By Meghan Goss
If a tropical storm were to strike the 12 coastal parishes of Louisiana this summer, more than 400,000 residents would be forced to evacuate, and 137,000 pets would need refuge, which would overwhelm the local shelters. And that is just one-fifth of the state's parishes.
This was the chilling message from Stephanie Ostrowski, a captain with the U.S. Public Health Service veterinary team, speaking at the National Conference on Animals in Disaster May 31. Hosted by The Humane Society of the United States in Arlington, Va., the conference drew more than 650 emergency response and animal care and control professionals the day it opened.
Focused on strengthening disaster planning and response, the conference began on the eve of what forecasters predict will be another challenging hurricane season. Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, the largest and most costly natural disaster to hit the United States, were a repeated topic. Thousands of animals were left stranded in Katrina's wake, igniting a massive animal rescue and relief effort and bringing awareness to weak disaster plans for animals.
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Plan and Prepare: Your Disaster Guide |
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The single most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to take them with you when you evacuate.
Before disaster strikes, follow these three steps to protect your family, including your pets.
1. Take Action: Urge lawmakers to pass the PETS Act and plan for animals in disasters.
2. Build a Kit: Include items for your family and your pets in your disaster kit.
3. Make a Plan: Map your routes, research accommodations and make arrangements in case you need to evacuate.
Download the HSUS Disaster Preparedness brochure. |
"Katrina was a wake-up call," said HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle, describing the catastrophe as a watershed moment as the public witnessed the appalling circumstances of Gulf Coast animals. "When we fail to account for the needs of animals, we really cannot have a successful disaster response."
The HSUS is working to include pets in disaster planning and response activities. Last week the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act, and action on a Senate companion bill is pending. This legislation would require local and state authorities to include pets and service animals in their evacuation plans and to submit these plans to qualify for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Barbara Childs-Pair, director of the District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency, witnessed the heartbreak of Katrina first-hand, when an elderly evacuee arrived at a D.C. shelter with her two Chihuahuas. When told that she couldn't enter with her dogs, the elderly woman broke down in tears.
"This is not the time, or the place, to remove the only possessions she has and the only things she brought with her," Childs-Pair recalled telling city authorities.
For Childs-Pair, one of the most critical lessons from Katrina is that it is the government's responsibility to assist pet owners and to help them learn how to include pets in disaster plans. Her office's family preparedness guide now includes a directive for animal caregivers.
"We cannot do this alone as a government, and we cannot do this alone as pet owners. We have to work together," she said.
For the more than 65 million American households with pets, Pacelle emphasized the importance of having a disaster plan. The HSUS and three other animal protection organizations worked with the Department of Homeland Security to develop a new brochure about preparing for pets in emergencies. The brochure highlights the key steps pet owners should take to prepare themselves and their animals. Kimothy Smith, chief veterinarian at DHS, said the agency recognizes that the welfare of animals in emergency situations is a top public concern.
Pacelle urged cooperation between organizations and announced the creation of a National Animal Disaster Advisory Committee, a coalition focused on improving disaster relief for animals.
Pacelle also called on attendees not to let discussion of improvements diminish what was accomplished: "It would be great if we could solve all the problems, but for every animal you save, it's a 100 percent victory for that animal. Remember that one, and let that drive you forward."
