The Fourmile fire in Boulder Co has got me to thinking - it’s time to refresh my dog’s emergency preparedness kit. Then overnight, a fire destroys homes in Detroit. Yes, we all need to get our emergency preparedness kits together for our household pets.

Benefits of a conveniently located kit:

• All of your pets items are already together so it just takes seconds to pick it up – you have more time to kennel the pets and grab the family photos
• If you can’t get home, a neighbor or friend can easily find the supplies
• Change is stressful for pets. It helps to have their favorite foods and toys.

In addition to a kit, there are other things you can do to prepare your dog for a disaster.

Updates on the animals affected by the Fourmile fire here in Colorado:

As of this morning, Humane Society of Boulder Valley is providing temporary shelter for nearly 40 dogs, cats and small mammals displaced from their homes. Their greatest needs are  cat litter, towels, blankets and cash donations. (more…)

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Donate to or volunteer at your local animal shelter or rescue group.

Support rescues and shelters

There are city and county run shelters in almost all communities. There are also many privately run shelters. Most will do their very best to avoid euthanasia, and use it only as a last resort when they are way too crowded. Many of the private shelters are no kill shelters, and they have to work extra hard for donations to feed and shelter all the critters that come their way.

In addition to shelters, there are rescue organizations for just about any breed of dog you might be interested in. These are run by a group of people generally with a special fondness for a specific breed.  Volunteers pick up dogs (or cats) from city or overcrowded shelters, and take them to their own vet for a good check-up. From there, the dog goes to a volunteer foster family to live until a permanent placement can be made.

Contact your local shelter or rescue group to find out how you can best help. They all need volunteers who can walk, clean, or even file paperwork! If you haven’t any money to give, donate used towels or blankets, cleaning supplies, or pet dishes and leashes you no longer need.

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Tracy Reis, program manager of Animal Emergency Services, updates us on her experiences while working in Haiti in her blog posting “After the Earthquake”. While there she gave well checks and injections to companion animals in various villages.

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A photographer shared this photo with WSPA of dog and children in Haiti after the Earthquake

On Saturday, ARCH arrived in Port-au-Prince to begin assessing the situation for animals affected by the earthquakes. Today they met with Haiti’s Minister of Environment to discuss care for family livestock and rounding up street dogs to feed and vaccinate.

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Several major U.S. animal rescue organizations have united with the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH), an international coalition of professional animal welfare organizations. ARCH will be working out of a mobile veterinary clinic donated by the Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society. A team is standing by in the Dominican Republic, and will drive into Haiti once authorities have given permission.

Their efforts will provide services to animals, as well as assisting with needs of animals belonging to people displaced by the damage, providing food and water and vaccinating animals against rabies. In disaster situations, not only is the welfare of the animals at stake, but also the welfare of humans as they try to go into dangerous areas to retrieve their animals or are exposed to disease from untreated animals.

ARCH is led by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPC) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Some of the organizations who have joined ARCH include:

The United Animal Nations (UAN), which has contributed more than $30,000 to help fund the mobile clinic.

American Humane has also provided funding. Read the American Humane’s updated reports on the Haiti earthquake response.

The American Socity for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is encouraging people to donate to IFAW and WSPA if you wish to help animals in Haiti.

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