Fires, and floods have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes on the Central and South Coasts during the last year. In the wake of the Thomas Fire, and Southern Santa Barbara County flooding, public safety officials have been working hard to improve people’s preparedness. And, because we live in earthquake country, it’s an issue we all need to consider. But, what about the four legged members of our families?
Randy Friedman is Marketing Manager for Ventura County Animal Services. He says they were swamped during the Thomas Fire with dogs, cats, and other pets from evacuees. The main shelter in Camarillo had close to a thousand evacuated pets, while about 400 were temporarily house at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Many hotels, and motels are not pet friendly, so people had to find places to keep their pets.
Other government and non-profit agencies in the region were also swamped. The Earl Warren Showgrounds became a haven for a virtual menagerie of evacuated animals in Santa Barbara County.
Rhonda Hathaway is with the non-profit Santa Barbara Equine Assistance & Evacuation Team, formed more than two decades ago to help during major emergencies. She says whether it's a horse, goat, or dog, include your pets in your evacuation plans.
That means stocking up your home for them, just like you do for your family if you have to shelter in place after an earthquake. You should also have an evacuation kit ready for your pets, with items like a pet carrier, pet medications, and copies of their prescriptions. For larger animals like horses, you need to evacuate early, because of the time involved in moving the animals.
Hathaway says with the increased danger of flooding and debris flow threat high if we get a major storm, the team is ready to reopen its operations at the Earl Warren Showgrounds on short notice.
Friedman admits it’s hard to get people thinking about preparations, but the says the Thomas fire and debris flows made the point for many people.
