet
supplies.
Pack enough
to last for
three days l
-
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Pet Friendly Motels
Pet Disaster Preparedness 
Recent events suggest that snow storms, power outages, flooding and hurricanes may not be the only disasters we need to plan for. The threat of terrorist acts and war is very real.
In times of disaster it is estimated that more than 70% of people that are evacuated in the event of a disaster; will not leave if they cannot take their beloved pets.
Traditionally pets are not allowed in disaster shelters so pet owners need to have a plan and they need to take their pets with them.
Leaving pets behind is not acceptable. No one can be sure of the length of time you will be gone and the cost of rescuing or rounding up domestic pets after a disaster can be astronomical.
LCAS has organized a team of volunteers that are ready and willing to respond in the event of a disaster. This team of well trained volunteers are working hard to provide a plan for the entire
Valley and be ready when disaster strikes by:
·
- Reducing the number of pets that get left behind in a disaster.
- Making sure community members are prepared when disaster strikes.
- Campaigning to allow pets in shelters -human shelters if and when evacuation is necessary
There are steps that you can take to be better prepared to care for your pets in a disaster. Here are some emergency tips and planning information.
If You Evacuate
The single most important thing you can do to protect your pets if you evacuate is to take them with you. Chances are that if it is not safe for you to stay home, it is not safe
for them either. Even if you think you will be gone for a few hours. TAKE THEM with you. Once you leave your home there is no way of knowing when you will be able to return.
Leave early; don't wait for a mandatory evacuation order. If you wait to be evacuated by emergency officials you may be told to leave your pets behind. If they provide transportation, emergency officials
may not let you bring your pets along.
Identification
Identifying your pet with a tag is always important. In the event of a disaster it may be your pets only key to being reunited with you if lost. Include a phone number of a friend
or relative outside your immediate area, this will help in the event that you are not home.
Find a Safe Place NOW
Remember Disaster shelters generally do not accept pets, you must plan ahead to ensure that your pets will be able to come with you and have a safe place to stay. Don't
wait until disaster is at your front door.
LCAS has provided a list of hotels and motels in New
England that accept pets. It is still important to check with them to see if there is a size or number limit. Also if you have a place in mind and it is not on our list; Call them and ask if, in the event of
a disaster, they might waive their 'no pet policy.' Friends and relatives that are outside your area are very important as well. Your family should discuss this option now if in the event of a disaster you
want to stay with them.
As The Disaster Approaches
Don't wait, leave early. Remember that if your only way out becomes transportation by officials at the last minute. They may not let you take your pet. Better to waste
a trip to your planned destination than have them tell you "Sorry No Pets allowed."
What If You Are Not Home?
Consider also that you may be at work or away from home when an order to evacuate is given. Planning ahead to have a trusted neighbor retrieve your pets for you and
meet you may be your only alternative. Be sure they have a key, know where your supplies are and where your pets may be.
After The Disaster
Upon returning home you could find damage to your home or you may not be able to return at all. Your pets will be confused and unfamiliar with the changes as well.
Do not allow pets to roam freely where you are staying or if you return to a damaged neighborhood and home. Pets can get lost through holes in your home or simply because the neighborhood looks different.
Sharp objects, falling branches and other debris create an additional threat of injury. Try to get back into a routine as soon as possible. Pets find comfort in repetition and may be confused and stressed
after a disaster or when staying elsewhere. Be patient and if behavioral problems develop seek help through a behaviorist or trainer.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE PETS
IN DISASTER PLANNING?
Pet Owners that won't leave
Most pet owners (especially the elderly) have stated in past disasters that they feel if it is OK for them to leave a bowl of food and water for a pet that is left
behind, the disaster must not be serious enough for them to leave. SO they refuse to leave and stay with their pet.
How long will you be gone?
No one can truly be sure how long a disaster situation will last. When pet owners are not allowed to return to retrieve their pets, or they find that their pets will
be left for a longer than expected time, Anger and lack of cooperation can lead to human loss and injury as well as pet injury, loss, and needless death. Community cooperation is the key to successful
evacuation and limiting fatalities.
Public Health Risks
Animals like dogs and cats have an incredible ability to survive. Because of this, if left to their own accord or not rescued, after a disaster; they will live and in some
cases thrive. This will create a higher risk for the spread of disease, greater amounts of animal waste and competition for food may lead them to hunt each other as well as wildlife and livestock.
State Law
State Law, as well as other cruelty statutes, provide that abandoning an animal to suffer injury or malnutrition, or confining an animal without sufficient wholesome food and water is a violation of
criminal law. It seems inconsistent that government considers one a criminal for dumping a dog or cat at the end of the street, but then encourages animals being left behind when flood, wildfire, hurricane,
chemical release or other disaster threatens, the latter meaning almost certain injury, death or malnutrition.
Recent disasters and the threat of terrorist attacks have made the significance of animal issues obvious. Animals have largely impacted both response and recovery efforts and in many cases have
necessitated additional relief efforts. Animals left behind, even in the worst disasters, have a phenomenal ability to survive. Therefore, a rescue effort, follow-up care and sheltering until reunification
with their owners, is a must to prevent the spread of disease, overpopulation and the potential for adding thousands of dollars to any clean up effort.
Lewiston Clarkston Valley
Moscow Pullman
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Lewis Clark Animal Shelter
