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Joint Parish Evacuation Training
Exposes Need for More Local Participation and Funding |
MuttShack News from New Orleans
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June 2007 |
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The volunteers of MuttShack Animal Rescue are no strangers
to hurricane disaster response. They were there in the
aftermath of Katrina, when hurricane evacuees were forced to
leave their pets behind, or forgo evacuation to risk their
lives at home with their pets. "MuttShackers" rescued pets
like the pug who, stranded atop his owner's refrigerator
when flood waters receded, survived for seven weeks by
eating the mold off the walls. They sprung into action when
a mother-in-law said that her family had been back to their
home to collect their "valuables," and left their German
Shepherd behind. Still alive after 71 days trapped inside
her home, that dog was Katrina's longest recorded survivor.
In the end, over 3,000 stories just like these had happy
endings thanks to MuttShack volunteers, but thousands more
were already dead when rescuers arrived.
Determined that these events would never again come to pass,
the Louisiana State Senate passed Senator Heulette "Clo"
Fontenot Pet Evacuation Senate Bill 607, which codified the
legal evacuation of pets. There are multiple groups
involved in the evacuation planning and training.
MuttShack's operates under the Department of Transportation
under the bill and is transporting the animals from the
parish pick-up points to the pre-determined temporary
shelters in the central and northern parts of the state at
the same locations as the Red Cross shelters.
We promised that this would never happen again... but we
need your help to implement the most effective plan.
Amanda
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In This Issue |
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Not Without Our Pets |
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Not Without Your Help |
Quick Links of our TV Clips
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Contact Us |
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730 Orleans Ave., 2nd Floor.
New Orleans, LA 70116
866-718-1001 |
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Gayle Burd MuttShack Transportation Partner
Evacuation Plan for Pets Tested in Orleans and
Jefferson Parish Exercise
To test their evacuation plans, the Offices of Emergency
Preparedness (OEP) for Jefferson and Orleans Parishes held
a joint drill on June 15th. The purpose of the drill was
to identify any gaps in the planning and the processing of
evacuated residents. Citizens acting as evacuees arrived
in busses, much like they will in an emergency. Many
arrived with their family pets, as the Pets Bill now
allows them to do, and were processed accordingly with
proper identification to match them up with their pets
upon arrival at the shelter.
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Overall, the drill was a
success
The parishes will now re-evaluate their plans based on
data collected at the drill, the goal being the most
effective and efficient evacuation possible in the event
of an actual emergency. "What we need now are animal
transport trucks pre-positioned in every parish, but since
there is no pre-storm funding, we rely completely on
donations to implement the plan for optimum response
time." said Amanda St. John, founder of MuttShack. "Our
goal is to have between 60 and 100 trucks pre-positioned
in the state of Louisiana," St. John added.
See More Pictures at
http://www.muttshack.org |
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Louisiana have fought for the right to evacuate with our
pets, but we need your help to get trucks and transport in
place. Can you help?
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