26/09/2024
Nearly everyone I’ve talked to who stayed in their homes during Hurricanes Laura or Rita has told me the same thing when I’ve asked whether they’ll stay next time.
“No way. Never again.”
Howling, 100-plus-mph winds, flying and falling debris, windows breaking, limbs popping off with what sounds like a cannon shot and crashing to the ground. People have told me they hid in a closet or a bathtub and prayed as the storms blew through, even if they weren’t normally the praying kind.
Now, imagine that you could hear about 100 times better than other humans can — what sounds like a loud crash to others sounds like a sonic boom to you. Imagine that you don’t have the mental capacity to reason that the noises you’re hearing are the result of a hurricane that will blow through and end at some point — you have no idea why this noise is happening or when (or if) it will end.
Imagine that you’re not ensconced in a closet, as safe as you can be during such a situation, but you’re stuck outside — perhaps even chained to a tree or fence — in the blinding rain, being hit with flying debris, unable to walk or even stand in the brutal wind.
That’s what the pets left behind during the recent storms. And they were forced to face it without the people they love (justifiably or not) and trust (justifiably or not) to take care of them.
And, when the storm finally blows through, pets left behind have to navigate through streets littered with broken glass, nails, and other hazards.
If they’re lucky, they’re picked up by someone like Renee Sims, who along with volunteers from Compassion Kind of Florida handled the rescue and rehabilitation of animals left behind during Hurricanes Laura and Delta.
Sims puts it in simple terms: “If you feel you’d be in danger staying — if you feel you need to leave to be safe — why would you leave your pet in that situation?” she asks. “If you feel you’d be in danger, your pet is in danger, too. If you feel you need to leave, you need to take your pet with you.”
Evacuating with your pets takes some intense planning, especially if you have more than one pet. Here are some things to consider.
Decide what area you’d like to go to and check out the hotels there. Call and ask about pet policies. If possible, bypass the desk clerk and ask to speak to a manager. Explain that you’d be fleeing a hurricane and you’d plan to stay for at least a few days or perhaps up to a couple of weeks.
Check out boarding kennels in the area. While I wouldn’t leave my dogs in the boarding kennel at a vet’s office for a long period, that might be an option for you, especially if you think you’ll just stay a few days. But there are probably some nice full-service boarding facilities in the area you want to go to — there are several in the Houston area; there’s a good one in Hot Springs, Ark; and there are a few in north-central Mississippi. Do some Internet research and then call around. Most, if not all, boarding kennels would be glad to work with you on fees in the event of hurricane evacuation.
Do you have family members you visit during a hurricane evacuation? (I was lucky enough to be able to stay with family in Hot Springs during and just after Hurricane Rita.) Are they amenable to pets staying at their home? Do they have room to set up a crate or bedding area for your pets? Talk to them about what their limits would be when it comes to pets and what they’d expect if your pets come with you to stay.
If you decide to go to a shelter, most have areas set up for pet owners. Check to make sure the shelters near you provide such areas. Parish or city officials can tell you.
As you should for your human family members, assemble a hurricane kit for your pets. Include medications — enough for a couple of weeks. (Especially if you have an older dog or a dog with a medical condition, stock up on medications before hurricane season sets in.) Also, include registration papers and medical records (a boarding kennel is going to want to see shot records before boarding your pets for you). Make sure you have the number and email of your regular vet with you, as well.
Microchip all your dogs and cats. Things happen during a long road trip, and with the stress of hurricane evacuation pets can be let out of a vehicle inadvertently, and dogs can slip collars during a “potty break” or walk. With a simple scan of the chip, animal services or rescue organizations can get your pet back to you. Your vet can easily inject the chip; it’s no more complicated than a vaccination.
But a chip should be only one line of defense. Make sure your pets have collars with tags etched with your cell phone number. Make sure you have recent photos of your pets that can be used for “missing dog” posters if need be. Check out or review the steps you need to take when your dog goes missing (handing out flyers at vet clinics and shelters, etc.).
Bring along your pets’ regular drinking water. A water change can often upset a dog’s stomach — definitely not something you want during a road trip to flee a hurricane. Fill up a few gallon bottles of your dog’s regular water. When you get to your destination, as you empty the bottles, fill them with the water available where you’re staying. That way, your dog is introduced to the new water gradually and his system can adjust slowly.
Stock up on food. During hurricane season, make sure you always have a couple of extra bags on hand. Don’t make the mistake I did before Hurricane Rita came through: We thought Rita was coming ashore east of us. By the time we knew we’d have to leave, stores were closing left and right. I had just enough dog food for another day or so. I raced to Petsmart, which was locking its doors as I drove up. If it weren’t for a very understanding employee, I’d have been in deep trouble.
Even if you don’t use a crate for your pet regularly, acclimate them to staying in one for a couple of hours or so at a time. It’s safest and easiest to transport your pets in a crate in the vehicle, for one thing. For another, there will be times you need to leave a hotel room, and you certainly don’t want to leave your pets loose in a hotel room to soil carpets or chew furniture. If your pet is acclimated to a crate, he’ll have a secure and safe place to rest and snooze while you’re away.
Evacuating with pets isn’t easy, or pleasant. The alternative? Sims’ Lake Charles Pit Bull Rescue page on Facebook related just some of the horror stories of pets left behind after Laura: a dog chained to a fence, his back broken by falling debris; a mom and puppies locked in a house and left alone for 30-plus days (nursing mother dogs, by the way, require about three or four times more food than normal — this poor girl had none for days). It shouldn’t even be a decision — if the situation is too unsafe for you, it’s too unsafe for your pet.
