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by @winecountrydog Tilin Corgi
Wot did you doo durin' summer 2014 vacay? Hopin' you had bestest fresh og noms and good walkies!
When ourselves doo travel any pawlaces, Mumsy does pack emergency Go-Bags for all of us. . . . Ani Meezer maows: "Would you like to see my Hissaster Purrep Kitty Pack? MOL." . . . Mum sez: "Yes, Meezer, everybuddy should see your Purrep Pack. Please post pics someday soon."
Ourselves not travel often or furry far this summer. In summer 2013 da wildfire smokes got us many times. Nobuddy wanting to run into wildfires and smokes again.
In summer 2014, da wildland fires in Nor Cal forests and wilderness areas have been widespread and intense. Mum keepin' watchful and sometimes teary eyes on da fires. . . .Mum sez: "I try not to dwell on the suffering of animals and people caught up in this intense period of Western wildfires. But it's not easy to ignore the suffering, especially that of wildlife in the Siskiyous and Cascades."
You doo know summer 2014 is my ancient woofself's 17th summer? Mum did think mywoofself might not be up for big travels. Mum has da concerns bout my stamina effurr since myself's peeky OTRB in Feb 2014. But myself dooin' fine. Fooled you! BOL!!
Ani Meezer did make wee vacay at Jonny Cat clay quarry. Meezer maows: "Liked tour of giant litter boxes. MOL."
Mywoofself watched local campers tryin' to pitch tent. . . . Howl. Tis not MY craft beer. Methinks Mumsy set myself up to look like a doggeh lush. BOL
Furbro Jackie Nippers also watched campers strugglin' to pitch tent. Hiswoofself asked "Is that a pup tent?" . . . OMD BOL! Myself did snort.
Ourselves did roll on grass wit big BOLs. Da campers looked o'er at ourselves as if we be mad dogs. BOL!
Barkin' at Mum for more vacay! . . . But nobuddy need 'nother "vacay day" like earthquake day on 24 August 2014. *Paw prayers* for all folks and furriends in Napa area. . . . Pawleeze make da emergency Go-Bags for pets + everybuddy, as you doo neffurr know when next disaster comin' eh.
by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi
Every September is "National Preparedness Month" in the U.S.
This is definition of basic preparedness: Being able to be on your own for at least 72 hours during/after a disaster.
Being prepared requires that each of us four-legged and two-legged family members, including finned and feathered friends, has enough supplies to either shelter-in-place or evacuate and survive for three days. And being prepared requires having a realistic evacuation plan.
In September, Mum gives our disaster Go-Bags the annual makeover and Go-Packs the semi-annual makeover. "Go-Packs" are our small packs, often just a Ziploc bag containing pet or people supplies like supplements, meds, and frozen foods. They are stored in different locations like fridge, freezer, Go-Bag, or car.
Mum does also review evacuation scenarios and make us do practice drills. Herself marked up some new maps covering Pacific coast, mountains, and valleys where we often travel these days.
Meezer did enjoy sticking her nose in Go-Bags and doing drills, taking rides in the car in her carrier.
Meezer meows that everybuddy should have a prawpurr evac carrier.
This is a prawpurr kitteh evac carrier? BOL!
Certainly not. But it makes as much sense as some of the crazzy pet preparedness info we read.
Disaster preparedness is for everybuddy -- people and pets, horses and farm animals, big cats and other wild animals who live in captivity. Yet much of the pet preparedness info is mediocre at best and sometimes even dead WRONG.
Consider this advice: A certain Southern Cal NGO tells pet owners "Know which hotels and motels along your evacuation route will accept you and your pets in an emergency. If you learn that you may need to evacuate, you should call ahead for reservations." Know ahead of time where a disaster will strike and what your evacuation route will be? Good advice for psychic pet owners eh.
Do not expect to get through on the phone to hotels or motels during a disaster, and do not count on them to hold a room. Depending on the type of disaster, a better plan could be to drive like howl out of the disaster region and then see what kind of pet accommodations are around. But if the disaster is an earthquake, you likely not going anywhere, not even leaving da house for a while. By the woof, we believe that concierges should waive no-pet policies in times of disaster.
One resource for help in making grrreat Pet Go-Bags and pet evacuation plans is your veterinarian! Remember to ask your vet for help in customizing your pet first aid kit.
