DEL.ICIO.USPET NEWS
Pets need an emergency kit, tooPublished on: 07/20/08
We've already had our first named hurricane of the season — Bertha — and the Atlantic hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
Then of course there are floods, fires, tornadoes and other natural and man-made disasters. Are you ready to evacuate with your pet? Georgia officials hope so. And if not, they've launched a program to educate people on what they need to do and where they can go in an emergency.
 Travis Heying / Wichita Eagle | ||
| In this 2005 photo, a dog is forced to fend for itself in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina. | ||
|
"The one thing we've learned, especially from Katrina, is if you don't make provisions for people to take their animals, people will stay in the impact zone with their animals," said Dr. Paul Williams of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
And Katrina also taught emergency officials that the old instructions to leave pets at home with three days of food isn't viable.
"Now we tell people, if at all possible, they should take their pets with them if they evacuate," Williams said.
But that takes a bit of planning. GEMA officials recommend people make up an emergency kit for their pets containing the following items:
• At least three days worth of food and water in airtight, waterproof containers.
• An extra supply of pets' medicines, as well as their medical records, kept in a waterproof container.
• A pet first aid kit.
• Two collars and leashes — with ID tags— for each pet.
• Crate or other sturdy carrier.
• A good picture of your pet, and a picture of you with your pet.
• A list of local emergency animal hospitals as well as pet-friendly hotels and shelters.
Officials with national rescue groups say people seem to have gotten the word since Katrina, but they are still leaving pets behind. During the recent Mississippi River floods, officials from the Humane Society of the United States as well as rescue personnel from Best Friends Animal Society said most of the people who had to evacuate in the face of floods took their dogs. But many still left their cats.
Scotlund Haisley, with the Humane Society, said of the 1,200 animals they rescued around Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 80 percent were cats or small animals.
Cats are considered more self-sufficient, so people still leave them, Haisley said. "But cats depend on us for their safety and food, too."
Richard Crook, with Best Friends, said he was surprised at how many people still left pets.
"It boggles my mind that people can just leave their animals when they have days of notice," Crook said.
Crook's best tip is to have pets microchipped, so if separated from their families, they have a better chance of being reunited. And he said if people are going to leave their pets in a disaster, let them go. Leaving them locked inside homes or cages can lead to awful deaths.
"We found dogs tied to the rafters of garages," he said. "People just put some plywood up there and tied them up there. But if the water went to the rooftops, those dogs were dead."
Williams said the most important thing people need to figure out is where they can evacuate to with their pets. Find out if friends or family members will allow you to bring your pets. If not, the state has a list of more than 300 pet-friendly hotels, and a list of 11 pet-friendly shelters it can open in the event of a disaster.
In fact, Williams said Georgia was the first state to have an animal evacuation and sheltering plan as part of its state Emergency Operations Plan, added in 1995. And the state Department of Agriculture recently purchased a trailer that is being outfitted with cages, bowls, leashes and everything else that would be needed to set up an emergency animal shelter quickly, said Mary Greene, director of the Georgia Department of Agriculture's animal protection division.
"Nobody's ever fully prepared for the big one, but we're hoping with training and planning we'll be able to take care of the animals of Georgia if something big happens," Greene said.
For information on preparing for disasters, go to www.ready.ga.gov, or hsus.org.
Feline wine tasting
The Marietta Wine Market is holding a tasting of Georgia wines Wednesday and Saturday to benefit Good Mews Animal Foundation. The store will provide complimentary hors d'oeuvres and wine in exchange for a donation to the no-kill Marietta cat shelter. 5-8 p.m. Wednesday and 2-4 p.m. Saturday at 18 Powder Springs St., off the square. Information: www.goodmews.org or 770-499-2287 or 770-919-1574.
Pet-centric concert
The Marshall Tucker Band, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Georgia Satellites and Jimmy Van Zant are slated to appear at the Licks N Sticks concert Saturday to raise money for North Georgia animal groups. Gates open at 11 a.m., with four local bands kicking off the show. The event includes food and crafts vendors. Chairs and blankets allowed, but no coolers or pets. At Ridge Ferry Park, 393 Riverside Parkway, Rome. Tickets are $20 in advance at local business (see www.licksnsticks.com for locations) or $30 online or at the door.
Doggie shopping
Want to take your little dog shopping, but have a few other stops you also need to make? Well if you're in the area of Razzle Dazzle Doggies in Marietta, they'll now "dog sit" your dog while you shop, have lunch or get your nails done. Co-owner Kathryn Suppe said small, well-behaved dogs are welcome to "shop" while their owners are gone. The dogs, which normally stay for about an hour, are allowed to cruise the store while waiting for their pet parent to return. Suppe said she only asks owners to make a purchase when they pick up their pooch. 1000 Whitlock Ave. Information: 770-423-0637.
PET TIP
If you're buying a pet from a breeder, ask to see where the animal was raised and how it was socialized and don't leave without copies of its medical records and registration papers if it's a purebred.
NEWS TO SHARE?
Know of pet news, events or stories? Tell Sandra Eckstein at seckstein@ajc.com or call 404-526-7260. For more pet news, go to ajcpets.com.
Vote for this story!
