Red Cross And AVMA Make First Step Towards Protecting Animals During Disasters
First responders applaud the collaboration between Red Cross and AVMA, look forward to helping AVMA and Red Cross deliver on their promise to protect animals and their owners alike during disasters.
Orinda, CA, March 30, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The American Red Cross and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) have entered into an agreement to protect animals during disasters. Under this agreement the AVMA will assist the Red Cross as a technical adviser on all animal and veterinary related aspects of disaster-response efforts.
It's estimated that during a major natural disaster, like an earthquake or wildfire, approximately 100,000 animals, pets and livestock are separated from their owners and/or lost. Many times pet owners are forced to leave their pets behind during a disaster because they haven't appropriately prepared for evacuation. Sometimes pet owners have been prepared but local or state disaster plans have not been written to accommodate for the evacuation of animals.
"Many people choose to sleep in their cars simply because they can't find a home for their pets," explains Dr. Heather Case, AVMA coordinator for emergency preparedness and response. In the San Francisco Bay Area Lamorinda DART (Disaster Animal Response Team) and Lamorinda CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) are working with local Red Cross chapters and local veterinarians to promote and set up pet-friendly shelters, a combination of a people shelter and a nearby animal shelter.
Lamorinda DART will set up and staff a temporary animal shelter. Lamorinda CERT members are training to learn how to do the same for people under the guidelines of the American Red Cross. “First responders, such as CERT or DART, set the tone for disaster response early on,” said Frans Hoffman, coordinator for Lamorinda DART.
"Our disaster responders are typically on the scene within hours. It may take others (state or federal disaster responders, the Red Cross and others) days to get to the disaster area. If we set up the right infrastructure to protect animals and their owners, the loss of human and animal life can be reduced significantly."
"For the collaboration between the Red Cross and the AVMA to have any impact at all, first responder organizations, like CERT and DART, must be trained and equipped to provide the disaster response that these two organizations seem to want to support. We are looking forward to helping these organizations deliver on the promises they made in this agreement."
About Lamorinda DART
Lamorinda DART (Disaster Animal Response Team) represents a new and exciting response to issues surrounding animals in disasters. Traditionally, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) take care of human animals only. After the passage of the PETS Act of 2006 (Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act) little has changed, even though the PETS Act requires that FEMA sponsored or subsidized entities (such as CERT) take domestic pets and their owners into account. In the absence of adequate animal disaster response many animals (and some of their owners) perish, even today.
Lamorinda DART (Disaster Animal Response Team) consists of Lamorinda CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) graduates from Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda, who have received additional animal sheltering and rescue training and are able to provide disaster response to all animals (human and others). As first responders Lamorinda DART members are in a unique position to save both human and animal lives and prevent unnecessary suffering from the moment a disaster happens.
Visit http://LamorindaDART.org/ to learn more.
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It's estimated that during a major natural disaster, like an earthquake or wildfire, approximately 100,000 animals, pets and livestock are separated from their owners and/or lost. Many times pet owners are forced to leave their pets behind during a disaster because they haven't appropriately prepared for evacuation. Sometimes pet owners have been prepared but local or state disaster plans have not been written to accommodate for the evacuation of animals.
"Many people choose to sleep in their cars simply because they can't find a home for their pets," explains Dr. Heather Case, AVMA coordinator for emergency preparedness and response. In the San Francisco Bay Area Lamorinda DART (Disaster Animal Response Team) and Lamorinda CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) are working with local Red Cross chapters and local veterinarians to promote and set up pet-friendly shelters, a combination of a people shelter and a nearby animal shelter.
Lamorinda DART will set up and staff a temporary animal shelter. Lamorinda CERT members are training to learn how to do the same for people under the guidelines of the American Red Cross. “First responders, such as CERT or DART, set the tone for disaster response early on,” said Frans Hoffman, coordinator for Lamorinda DART.
"Our disaster responders are typically on the scene within hours. It may take others (state or federal disaster responders, the Red Cross and others) days to get to the disaster area. If we set up the right infrastructure to protect animals and their owners, the loss of human and animal life can be reduced significantly."
"For the collaboration between the Red Cross and the AVMA to have any impact at all, first responder organizations, like CERT and DART, must be trained and equipped to provide the disaster response that these two organizations seem to want to support. We are looking forward to helping these organizations deliver on the promises they made in this agreement."
About Lamorinda DART
Lamorinda DART (Disaster Animal Response Team) represents a new and exciting response to issues surrounding animals in disasters. Traditionally, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) take care of human animals only. After the passage of the PETS Act of 2006 (Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act) little has changed, even though the PETS Act requires that FEMA sponsored or subsidized entities (such as CERT) take domestic pets and their owners into account. In the absence of adequate animal disaster response many animals (and some of their owners) perish, even today.
Lamorinda DART (Disaster Animal Response Team) consists of Lamorinda CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) graduates from Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda, who have received additional animal sheltering and rescue training and are able to provide disaster response to all animals (human and others). As first responders Lamorinda DART members are in a unique position to save both human and animal lives and prevent unnecessary suffering from the moment a disaster happens.
Visit http://LamorindaDART.org/ to learn more.
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Contact
Lamorinda DART
Frans Hoffman
(925) 878-1323
http://LamorindaDART.org
Frans Hoffman
(925) 878-1323
http://LamorindaDART.org
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