“No animal left behind.” That phrase should ring in your ears whenever you contemplate the need to evacuate your home due to or during an impending disaster – whether natural or manmade. The “unexpected” can happen to anyone – at anytime. Fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, train derailments resulting in toxic spills, and factory or pipeline explosions, can all precipitate mandatory evacuation.

By thinking about what you would need to do, and planning ahead, you will be able to mitigate problems and provide protection and care for your entire family – including your pets. Organizing and gathering your supplies ahead of time means you won’t be caught without what you need in an emergency.

Never leave your animals behind thinking “they will be fine” until you return. You have no way of knowing when you will be able to get back to them. It could be days or weeks. Even a few hours of leaving them in harm’s way could put their lives at risk. Local authorities will not allow you back once they have ordered evacuation from an area.

Remember that many emergency shelters will not allow animals inside. However, some will let you bring them in if contained in carriers. Some animal shelters and veterinary clinics will allow temporary housing during times of emergency. Also, many motels and hotels will temporarily suspend normal policies and allow animals during disasters. But if worse comes to worse, your animals are better off with you even if they must stay in the car, than left behind with no one to look after them.

Some tips for being prepared in the event of a disaster:

• Have a backup plan in case you are not at home when evacuation is necessary. Have an agreement with a neighbor or friend who would have ready access to your animals, and discuss necessary plans of action ahead of time. Make sure they know where your evacuation kit and other needed items are stored, and if at all possible, try to get them acquainted with your animals ahead of time. Write out a detailed list of your animals’ names, behavior, needs, etc. and make several copies. Establish a meeting place outside of the likely evacuated area. Exchange phone, cell, pager numbers, etc.
• Keep on hand a list of emergency phone numbers such as veterinarian, animal shelters, and other useful numbers such as weather reports, sheriff’s dept., highway patrol, etc.
• Assemble a basic supply kit for your animals. It should include sufficient supplies for at least 72 hours for each animal. The kit should include: current ID and photos of you with your animals; a way to keep the animals confined or controlled; food and water, and the dishes to hold them; leashes, halters, etc.; sanitation items; shot records; pet first aid kit and medications; toys & familiar bedding.
• Put collars with names & contact numbers on your animals if at all possible. If they get separated from you, it may make all the difference in reuniting them with you. Multiple copies of photos for handing out would also be very helpful if you are separated from your pets.
• Blankets, warm clothing, and rain-gear for yourself are important if you must stay in your car or have no building to shelter in. Also useful is a portable radio and plenty of fresh batteries.
• Keep your pre-packed kit in a handy place and be sure everyone in the family knows where it is. (Be sure to rotate foods and meds so they don’t get old).
• Be alert to possible disasters and emergencies by keeping up with news and weather reports. Consider buying a scanner – especially if you live in rural areas prone to regular problems such as wildfires, etc.
• Decide ahead of time where you will go with your animals when you need to evacuate your home, and make sure it is out of the way of the disaster area.
• Do not wait until the last possible minute to leave. As soon as danger seems like it is coming your way, as soon as the authorities recommend leaving the area – then take your animals and emergency kits and get going. Staying put too long will, at the very least, subject you to traffic jams on the highways, and it will give you fewer options about where you can stay once you get where you are going. Sometimes, your route will be cut off sooner than expected – leaving you without escape.

These simple preparations could save your animals’ lives. Even if your home is destroyed, at least you won’t have the added heartbreak of losing your beloved pets. Every year hundreds of pets die or are lost needlessly because they have been left to fend for themselves. Don’t let this happen to your own four-legged friends.

For more information and help on this subject, as well as current status of disaster areas, see the Noah’s Wish web site at http://www.noahs-wish.org/ . This website also has an extensive list of instructions for specific animals ranging from amphibians to horses to turtles, etc.

The Noah’s Wish organization also provides emergency assistance in major disasters.

Contact them at:
P.O. Box 997 Placerville, CA 95667
Business Number: (530) 622-9313
Emergency Pagers: 877-575-0128 or 800-746-9390

Whose Turn is it?

How many times have you seen a stray animal on the road and wondered why it was there and what was going to become of it?

