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Guidelines
for the Development of a Local Animal Care Plan (LACP) in
Emergencies, Disasters and Evacuations I.
Introduction A. Purpose. These guidelines address small and large scale emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To ensure successful implementation of these guidelines, effective and timely planning activities are essential. This may include a series of meetings with representatives of groups and with individuals who are legislated and/or qualified to provide resources and expertise for the care of animals in disasters and evacuations. The persons who represent these groups form the Animal Care Committee (ACC). The goal of the Animal Care Committee should be to develop a program that caters to the needs of animals and their owners in emergencies, disasters, and evacuations. B. Applicability. These guidelines are intended to encourage planning for the care of animals during disasters in communities and to encourage participation and support for these efforts. These guidelines should be implemented whenever there is a need to access resources that can provide care for animals and their owners in emergencies, disasters, and evacuations. C.
Responsibilities Responsibilities of animal owners To provide an appropriate standard of care for their animals at all times, including during emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To ensure that their animals are not a threat to public health. To ensure that their animals do not harm other persons’ property, including animals, and limit the spread of contagious disease to other animals. Most owners affected by disasters or having to evacuate take their animals stay with friends and family. This self-reliant behavior should be encouraged at all times. Responsibilities
of the local Emergency Management Agency with respect to the care of animals in
disasters and evacuations: To endorse the need for an Animal Care Committee as a resource to Emergency Management for the care of animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To advise members of the Animal Care Committee of required and desired training, such as Emergency Operations Planning, Incident Management, Volunteer Resource Management. To task the Animal Care Committee with solving problems that arise out of the need to provide care for animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To develop with the Animal Care Committee methods for liability protection and cost reimbursement for the Animal Care Committee after it has been activated by the Emergency Management Agency. To include a representative from the Animal Care Committee in the Local Emergency Preparedness Committee (LEPC), or other appropriate committees. Responsibilities
of Department of Animal Control To ensure that public safety is not endangered by (stray) animals. To capture stray animals. To provide temporary housing of animals which owner’s cannot be identified. To offer adoption of animals that have been housed for a statutory limit of time. To euthanize and dispose of animals which cannot be adopted for any reason, including injuries, disease, inappropriate behavior, or other undesirable traits. Responsibilities
of the Animal Care Committee with respect to the care of animals in disasters
and evacuations To be the principal resource to Emergency Management to provide care of animals affected by emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To familiarize its members with the local emergency operations procedures. To become trained according to the requirements of the Emergency Management Agency. To identify legislated and/or qualified groups or persons who will care for animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To identify resources in the community that are needed to adequately plan and respond to the needs of animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations, such as housing. To coordinate legislated and/or qualified groups and persons to plan for and respond to the care of animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To maintain a current list of committee members and community resources that support planning and operations for the care of animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To care for animals which are accompanied by their owners in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To refer the care of stray animals, i.e., animals which are not accompanied by their owner at the time the animal is found or help is sought, to the County or Municipal Department of Animal Control in which the animal was found. To develop with Emergency Management methods for liability protection and resource funding. To attend Local Emergency Management Planning Committee (LEPC) or other appropriate meetings. Responsibilities
of animal care professionals Examples of animal care professionals include: veterinarians, veterinary technicians, breeders, boarders. To provide care for injured and diseased animals in a capacity with which the animal care professional is qualified. Animal care professionals enter into service contracts with animal owners for the care of animals. These contractual agreements are usually based on a fee for service. Often, in disasters, animal care professionals will provide pro bono service, but it should never be assumed that this will be the case. Responsibilities