Paw-notes: Mum sez, "At the very least, keep maps, cash, contact phone numbers, and cell phone chargers handy at home, in your car, and in your workplace. Encourage pet rescue organizations and animal shelters to do the same. Find time to learn local, county, and state geography, and to become familiar with main highways. As you learn more, mark-up your maps with information such as alternate evacuation routes, hospitals, county fairgrounds, veterinary ER clinics, and pet-friendly places such as Motel 6 locations. The more thought you give to preparation, the better off you'll be in an actual disaster."
Thanx woofs to @hollygomadly for tweeting the great cat pic. Someday ourselves will offer our own pet checklists and other disaster prep tips we have been compiling.
by winecountrydog
The scale of the pet evacuation and shelter efforts in the NOLA area before Hurricane Gustav dog-boggled my mind.
Lots of pets ended up in the state fairground shelter in the Shreveport area, about 340 miles northwest of New Orleans. (This is on Interstate 20, 150 miles east of Dallas – Fort Worth area in Texas.)
A local Shreveport human named Darrell Rebouche photographed the shelter pets on September 1st and uploaded the photos to flickr.com.
See all of Daddy D's great pet photos in the set "Hurricane Gustav Pet Shelter" at darebouche.
I'm glad that some of the kitties could sleep through the shelter noise and commotion.
Can you imagine the HSUS, the ASPCA, the LA SPCA, and all the other pet-helpin' organizations and individuals having to do all that movin' and shelterin' again!?
Hurricane Ike is expected to strengthen to Category 3 when it reaches the U.S. Gulf coast the end of this week. It could make landfall around east Texas, but it might hit Louisiana west of New Orleans, not far from where Gustav hit.
By pawlitico
We're relieved to hear that Gustav evacuation policy has been much more "pet-owner friendly" and pet friendly than in past disasters.
Did Hurricane Katrina and other disasters teach authorities to care for animal friends during emergencies?
"Yes, in fact, lessons learned worked," said Scotlund Haisley, Senior Director of Emergency Services for the Humane Society of the United States.
Mr. Haisley was interviewed in "Animal Evacuations" today by FOX & friends. He said there were two "massive" animal evacuations over 4 days: The evacuation of owned animals to temporary "co-located" shelters and the evacuation of existing shelter animals to other animal shelters.
At the New Orleans Evacuation Center, puppies like our buddy here were cooled down with water while waiting to be loaded on refrigerated trucks headed fur safety.
©The HSUS/Kathy MilaniPets were able to get on animal transport vehicles while their humans boarded buses so they could evacuate together and stay together, or right near each other -- this is co-located sheltering.
During Katrina, many humans didn't leave their homes because they didn't want to leave their pets behind. But this time, the co-location policy made the difference.
"There's no doubt that this step saved both human and animal lives, because many lives were taken during Katrina, because they were unwilling to evacuate without their animals, and as you know, they were told they had to."
The HSUS helped evacuate hundreds of Louisiana shelter animals, and is also assisting in the operation of a huge evacuation shelter in Shreveport, Louisiana. Pet owner/guardians are staying at the human shelter across the road and are able to provide care for their own pets.
See HSUS Emergency Services for more information.
By winecountrydog
I've been "MIA" 'cuz of readin' and compilin' info about animal rescue and evacuation before, during, and after the hurricane.
I'd planned this Labor Day to enjoy and then paw-write about Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. This has been the first weekend in months that I felt up to visiting wineries with dog-ma.
Instead, I've been pawing and twittering about pet evacuation and disaster survival. Now I'm looking at post-Gustav animal rescue efforts.
Some news made me growl. After Gustav made landfall, there were reports of abandoned dogs in the New Orleans area. Best Friends Rapid Response Team went around to houses to follow up on the reports. Many dogs weren't just left behind: They were left tied up in yards, left to suffer and die!
The team's field leader, Rich Crook, has been still compiling lists of confirmed addresses with dogs abandoned and dogs chained in the yards. Mr. Crook and a Jefferson Parish Animal Control officer go out and check on the dogs' well being, and, if need be, rescue and hold them until their guardian/owners return.
I have to ask: Do they really return the dogs to the same humans? . . . And what can rescuers do about all the abandoned pets inside evacuees' houses?
Oh howl, I won't dogress into pain and controversy. It's not gonna help right now. Besides, many compassionate humans refused to evacuate and weren't about to abandon their pets.
Oscar the dachshund, who lives in St. Bernard Parish, told roving reporters today that his human, Gerald LeBlanc, has a boogie board fur him and a life preserver jacket fur himself. They aren't going anywhere. Oscar munched on bacon as Mr. LeBlanc, whose home had been destroyed once in Katrina, explained, "I'm staying right here. I'm tired of running."