How many times have you thought that “someone” really should “do something” about all the half-starved, homeless cats and dogs that wander around until they perish from hunger, disease, or injury?

How often do you agonize over the number of animals that must be destroyed every year at the local shelter? These sad-eyed products of someone else’s carelessness and indifference deserve a better fate.

There are many animal shelters and many hard-working volunteers who do their best to alleviate the situation. This is good, but there is a great need for more people who will volunteer their time and energies as well.

If each one of us would be willing to spend just a couple of hours each month, the total effort would go a long way to reduce the suffering of those who are unable to help themselves.

Don’t wait for someone else to take care of the problem. Every person has something of value to contribute. Call your local shelter today and tell them you ready to do your part to improve the odds for al animals to live happy and healthy lives.

It’s getting worse. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear some stomach-turning story about animal abuse. Most of us are sickened by such reports. We ask ourselves why these things happen, and we wonder what we can do about it. The answer is simple, although it isn’t always easy – GET INVOLVED! We can begin by supporting our local animals shelters as well as well-run national animal organizations. But beyond that, if we are really going to make a difference, we must be willing to take on this responsibility as individuals.

Silence encourages wrongdoing. When we witness abuse or neglect of animals we need to speak up and put a stop to it. If it is a matter of ignorant neglect, sometimes all that is necessary is educating the persons involved, and perhaps offering help in dealing with the situation. If that fails to correct the problem, or if it is a case of deliberate cruelty or torture, then contact the local authority immediately. Do not wait. The animal is suffering, and your action might mean the difference to it between life and death. If the animal is already dead, you could be responsible for saving the life of another animal by stopping the abuser. In any case, the perpetrator must be held accountable for his actions.

Each of us has the capacity to abate the needless tormenting and suffering of animals. When we read or hear about cruelty to animals, we can take the time to share our outrage with others by writing to local newspapers and television stations, and encouraging others to do the same. If the abuse – in the name of “sport” or “games” or “entertainment” – is somehow encouraged or condoned by authorities, as it is in some states and in some other countries, we can write or call officials there to let them know that such activities are intolerable in a civilized society. We can also work to pass or strengthen laws in our own communities. And we can refuse to attend movies, rent videos, or buy books that portray mistreatment of animals as anything but wrong.

For those who might ask why we should concern ourselves with the well-being of animals, consider this – The kind of monsters who abuse animals will abuse people. Power over the powerless, be it an animal or a person, is addictive to these degenerates. This type of conduct always escalates and the more it is allowed, the more it will increase. So, beyond the obvious moral considerations regarding our stewardship over helpless creatures, the safety of human beings is at stake as well. Both adults and children who commit violence against humans almost always have a history of violence towards animals. Animal abuse is evil, and evil feeds on itself.

A society which tacitly condones mistreatment of animals by looking the other way, invites havoc upon itself. A society without pity and compassion on those who are unable to defend themselves is diminished, and its’ people are impoverished.

Cruelty to animals is generally defined as when a person knowingly or intentionally: tortures or seriously overworks an animal; fails to provide necessary food, water, care, or shelter for an animal; abandons an animal; transports or confines an animal in a cruel manner; kills, injures, or administers poison to an animal; causes one animal to fight with another; or uses a live animal as a lure. Animal cruelty convictions (depending on the state) can result in both fines and time in jail.

If you need to report an animal abuse situation, have as much information as possible, readily available when you call:

• Statement of the problem (include dates and weather conditions)
• Species of animal(s) and how many involved
• Address or directions to location of animal(s)
• Name (if known), address, phone number of alleged owner
• Name, address, phone number of witnesses
• Close-up pictures, if possible, of the animal(s) and living conditions

If someone has abused your own animal, take it to a veterinarian and obtain a written, notarized statement as to the animal’s condition, diagnosis of problem and cause, and how the problem can be corrected.

To report a case of cruelty to animals, call the local animal control or police or sheriff’s department. Also call your local animal shelter or rescue organization to see what help and advice they can offer.

It is sad but true that there are many dangers in this world for our beloved pets. It is also true that there are people who do not love animals. Instead, they abuse them or even kill them. Halloween brings out an assortment of kooks, crazies and would-be witches, who get a kick out of doing away with cats and dogs in all kinds of vicious ways.