of the US Department of Agriculture To enforce the animal welfare act. To license commercial animal boarding, grooming, and breeding facilities. To ensure that certain reportable diseases are contained and/or eradicated. Cooperative Extension Service is part of USDA and there are County Extension Agents in every county in the US. Extension educators provide information on animal husbandry, health care, and nutrition. Responsibilities
of the State Veterinarian To monitor animal health in the state. To ensure that certain reportable diseases are contained and/or eradicated. To define the types of livestock for that state (see Section VII: Definitions and Acronyms). To fulfill other state functions related to animal health. The Office of the State Veterinarian is usually located in the State Department of Agriculture or its equivalent (the State Department of Agriculture is distinct from the USDA). Responsibilities
of Department of Health To ensure that public facilities meet local and state health codes. Public facilities include shelters, hotels, restaurants, and community centers. These public facilities must meet specific guidelines set forth by the Department of Health. These Public Health guidelines describe the conditions under which animals are permitted into public facilities. Depending on the jurisdiction of the Department of Health it can enforce state, county or municipal ordinances. Most State Departments of Health employ a veterinarian to deal with Veterinary Public Health issues. This responsibility should include public health aspects of animal care in disasters. Responsibilities
of the Department of Natural Resources To manage all aspects of care of native wildlife (dead and alive). To certify and license wildlife rehabilitators. Responsibilities
of “other” groups and persons that provide animal care Examples of “other” animal care groups include: humane societies, breed (rescue) groups (usually for dogs, cats, horses), producer (livestock, poultry) associations, and (national) emergency animal response programs. Many of these “other” groups provide charitable services for animals. Because many “other” groups do not have jurisdiction over stray animals, in most cases “other” groups deal with owned animals. Any care provided to stray animals must be provided with prior agreement of Animal Control or the group/person who has the mandate to deal with stray animals. The services provided by “other” groups should be specified in advance. Although the services rendered to owners by “other” groups are often without cost to the owner, the arrangement between owners and “other” groups is usually based on a verbal or written expectations, equivalent to a contract. Therefore, when owners choose the services of these “other” groups, they should do so with an understanding of these contractual arrangements. Responsibilities
of the American Red Cross with respect to the care of animals in disasters and
evacuations To keep a current list of members of the Animal Care Committee who can be called upon to provide care for animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. To refer all calls and care of animals to the Animal Care Committee. The American Red Cross does not manage or take on a formal leadership role for the care of animals. D.
Assumptions 1. The Animal Care Committee consists of persons who are either legislated and/or qualified at all times, including during disasters, to provide professional care for animals in the local community. 2. The members of the Animal Care Committee perform functions for the Animal Care Committee that are similar to functions they perform as part of their regular work. 3. The members of the Animal Care Committee will work with all other groups or persons in the community to provide optimal care for animals and their owners in disasters and evacuations. 4. The Animal Care Committee will determine the need for out-of-area and out-of-state groups and persons to supplement existing community (local) resources and expertise to care for animals and their owners. 5. Out-of-area and out-of-state groups and persons providing resource and expertise to care for animals and their owners will do so under the supervision and with prior arrangement with the Animal Care Committee. II.
Pre-Disaster Responsibilities A.
Develop an Emergency Operations Plan. 1. Establish an Animal Care Committee (Attachment 1) and a Committee Chair and Secretary. 2. Meet with representatives of the local Emergency Management Agency and gather support to develop an Animal Care plan that is integrated with the local Emergency Operations Plan. 3. Establish the following committee functions: Animal Care Supervisor (ACS), Animal Care Volunteer Coordinator (ACVC), Animal Care Public Affairs Officer (ACPAO), and others as specified by the local Emergency Management Agency or the Animal Care Committee. 4. Provide contact information for all appropriate groups that may need to contact/activate the Animal Care Committee (Attachment 2). 5. Prepare flow diagrams for contacting the appropriate groups or persons for animal related needs that arise in disasters and evacuations (Attachment 3). 6. Develop and disseminate public education materials on the care of animal in emergencies, disasters and evacuations that emphasize and encourage self-reliance among owners. 7. Establish a method to manage donations for the functions of the Animal Care Committee. B. Assess Response Capability. 1. Identify susceptible animal owning populations in the local community (Attachment 4) 2.
