NEWSROOM
Do
You Have A Disaster Plan For Your Animals?
May 30, 2006
If you have
pets or livestock, your family’s disaster plans need to
include what you’ll do with them.
"Don’t
wait until a storm, flood or other disaster threatens to think
about what you will do with pets or livestock," says LSU
AgCenter veterinarian Dr. Christine Navarre. "Make plans
early, so you can put those plans into play the minute a potential
disaster threatens.
"You
don’t want to wait until the last minute, because your options
will be even more limited then."
The basic
options to consider are whether you’ll try to take pets
with you or evacuate some or all of your livestock – or
whether you’ll leave them at home and try to provide as
much protection as possible.
"You
probably have more options with smaller pets," Navarre says.
"You generally can bring them into a safe are of the house
and keep them with you during a storm if you’re staying
at home.
"If you’re
evacuating, some motels and hotels will allow pets. You also may
find friends or relatives who would allow you to bring your pets.
But keep in mind that most shelters don’t allow pets –
although the state is working on plans for special pet shelters."
Navarre and
LSU AgCenter family development specialist Dr. Diane Sasser say
exploring your options early are the keys to success.
"Pets
are valuable members of the family to many people, and livestock
can be valuable assets to the family’s livelihood,"
Sasser says. "Knowing what you’ll do with them helps
you to set the plans in motion at the right time."
Whether staying
at home or evacuating, your pets or your livestock will need food
and water. You’ll also want to have them tagged with identifying
information – such as collars, brands, tags or microchips
– that can help you to be reunited if separated from them.
"Barns,
fences and even homes can be damaged in disasters, so your pets
may escape from the place where you left them, and there are all
sorts of similar possibilities when you take pets on the road
with you," Navarre says.
Suitable pet
carriers, leashes, halters, ropes, livestock trailers and a variety
of other supplies also are necessities if you plan to evacuate
pets or livestock.
"Think
about what you will need for your animals, and try to have it
all on hand," Navarre says.
Although it
may be impossible to evacuate all animals if you must leave, the
experts say to provide the animals with as much protection as
possible if they are left behind. In those cases, pets and livestock
require somewhat different treatment.
"We recommend
turning livestock loose in the fields rather than leaving them
in a barn, but pets turned loose to fend for themselves are likely
to become victims of exposure, starvation, predators, contaminated
food or water or accidents," Navarre says. "You also
don’t want to leave dogs tied or chained outside in a disaster
since that basically is a death sentence.
"Livestock
also should be free to move to the safest possible ground,"
she says, adding, "Just make your plans to keep them as safe
as you can."
The LSU AgCenter
experts also offer these tips:
- Evacuating
livestock is a time-consuming and difficult process. Consider
how much of your herd you may reasonably be able to move to
a safer location and how long that may take.
- If you
will have to leave your pets or livestock at home, think of
how they will be protected from floodwater and the elements
and how they will be fed during your absence. Keep in mind that
leaving pets or livestock behind, even if you try to create
a safe place for them, still could result in them being injured,
lost or killed.
- Remember,
food and water are critical to the survival of animals left
behind, those taken with you or those left in other shelters.
- In addition
to other means of identification, take a picture of yourself
and your pet together for future identification. Keep the picture
in a safe place with your other important papers.
- Don’t
forget there will be additional hazards for pets and livestock
after a storm. Some plant materials blown down in a storm can
be poisonous to animals.
For more information
on caring for pets and livestock in an emergency, visit www.lsuagcenter.com
and click the disaster-related links to publications and fact
sheets listed under "features" on that page.
<<
Back to 2006 News Page
