Monday, October 27, 2008 11:57 AM CDT
In a disaster, don't forget about pets
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — When a flood or other disaster strikes a home, it is not safe for the residents to remain there. If it is unsafe for the residents, it is also unsafe for their pets.
While informing people about disaster preparedness, Saturday’s Mid-America Preparedness Fair also offered this lesson on the importance of taking their four-legged friends with them if they need to evacuate from their homes.
“(Pet owners) need to make sure they have a kit ready for their pets, including food and water,” said Christina Miller, the coordinator of the fair at Eastern Illinois University’s Lantz Arena field house.
Miller said the kit should also include identification tags for the pets in case they get separated from their owners. Other items should include pet medicine and medical records, a blanket, and litter pans for cats or crate liners for dogs.
Staffers at the fair’s booths advised that kits for the pet owners themselves should include water, food, a battery-powered radio, flashlight, first-aid kit, whistle to signal for help, dust mask, moist towelettes, a wrench or pliers for turning off utilities, and local maps.
Pet owners should keep their pets close by with the help of leashes, carriers or cages, Miller said. Even well-behaved pets can bolt or become aggressive as their owners leave behind a flooded or tornado-damaged home, she said.
“Pets are traumatized just like people are. They become scared and unpredictable at times,” Miller said. “The pets’ behavior can change considerably because of the trauma they are under.”
American Red Cross and other shelters only accept service animals, Miller said. Owners will need to make other boarding arrangements with for their pets with loved ones or kennels in the event of a disaster, she said.
Local emergency managers do make provisions for dealing with pets and livestock, Miller said. The Noah’s Wish national animal welfare organization rescues and shelters animals following disasters, she added.
Charleston resident Joe Williams, who was visiting the fair, said he is mindful of pet preparedness for disasters because his family has two cats and a dog. He added that his wife, Mary Pat, is a veterinarian.
Getting their pets to a safe room in the home during a tornado watch can be challenging because they are already agitated by the stormy weather, Williams said.
Williams was accompanied by his sons, Logan, 8, and Tristan, 3. He picked up a new bicycle helmet for Tristan at the fair and coloring books about identifying potentially dangerous weather for both of them.
“This is a good thing to have here. There is a lot of good information,” Williams said, adding he wished more people would have turned out for the preparedness fair.
Miller estimated approximately 100 visitors turned out by lunchtime at the fair, which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.
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