Compile a
list of potential needs for each type of animal population. 3. Meet with local vendors to identify which ones would be willing to supply cages, food and accessories for animals brought in by shelter occupants. 4. Meet with local schools, churches, and other groups that can offer facilities in which to establish public shelters and to determine which facilities are suitable for the housing of animals accompanied by their owners. 5. Classify shelters according to whether they shelter people only, shelter people and house animals, or house animals only (Attachment 5). 6. Identify other suitable facilities in which to house animals. This may include facilities also used to shelter people, portable housing, such as trailers, or arrangements with a tent and awning company. 7.
Determine
how resources, such as housing, cages, food and accessories, in the community
can be sustained (Attachments 6 - 13). C.
Shelter Capability. There are seven primary functional areas which must be considered when assessing facility capability to house animals. These are: supervision, animal restraint, veterinary care, costs, animal relief, owner communications, and mental health services. Details of these functional areas are described in Attachment 14: Operating Pet Housing D.
Training. The members of the Animal Care Committee should: 1. Be trained in coordination and control according to the needs identified by the local Emergency Management Agency. 2. Participate in basic training offered by the Red Cross, such as Disaster Services, Shelter Operations, CPR, and First Aid. 3. Test the Emergency Operations Plan of the Animal Care Committee operations, with an emphasis on how groups activate the Animal Care Committee and mobilize resources needed to complete its mission. 4. Encourage public participation in exercises that address the problems, needs, tasks and resources necessary to care for animals and their owners in emergencies, disasters, and evacuations. E.
Preparedness Activities with Local Government. The Animal Care Committee should: 1. Strive to play an active role. 2. Establish an agreement with local government agencies, such as emergency management, fire department and law enforcement to clarify and determine the roles of the Animal Care Committee in the care of animals affected by emergencies, disasters, and evacuations. 3. Meet with local representatives of the Department of Animal Control on a regular basis to discuss the referral of stray animals to the Department of Animal Control during emergencies, disasters, and evacuations. 4. Meet with Local Department of Health to review standards of public health in shelter facilities. F.
Preparedness Activities with Local Animal Care Businesses, Associations and
Organizations. Meet with local veterinarians, humane society directors, owners of animal boarding and grooming facilities, pet stores, representatives of American Kennel Club and Cat Fancier Associations and other dog and cat breeding or show organizations, and livestock and horse owner groups to: a) Encourage these groups to play an active role in the Animal Care Committee. b) Develop and disseminate public information on the care of animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuation that emphasizes and encourages self-reliance among owners. c)
Encourage
local animal care businesses, associations and organizations to play an active
role in disaster preparedness exercises. Meet
with community-based shelter owners and operators to clarify how animals and
their owners will be cared for in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. Meet
with mental health groups and determine the appropriate integration of their
resources in the care of animal owners in emergencies, disasters and
evacuations. G. Preparedness Activities with State Government. 1) Identify the following persons/offices and how to contact them: state veterinarian, USDA representative, Department of Natural Resources. 2) Identify the following persons/offices and how to contact them: representatives of the State Veterinarian’s Office and US Department of Agriculture to discuss the handling of animal welfare and notifiable animal disease issues. III.
Response activities A.
Scenarios 1. Typical
scenarios. The
following scenarios are examples which the Animal Care Committee maybe
activated. a) Large animal emergencies A livestock or horse trailer overturns on the Interstate. b)
Large animal disasters Large scale flooding or barn fire, with displacement of livestock, poultry or horses. c)
Small animal emergencies Individual house fire; hospitalization of a the primary care provider or head of household; auto wrecks where the driver has to be sent to hospital and a pet needs to taken care of; domestic disturbances, that may involve pets. In each case animals may require temporary housing. d)
Small animal disasters Fires in apartment complexes, floods, tornadoes, evacuations from hurricane or hazardous materials spills. 2.
Deployment areas. There are three primary assignment
settings where Animal Care Committee members would be deployed following an
emergency, a disaster or an evacuation. These are: the site affected by an
emergency or disaster and the are being evacuated, shelter facilities, and the
local Emergency Operations Center. a.
