Animals loved,
protected
during disasters
Dept. of Agriculture shelters hundreds
of pets during Hurricane Irma
By Brandy Mai
A cat nestles in its crate at Fort Valley State University during
Hurricane Irma. The cat was part of the companion animal sheltering
program of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. THE FVSU State
Animal Facility for Emergencies (SAFE) Center was opened in 2012
to support animal evacuation efforts and is co-located with the
university veterinary program. Photo credit: Georgia Department of
Agriculture
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rom protecting the home to providing
companionship, pets are an integral
part of many families. When faced
with staying in the path of a hurricane
or abandoning their animals, many people
choose to leave themselves in harm’s way
to protect their pet. Georgia Department of
Agriculture’s companion animal sheltering
program provides a solution by sheltering
companion pets. This allows citizens to safely
evacuate while also ensuring their pets are
safe.
After Hurricane Katrina, much work
was done around the nation, including
Georgia, to prepare for the care of pets
during evacuations. These efforts included
pet care training in counties across the state
and creation of 15 pre-identified animal-
friendly shelter locations. Those county
governments agreed that during a governor’s
disaster declaration, they would open their
communities to support evacuees with pets.
Prior to that, recommendations were to leave
animals at home with three days of food
and water. This affected the lives of many
household pets, as well as the owners who
risked their lives to save them.
“We must be prepared to support these
families, especially if it means people will risk
their lives to go and retrieve their animals,”
said Venessa Sims, Director of Emergency
Management for GDA. Sims was a manager
in the animal protection section following
Hurricane Katrina and played an important
role in successfully implementing local
animal disaster planning efforts across the
state.
“This is a public safety issue,” she said.
“Our community members are important —
all of them.”
For Sharon Broady, Director of Augusta
Animal Services, this program is a great
way to help evacuees during a stressful time.
“With as much as the evacuees have to go
through to leave their homes, we want their
pets to be cared for and be the least of their
worries,” she said.
Augusta Animal Services has a partnership
with Chatham County to receive their
companion animals in the event of a
disaster. During Hurricane Irma, they had
37 companion animals in their shelter. This
number was comprised of animals from