1. A Presentation for Louisiana Animal Operations Louisiana Animal Emergency Planning Summit March 7, 2009 Presented by Dr. Becky Adcock & Dr. Renée Poirrier Louisiana State Animal Response Team

2.  Animals are Chattel (Property)  Federal Laws  Protection of food supply (food safety laws)  Welfare of livestock in slaughter plants ▪ Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle  Foreign Animal Disease prevention  State Laws  Disease prevention  Ownership laws  Local Ordinances  Animal ownership laws  Animal welfare  Licensing issues

3.  Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act  FEMA coordinates government efforts  Implements the National Response Framework ▪ Emergency Support Functions (ESF) missions assigned to agencies ▪ Household pets covered under ESF-6, Mass Care (FEMA coordinates, USDA supports)  PETS Act amendment (See Handouts)  Lessons from Hurricane Katrina  Definition of household pets – “A domesticated animal, such as a dog, cat, bird, rabbit, rodent or turtle, that is traditionally kept in the home for pleasure, rather than for commercial purposes, can travel in commercial carriers, and be housed in temporary facilities. Household pets do not include reptiles (except turtles), amphibians, fish, insects/arachnids, farm animals (including horses) and animals kept for racing purposes.”  Classification of Horses and Livestock in NRF  ESF-11, USDA coordinates  Nutritional support. Disease outbreak prevention  No support for evacuation and sheltering

4.  FEMA’s role in planning and response  Assistance and supplementation of local resources  A Parish/State retains jurisdictional authority  Financial reimbursement for evacuation and sheltering of household pets is through FEMA Public Assistance to jurisdictional entities (state, parish, local government)  Non-profit agencies must have a contractual agreement with these entities to be eligible for reimbursement  FEMA does not offer individual assistance for reimbursement of costs related to evacuation or sheltering of household pets  FEMA Disaster Assistance Policy for Household Pets (See Handouts)  Use of volunteer hours for matching funds  Even if no direct costs to parish assoc. with pet shelter

5.  Animals in Emergency Planning – ESF-11  GOHSEP  LA Dept. of Agriculture & Forestry is lead agency  LA Pets Act – Act 615 Requires ANNUAL submission of animal emergency plan for all parishes and animal businesses to LDAF and parish OHSEP animal shelters, humane societies, veterinary offices, boarding kennels, breeders, grooming facilities, hospitals, schools, animal testing facilities, and any other businesses or not-for-profit agencies that normally house household pets or service animals  Provides for inclusion of household pets in emergency planning and response  Definition of household pets: "household pet" shall mean any domesticated cat, dog, and other domesticated animal normally maintained on the property of the owner or person who cares for such domesticated animal

6.  State’s role in planning and response  Transportation of household pets of population needing assistance  Identification of safe sites for sheltering of household pets of population needing assistance (PNA)  Does NOT include providing evacuation or sheltering for animal businesses or organizations  Role of NGOs in response  Can provide assistance directly to animal business, organization, parish or statewide  Should have contractual agreement (MOU) and be included in written plan  *National Humane Organizations will now require that a parish or organization show proof of having an emergency plan on file with state before they will agree to assist with response

7.  Parish Code of Ordinances  Animal Ordinances (Title 14 in EBR) ▪ Designation of Authority ▪ Definition of Pets ▪ Prohibited species ▪ Leash Laws ▪ Cruelty/Abandonment ▪ Licensing

8.  Animal ownership is a responsibility  LACA website (www.lacainfo.org) animal laws page  Animals are considered property (chattel) in law  Animals should be included in a family’s personal evacuation plan  If household pet owners require evacuation assistance, their pets must be provided assistance if this does not compromise human safety  Owning horses and livestock is considered a commercial enterprise  Owners must make their own plans for evacuation and sheltering