Disaster site or evacuation area. This is the
site where a disaster or from where an evacuation has occurred. The priority
focus of Animal Care Committee activities at the disaster site is to direct
people with animals to an appropriate location away from the evacuation area.
Most animals from the disaster site or evacuation area will be accompanied by
their owners. These owners should be advised to seek accommodation for
themselves and their animals with friends or family or to seek temporary rental
accommodation, such as hotels and motels. If owners do not have these resources
available to them they can be referred to the shelter facility. Animals that are
not accompanied by their owners or designated care providers are stray should be
referred to Animal Control. Records of all animal (owned and stray) referrals
should be established and maintained, and summary information should be sent to
the Animal Care Liaison in the Emergency Operations Center. b.
Shelter facilities (see Attachment 14). If
animals are housed in the same building as people, the facility is called a
“Public Shelter” or a “Pet-friendly Shelter”. A “Red Cross Shelter”
is where humans only are sheltered and is operated by the American Red
Cross. A facility that houses animals only is an “Emergency Animal Housing
Facility”. i)
Alternative
housing for pets than a public shelter or Emergency Animal Housing Facility
should be identified in the community. Examples include humane (animal)
shelters, veterinary practices, boarding and grooming facilities, dog and cat
breeding facilities, and county fairgrounds. Only once alternative housing for
pets has been exhausted should a public shelter or Emergency Animal Housing
Facility accept pets. ii)
Public
shelters must meet public health regulations and shelter operator guidelines.
Specific public health requirements that need to be met should be discussed with
the local Department of Health official. iii)
The owner
of a shelter should agree to admitting pets to the shelter before the facility
is needed. These agreements should be made in writing and before a facility is
needed to shelter people and house pets. Examples of suitable animal housing
areas within churches and schools include: basements, laundry rooms, and
garages. iv)
Animals
that are not accompanied by their owners (stray pets) fall under the
jurisdiction of the Department of Animal Control where the animal was found. The
Department of Animal Control will determine how to deal with animals that are
not accompanied by their owners (stray animals). The care of stray animals
should not be referred to groups or persons without jurisdiction in that local
community for stray animals. v)
A
licensed professional animal health care provider (veterinarian, humane shelter
or Animal Control supervisor, or veterinary technician) should supervise the
housing of pets at shelter facilities. This person is the Animal Care Supervisor
(ACS). Persons who meet the requirements for this position should be identified
as part of planning for the care of animals in disasters. vi)
The
potential for housing pets at a shelter facility should not be publicized,
rather it should be used as an option for animal owners who need this type of
animal housing, because an owner is not able to be self-reliant and has no other
alternatives. 3.
Local Government Emergency Operations Center (EOC). An Animal Care Committee liaison should be assigned
to the local EOC to ensure integration of activities. Staff should be assigned
to the operating hours of the EOC. The Animal Care Committee liaison receives
summary information from field disaster and evacuation sites and using these
data can advise the EOC on community programs that have been established to
provide care for animals. B. Concept of Operations1. Alert notification. Initial notification of any disaster or evacuation involving animals may come from various sources, including: Rescue
workers dealing with a livestock or horse trailer wreck may request the services
of the Animal Care Committee. The
public may contact any number of agencies (emergency management, police, fire)
and groups (American Red Cross) directly. In each case these agencies and groups
should refer all calls relating to animal care to the Animal Care Committee. 2.
Internal Notification Procedures. (Note:
Emergency management, law enforcement, fire departments and the Red Cross
generally need a single contact phone number to be able to respond efficiently
to animal related issues. This contact should be available 24 hours a day. In
some communities this number can be located with the municipal or County
Sheriff’s Dispatch, and is the contact number for Animal Control. The needs of
the caller should be identified and referred to the appropriate community
resource that can assess the needs.) To activate the Animal Care Committee
the following phone numbers should be used: a.
During
work hours: (XXX) XXX-XXXX (Attachments 2 and 3) b.
