The Sun Herald | 04/30/2006 | Staying with animals in Katrina was a deadly choice for some, and the hurricane left other owners seeking SHELTER FROM THE STORM: "In Jackson County, Civil Defense Director Butch Loper said, 'I don't have enough shelter for the people I have living in trailers. You think I'm going to worry about a dog or a cat?'"
Our evacuation plan this year must include finding boarding facilities near whatever city we end up in. Trying to find 'pet-friendly' hotels will take us too far out of state for evacuation to be feasible -- such as when last year's Rita brought us as far as Atlanta, Georgia.
Something as simple as a regularly updated state-wide map of boarding facilities would be a step in the right direction for most of us...
I understand that Mr. Loper feels he doesn't have time to worry about pets right now -- but he needs to understand that many of those people in trailers he's worried about ARE worried about a cat or a dog. Helping people find a safe place for their critters - can and will save many human lives in future storms.
katrina
5 comments:
I have to point out there have been times when, if forced to choose between one of my pets and some of the people I know, I most definitely would save my cats first:P Their companionship and love have brought more to my life than said other people have ever contributed to society in any manner.
And although I can understand the need to find shelter for people first, the problem of animal shelter can not be so casually cast aside.
Having said that, what else can one really expect from someone named Butch Loper, who probably harbors some secret inadequecies over having to live up to a name meaning manly walker. I wonder if he minced his steps as a child?
*hysterically laughing*
That's very good Swapna!
Instant Karma!
If I had a million dollars....I'd build the largest rescue in the world!
Luba
That's the reason I would not evacuate to any of my town's shelters, which in the past have not allowed pets.
Now they've set up a separate place for animals, about 30-40 minutes away, for the entire region. Would I leave my cats 30-40 minutes away, with strangers, in chaos? Esp. as the older cats, now passed away, needed medicine. What's the probability someone would accidentally let them out of a cage and they'd get lost. No way am I leaving them there and driving away.
So I guess it looks like if a future hurricane requires evacuation, I'll just load up my pets and drive west. From time to time as I am driving around on errands inland, I notice some spot behind a building or something, and wonder, what if I parked the car there, would we be safe...
We'd never leave any of our cats or our dog somewhere when we evacuate either. Countless animals died alone in boarding facilities during Katrina... But even worse... There's this story out of Louisiana:
http://vasavana.blogspot.com/2007/03/how-did-i-miss-this-story.html
http://vasavana.blogspot.com/2007/03/
how-did-i-miss-this-story.html
Oops.. the link truncated.
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