Everywhere, streets, homes and businesses were flooded. Bridges had washed out. Peoplepets were being evacuated to safety. Only this wasn't New Orleans; it was New Hampshire.

Residents of the Granite State experienced their own taste of natural disaster this spring with record-breaking torrential rains and flooding. Although the event was small by comparison to Hurricane Katrina, those affected experienced the same trauma that goes hand-in-hand with any disaster. For pet owners, this trauma increases significantly when personal and community disaster plans aren't in place for their cherished companions.

News reports mentioned residents who wouldn't evacuate because of their animals, or who were worried sick because they were forced to leave a pet behind since animals weren't allowed in the human shelters. In addition, the Salem Animal Rescue League and the Concord/Merrimack County SPCA both had to evacuate their facilities in the face of rising waters.

The HSUS Northeast Regional Office began an animal damage assessment early on, contacting the state's animal shelters to see if their communities had any unmet animal needs. The Salem Animal Rescue League suffered the most severe damage when four feet of water overcame their facility. They lost major electrical appliances and most of their operational supplies. The HSUS has given $5,000 to help replace these losses. We also arranged for the transfer of animal supplies to a pet-friendly human shelter in Manchester, on behalf of the Southern New Hampshire Disaster Animal Response Team.

"This flood served as a wake-up call to the entire New England region," said NERO Director Joanne Bourbeau. "It's one thing to see these images on television, but when disaster affects you and your family personally, it brings your awareness to a whole new level."

Shortly before this event, the governors of New Hampshire and Vermont both signed into law provisions to include pets in their states' disaster planning. NERO staff will serve on committees in both states to ensure that the needs of animals and animal owners are both addressed during evacuations and within emergency shelters. It's not a matter of putting animals before people. It's a matter of ensuring that people who consider their pets to be family members are afforded the same protections we'd offer any family in the face of disaster.