After
normal working hours: (XXX) XXX-XXXX (Attachments 2 and 3) These phone numbers reach a qualified
member of the Animal Care Committee who can identify problems and needs related
to the care of animals and their scope. The initial contact person will evaluate
the request for assistance to provide care for animals and activate the initial
response. 3.
Initial Response. The initial contact person is
responsible for deciding the extent to which the Animal Care Committee should be
activated. Once the initial contact person has defined the problems and needs
for the care of animals he/she will assign tasks to each member of the committee
and initiate procurement of appropriate community resources that have been
identified in the Animal Care Committee Emergency Operations Plan. (Attachments
6 - 13). Depending on the type and size of the
incident, and location of animal housing the initial response will include
contacting the: Animal
Care Supervisor or designee Incident
Commander (usually located in emergency management, law enforcement, or fire) Animal
Care Liaison Animal
Care Volunteer Coordinator Other
Animal Care Committee members Once an initial response has been
made, the ACS or designee will coordinate the care for animals. He/she needs to
conduct an assessment of the number of persons that can be anticipated at a
shelter, the number of animals that may be accompany animals, and the resources
needed to house animals. He/she needs to confirm that animal housing areas are
available. 4.
Specific functional responsibilities include: a. Administration. The ACS will: Confirm with the shelter owner that animals can be
housed. Confirm with the shelter manager where the animals will
be housed. Go to the animal housing area permitted by the shelter
owner and ensure that access is available. Identify separate entrants and exits for people to enter
and leave the building than for animals. b. Animal care. i)
The supervision of the care of animals at a shelter facility must be
provided by professional animal care providers. These persons are members of the
Animal Care Committee. ii)
Members of the Animal Care Committee must be called to a shelter facility
to supervise all aspects of care of animals and their owners whenever a shelter
is operational. iii)
The Animal Care Committee is responsible for arranging a supply of cages,
food and accessories necessary to provide an appropriate level of care for
animals at a shelter facility. iv)
All owners who bring animals to shelters must register their animal(s)
when they register to stay at the shelter (Attachment 15) v)
Animals will only be admitted to the shelter if their owners or
designated care providers are also admitted. vi)
If an owner leaves the shelter, he/she must either take the animal with
him/her, or provide a contact address where the animal can be taken to if the
owner does not return, or sign a release form, in which the ownership of the
animal is transferred to the Department of Animal Control. vii)
Animals that are brought to the shelter by persons other than the owner
or the owner’s designee are stray animals, and must be transferred to the
Department of Animal Control as soon as possible (Attachment 16). c. Animal Fostering and Adoption. i)
Only stray animals can be fostered (temporary arrangement) or adopted
(permanent arrangement). Adoptions and foster arrangements are procedures that
must comply with the local ordinances governing the local Department of Animal
Control. ii)
Animal Care Committee members and volunteers cannot arrange for animals
to be fostered or adopted without the permission of the Department of Animal
Control. iii)
Shelter owners and operators cannot arrange for animals to be fostered or
adopted, or advise that this may be possible. This information should only be
provided by the Department of Animal Control. d. Contacts between shelter residents and animals. i)
Animals are not allowed in areas where people may eat, sleep or relax. ii)
An area where owners can spend time with their animals should be
designated and used solely for this purpose. iii)
Owners with animals should not be allowed to congregate around the main
entrance to a shelter, or where shelter occupants register. d. Liaison. i)
The ACS must maintain liaison with the shelter operator/manager. ii)
The ACS should have records that can provide all information about all
animals brought the shelter, including those that are housed there and those
that have been referred elsewhere. e.
Public Affairs. i) The Animal Care Public Affairs Officer (ACPAO) is responsible for conveying information about aspects of animal care to the public and media. The ACS should refer all questions about the care of humans to the Public Affairs Officer at the shelter. ii) The Animal Care Public Affairs Officer of the Animal Care Committee is responsible for conveying information about aspects of people cared for at a shelter facility to the public and media. The shelter management should refer all questions about the care of animals to the Animal Care Committee Public Affairs Officer. iii) Correct terminology must be used: for example, people are “sheltered”; animals are “housed”. A facility or part of a facility operated by the Red Cross and where only people stay should be referred to as a “Red Cross shelter”. A facility where people are cared for by the Red Cross, and where animals are housed should be referred to as a “public shelter” (“pet-friendly shelter”). iv) The ability of the shelter to handle animals is best not advertised to avoid the public bringing in stray animals, and because advertising pro bono housing for animals may discourage self reliance in some owners. f.