Every year, a week or two before October 31, these individuals start stealing pets or looking for strays to use in their unspeakable acts. Although black cats are preferred, all dogs and cats, and other animals as well, are at risk.

Keep an extra close eye on your pets at this time of year and be alert to strangers in your neighborhood.

On Halloween, it is important to keep your pets indoors. Staying outside can expose them to pranks or accidents. In addition, with all the noise and confusion from trick or treating and other activities, animals can become frightened and run off. Sometimes they will follow children going from house to house and become lost.

So why take chances with the safety of your four-legged friends? Exercise good judgment and err on the side of caution during this season.

During busy and festive times of the year, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, pet owners need to be alert to the potential dangers that exist for their animals. A few precautions will prevent unnecessary grief.

• Decorations: Sharp or breakable ornaments, ribbons, yarn, angel hair, icicles, and tinsel are all very real hazards to dogs and cats, who often ingest these items when attempting to play with them. These are NOT appropriate toys.
• Tree: Pine tar from needles, sprayed on preservatives, and flocking are all poisonous – as is the water in the tree pan which animals might drink. Electrical cords and strings of lights can give a deadly shock when chewed on,. Instead of sharp “fish-hook” hangers, use green or red pipe cleaners for attaching ornaments; twist tightly and they won’t fall off. Also, be sure to secure tree from falling over onto pets.
• Plants: Poinsettias, mistletoe, and holly are very poisonous to pets. Keep them out of reach.
• Food: All that rich, fatty dressing and gravy can make your pet sick. Turkey bones can splinter and lodge in an animal’s throat or intestines. The string used while cooking the turkey is tempting and hazardous; dispose of carefully. Chocolate is poisonous to animals, and alcohol is equally fatal. Keep all these away from your pet.
• Other dangers: including lighted candles, ribbons tied around a pet’s neck, and open doors through which your pet can dash (often unnoticed) and become lost. Keep collars and I.D. on all cats and dogs in case they escape from your home or yard. When expecting guests, confine animals in a quiet room and keep door closed.

Remember, your pets will be curious and excited by all the activities, and more likely than usual to get into trouble. By taking the proper steps ahead of time, and using a little caution, you can insure that your holiday season is joyful, and not marred by needless tragedy.

To some people, fireworks are as American as apple pie. They find the sparks and pops and bangs exciting. However, what some people may find exciting and fun (since we know what is going on), is fearful and alarming to most animals. All that noise and confusion can create real chaos and terror among animals. As a result, every year during times when fireworks are commonly used (Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve, etc.), many animals are lost, injured, or even killed as a result of their reactions to the commotion.

It is very common for household pets to run away from home and become lost or hurt because they are frightened by fireworks nearby. And the danger is not only to cats and dogs. Large animals – particularly horses – also react unpredictably with sometimes disastrous results. Horses will often panic and run into fences or other obstacles. Every year there are reports of seriously injured horses and deaths of horses attributed directly to their response to the noise of fireworks.

You can prevent these needless tragedies in two ways. If you have small animals, make every effort to keep them indoors during times when fireworks are being used in the neighborhood. At the very least, keep them behind a fence and keep an eye on them.

If you have horses or other large animals, try to pasture them away from the roadway and anywhere there might be fireworks going off. Try to stay with them and keep them calm. By being near at hand, you will be able to come to their aid more quickly if they get into trouble and need attention and help.

Please consider not using fireworks at all. They are dangerous for people as well as animals. In addition to causing direct bodily injury, fire hazards are very real, and dozens of fires are started every year due to fireworks. Instead, plan on attending one of the professional fireworks displays in your area.

If you do decide to use fireworks remember they are not toys, and use caution at all times. Be aware that most cities and many counties now ban the use of fireworks by individuals and you could be subject to fines and/or imprisonment for breaking the law. If you are using fireworks even in the country, be considerate of your neighbors and their animals. Don’t use fireworks near animals or children or during high winds or dry conditions. Ideally, notify your neighbors in advance of your plans to set off any fireworks.