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Pets Get Place To Go In Disaster

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By CARL ORTH

The Suncoast News

Published: June 15, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - A new volunteer group wants to provide assistance to residents who can't bear to part with their pets during an evacuation.

The Pasco Animal Response Team is willing to help with all aspects of animal-related emergencies. It operates under the direction of Pasco County Animal Services, according to Terry Spencer, the county's staff veterinarian.

The primary mission for the summer probably will focus on setting up and staffing Pasco's first pet-friendly emergency shelter. Pine View Middle School in Land O' Lakes will have room for up to 200 cats and 100 dogs. The pet owners can stay across the street at Pine View Elementary.

When activated, PART volunteers will help cover with plastic the locker rooms in which the animals will be sheltered, Spencer explained.

Many Hours Of Work Involved

Until now, school district officials were reluctant to allow campus buildings to be used as a pet shelter. They were concerned about the health affects of dander or other allergens the dogs and cats might leave behind.

"There will be many hours of labor involved each time the pet-friendly shelter is activated," Spencer said. PART volunteers have worked with the staff of Animal Services, the middle school and the Tampa Bay Area Red Cross to develop standards for operating and cleaning up the shelter.

While PART volunteers might be most visible at the pet-friendly shelter, their mission is by no means limited to that one function. Goals include assisting with animal search and rescue operations, educating residents about the need for disaster planning for pets and aiding with mass evacuations of animals.

Classes Prepare Volunteers

Recently, PART trained 28 volunteers to help handle horses during disasters, Spencer said. Pasco County Fire Rescue employees also took part in the class, along with participants from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Other classes have included handling of small animals during emergencies, sheltering of rabbits and a mock activation drill of the pet-friendly shelter.

Training is conducted by PART members themselves online through the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the Florida State Agricultural Response Team Web site, and other training opportunities across throughout the state.

Background checks are performed on volunteers, Spencer said. Their training hours and areas of expertise are logged.

For example, a person knowledgeable in working with dogs and cats would not be asked to halter and lead a horse from a pasture. Volunteers trained to staff a pet-friendly shelter would not be expected to work in a veterinary triage tent treating injured animals after a disaster.

"This is for everyone's safety," Spencer emphasized.

To join PART or for more information, e-mail to pasco animalresponseteam @yahoo.com.

Reserve a spot at the pet-friendly shelter by filling out the online registration form at www.pascocountyfl.net/Pet PreReg.pdf.

Reporter Carl Orth can be reached at 727-815-1068 or corth@suncoastnews.com.

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