Veterinary care. i) All animal First Aid and all other veterinary care of animals must be provided by a licensed animal care provider, and with prior agreement with the animal’s owner. ii) Only minor ailments should be attended to at the shelter. For all other conditions sick animals should be referred to a veterinary practice. The owner should accompany their animal to the veterinarian. iii) In the case of injured stray animals the owner is the Department of Animal Control and must make arrangements to have the animal treated. g. Animal Care Volunteers. i) Any incident which requires recruiting volunteers and coordinating spontaneous volunteers from the community, will require an Animal Care Volunteer Coordinator (ACVC). The ACVC is responsible for creating, issuing and tracking Animal Care Volunteer identification, i.e., establishing a volunteer roster. ii) Animal Care Volunteers report to the ACVC, who in turn reports to the ACS. The ACVC and ACS will determine tasks for Animal Care Volunteers. iii) The principles of an effective Span of Control (teams of no greater than five) should be used. h. Operations Orientation. Due to the complexities of incidents involving people and animals, all members of the Animal Care Committee and Animal Care volunteers are required to attend an operational orientation when a public shelter or Emergency Animal Housing Facility is opened. This meeting will focus on: i) Identification of the shelter manager and Animal Care Supervisor (ACS). ii) The role of the ACS (animal care and assignment of duties to owners and animal care volunteers). iii) The role of the ACVC (rostering, coordination and assignment of duties by animal care volunteers). iv) The role of the ACPAO is to act as a liaison between the ACS, (human) mass care providers, and the media and public. v) The role of the shelter manager (supervision of care of human shelter residents). vi) Correct terminology for describing the shelter facility. vii) Separation of people sheltering and animal housing. viii) Identification of areas where animals are allowed, and not allowed. ix) Shift (time) assignments. x) Special concerns about particular animals and owners. xi) Other topics specified in the Animal Care Committee Emergency Operations Plan. i. Other Functions. i) The ACS is responsible for determining what other functions may be required for animal occupants at the public shelter and, if these relate to concerns for human occupants, to discuss possible solutions with the shelter manager. ii) The shelter manager is responsible for determining what other functions may be required for human shelter occupants and, if these relate to the presence of animals, to discuss possible solutions with the ACS. IV.
Stray Animals Stray animals fall under the jurisdiction of the County or municipal Department of Animal Control in which the animals are found. Although it is illegal to remove animals from that jurisdiction, most members of the public are not familiar with these laws and frequently act independently of them. If stray animals are brought to a shelter from a different jurisdiction to where they were found, the Department of Animal Control where the animal was found should be contacted and consulted on how they would prefer to handle the situation. Arrangements will be easiest if neighboring Animal Control departments have been contacted as part of the planning process. V.
Financial Authority The Animal Care Committee should seek funding support for their efforts. The Animal Care Committee should also identify suppliers of cages, food and accessories for the care of animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. In state and federal declared disasters donations should be handled via organizations recognized by the state and national Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) organizations. Veterinarians may request funding support from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, Schaumburg, IL. Vi.
Liability The liability for the care of animals in disasters and evacuations rests with the Animal Care Committee. The Animal Care Committee with the local Emergency Management Agency should determine how to insure or exempt from claims regular volunteers and spontaneous volunteers working for the Animal Care Committee.
VII. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS A.