In another part of the same parish, which has been under 24-hour curfew, a human named Anthony Stipelcovich risked arrest today to make several miles-long round trips on foot. Mr. Stipelcovich used a gardening cart to ferry his dog, his seven cats, and his aquariums of hamsters and mice to his sister's house.
When sheriff's deputies came upon Mr. Stipelcovich at one point, he had to talk his way out of being arrested. He says, "I guess they were just being compassionate, being merciful. I'm glad they didn't do that. I'm saving my pets."
Woof! What a nice human.
A FEW POST-GUSTAV RESOURCES:
We need to share info and resources to help animals to find temporary shelter, to get through the next storm, to get back their proper homes, and to stay safe and fed.
Pawleeze me and I'll post what you find.
by winecountrydog
For the second day in a row, I feel compelled to re-paw a verbatim press release about New Orleans pets and the efforts of the Louisiana SPCA to rescue and shelter those in need.
This isn't just another day in busy life of animal rescue: Today is the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Today was supposed to be a day of quiet remembrance and a dedication ceremony for the Katrina Pet Memorial. Instead, it's a day when nervous eyes in the U.S. Gulf are watching the approach of Hurricane Gustav.
Gustav seems headed to New Orleans. AP News reports the chance of New Orleans getting winds of 39 mph (63 kph) or more within next five days as 50 to 60 percent. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency to lay the groundwork for federal assistance. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said he would order a mandatory city evacuation within 72 hours if/when forecasters predict a Category-3 strike — or possibly even Category-2.
PAWLEEZE READ THE INFO POSTED BY LA SPCA:
Pet Owners Should Be Prepared to Activate Their Personal Pet Evacuation Plans
NEW ORLEANS, LA (8/28/08) – The Louisiana SPCA continues with the shelter evacuation of all its animals today through Friday. The transport will take place in advance of any mandatory evacuations so that shelter personnel will be able to return to the city and be able to assist as needed. The shelter remains closed to the public until further notice [after storm].
Although the exact path of Gustav is still unknown, LA/SPCA is urging pet owners to be prepared to activate their personal evacuation plans and evacuate with their pets should a mandatory evacuation be called. "This is not a time to panic," said LA/SPCA’s Ana Zorrilla, "but a time for pet owners to do a final review of their personal evacuation plans, and be ready to evacuate if needed."
Zorrilla said that should an evacuation be called, state officials will release information on multiple pet shelters that will be established throughout the state. The pet shelters will be adjacent to human shelters and the pet owners will be required to be with and care for their pets. The list will also be made available at Red Cross Welcome Centers along all contra flow evacuation routes. When pet shelter information is released by state officials, the locations will also be made available on our website.
Zorrilla said the state will not be setting up any pet shelters in Orleans Parish. "If there are people who do not have any means of transportation or have special needs, people should bring their pets to pick-up points designated by the city, but we stress very strongly that this should be a last resort," said Zorrilla. "We don’t want the public to rely on this as their best plan of action, but rather as their very last option."
Residents can search for pet-friendly hotels by going to PetsWelcome.com or TripswithPets.com. Zorrilla suggests that residents consider boarding facilities outside of the disaster area. "Although some may be full due to this being a Labor Day Weekend, we encourage pet owners to also look at boarding facilities that are not in disaster zones as another option."
Boarding facilities and hotels will require proof of vaccinations, which should be included in every person’s pet evacuation kit. The complete pet evacuation checklist, below, is also available in a detailed brochure. The brochure is available in three languages – English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
LA/SPCA PET EVACUATION CHECKLIST:
Place the following items in a waterproof container so you’re ready to go if you need to evacuate.
Dogs and Cats- Your veterinarian’s contact name and phone number
- Copies of pet vaccination records
- Medications
- Leash
- Extra collar
- Food and water bowls
- Bottled water
- Toys
- Treats
- Paper towels
- Plastic baggies for picking up pet waste
- Muzzle, if necessary
- First aid kit
- Current photo of your pet
- 5-day supply of pet food and can with opener if you need one
- Kitty litter
- Small travel kitty litter box
Snakes
- Several pillowcases for transporting
- Water bowl
- Heating pad
Small mammals (in small carriers)
- Bedding material
- Food
- Food bowl and water bottle
Birds (in carrier with perch inside)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Photo credit: LA SPCA