Definitions 1. Animals: a. Pets: Any animal that lives primarily within a person’s home and at the time of contact is accompanied by its owner or designated care provider. Most pets are domestic species of animals. However, there is an increasing number of “exotic” animals being kept as pets, ranging from insects, herpetiforms (e.g., turtles, snakes, iguanas, frogs), large cats, and others. b. Stray animal: A domestic animal that, at the time of contact, is not accompanied by its owner or a designated care provider. c. Feral animals: Domestic animals that survive and reproduce in the wild and without human intervention. d. Livestock: Definitions vary by state. In most states livestock include cattle, bison, sheep, and pigs. In some states horses and cervidae (deer, elk, moose) are also considered livestock. e. Poultry: Chickens (broilers, layers), turkeys, ducks. In some states ratites (ostriches, emus) are also considered poultry. f. Native Wildlife: any free range non domesticated animal that is indigenous to North America g. Non-native Wildlife: Non domesticated animals that are not indigenous to the United States h. Service animal: Section 36.302 ( c) of the American with Disabilities Act “requires public accommodations generally to modify policies, practices and procedures to accommodate the use of service animals in places of public accommodation”. The Act defines Service Animals as: ”any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items”. 2. Animal Care Committee (ACC): a group of representatives of organizations and individuals in a community who are either mandated to or licensed and/or qualified to provide care for animals in the community. The ACC is the local planning and response group for the care of animals in emergencies, disasters, and evacuations. 3. Animal Care Supervisor (ACS): A licensed, professional animal care provider who is in charge of animal care at a shelter facility. The ACS is appointed by the Animal Care Committee. 4. Animal Care Volunteer Coordinator (ACVC): A person designated by the ACC to roster, designate assignments and coordinate volunteer activities related to the care of animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. 5. Animal Care Public Affairs Officer (ACPAO): A person designated by the ACC who acts as the liaison between the ACC operations, and the media and the public on issues related to the care of animals in emergencies, disasters and evacuations. 6. Public shelter: a temporary facility where both humans are sheltered and animals are housed. Shelters that house both people and animals are also referred to as “Pet-friendly Shelters”. 7. Red Cross Shelter: a temporary facility, operated by the American Red Cross, where humans (only) are sheltered. 8. Emergency Animal Housing Facility: a temporary facility where animals (only) are housed. 9. Sheltering: the temporary accommodation of people. 10. Housing: the temporary accommodation of animals. 11. Animal Housing Area: a distinct area in a public shelter where animals are housed. 12. Animal Fostering: the temporary allocation of an animal to a person other than the animal’s original owner. 13. Animal Adoption: the permanent allocation of an animal to a new owner. VIII.
References A. Animals in Disaster, Independent Study Course, IS-10. Module A, Awareness and Preparedness. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Washington, D.C. B. Animals in Disaster, Independent Study Course, IS-11. Module B, Community Planning. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Washington, D.C. D. Animal Management in Disasters. Sebastian Heath, Mosby, St. Louis, 1999. E. American Red Cross Disaster Services Notice #161: Animals in American Red Cross Disaster or Evacuation Shelters. ix.
Attachments Attachment 1: Members of the Animal Care Committee Attachment 2: Main telephone contact for the care of animals in emergencies, disasters, and evacuations Attachment 3: Telephone triage diagram for identifying needs and appropriate resources for the care of animals in emergencies, disasters, and evacuations Attachment 4: Methods for calculating the number of animal owning households in a community Attachment
5: Definitions related to sheltering people and housing animals. Attachment 6: List of Boarding facilities willing to assist Attachment 7: List of Veterinary practices willing to assist Attachment 8: List of Wildlife rehabilitators willing to assist Attachment 9: List of hotels and motels willing to assist Attachment 10: List of shelter facility locations Attachment 11: List of American Kennel Club members willing to assist Attachment 12: List of Cat Fancier’s Association members willing to assist Attachment 13: List of horse owners willing to board horses Attachment 14: Guidelines for operating a Pet Housing facility Attachment 15: Agreement Form for animal owners to sign upon arrival at a shelter facility Attachment 16: Registration Form for stray animals arriving at a shelter facility Attachment 17: Animal Colors and Markings
(Copies of these attachments are available upon request). |
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