9.  Save human lives *Evacuate and shelter people and pets together  Assuring safety of their pets saves lives of pet owners  Many people refuse to evacuate without their pets  Ensure community safety  Owners will re-enter unsafe areas to rescue pets  Animals left abandoned will form packs  Risk of human bites, rabies and other diseases  Un-confined livestock in roadways  Relieve animal suffering  Pets left behind during evacuation  Risk of injury, starvation, and death

10.  Assess your Business  Design a Plan  Practice your Plan

11.  Natural  Flood, hurricane, tornado, ice storm, wild fire, snow storm  Facility fire (most common emergency for businesses)  Manmade  Highway or transport incident (overturned tractor trailer)  Hazardous material spill (Highway or railway)  Terrorist attack  Nuclear incident  Power shortage or outage  Chemical or biological warfare

12.  Pre-event timeline  Long pre-event timeline (hurricane, flood)  Short/no advance warning (tornado, chemical spill)  Post-event timeline  Extended evacuation time (fire) ▪ Structural damage prevents return  Short evacuation time (train wreck)  Scope of Event  Global event (evacuation out of parish)  Local event (in-parish evacuation) Photo of Gustav contraflow on I-49 Courtesy, Baton Rouge Advocate

13.  Emergency Relocation of Animals  Security of Building and Personnel  Records Back-up  Re-entry and Continuity of Operations  Insurance and Legal Issues

14.  Where?  Pre-Identified evacuation locations ▪ Local evacuation site (fire) ▪ Outside the vicinity (hurricane) ▪ Partnership with other organizations/businesses  How?  Safe pre-arranged animal transportation  Secure, weather-proof animal identification ▪ Separate and identify adoptable animals ▪ Isolate and tag sick, in-heat, vicious, special needs, and legal cases  Adequate supplies ▪ Leashes, kennels ▪ Food, water, clean up supplies for duration of evacuation  When?  If you are responsible for community response during a disaster, you should relocate your animals before responding, if possible

15.  Separate water system from electrical system  Secure the building from theft and looting  Thieves will assume you have controlled substances at your facility  Multiple, unobstructed escape routes  Fire department offers free inspection  Emergency lighting  Hazardous materials inventory

16.  Regular disaster/evacuation drills  Office phone tree w/ 24 hour numbers  Pre-arranged off-site meeting place  Pre-arranged conference call capability  Review of personal disaster plans  Employee Identification Cards  Credentialing of personnel to re-enter disaster area

17.  Off-site computer back-up  Animal records  Business records  Off-site copies of important documents  Itemized inventory (on and off-site)  Digital storage

18.  GOAL: Continuity of community-based services as soon as safely possible  Assessment of Business  Facilities  Personnel  Assessment of animal care services in community  Veterinary care  Food and water supply

19.  Communications  Power Source  Generator Fuel Source  Refrigeration  Supply source  Food and water source  Cash source  5-7 day supply of food and water for animals and staff  5-7 day supply of medications for animals and staff

20.  Current, comprehensive insurance policy  Business interruption  Extra expenses (overtime, relocation)  Loss of income  Personal property  Inflation coverage  Fire, water damage  Debris removal/ Cleanup  Comprehensive structure/building replacement  Coverage of rented and leased equipment  Workman’s Comp  General and professional liability  Documentation of losses – video, photograph  Receipts for all purchases

21.  LSART Web Site  www.lsart.org www.lsart.org  LSART Training Seminars  FEMA Training Courses (ICS, NIMS)  Special Acknowledgement to AVMA for use of material from it’s disaster preparedness series, www.avma.orgwww.avma.org

22. 2008 Household Pet Emergency Response: What went right and what didn’t

23. Just how many pets are there in S. LA?  Calculate no. of pets using AVMA formula and latest census estimates:  Human Population ÷ 3 = No. of households  Households x 70% = No. of households owning pets  No. of households owning pets x 1.5 = est. no. of pets with human population  Estimate no. of humans who could require state-assisted evacuation (average ~ 10% of total population) and use formula to estimate how many pets would require state-assisted evacuation and sheltering  Designated as CTN (Critical Transportation Needs) residents  Unable to safely evacuate on their own ▪ Includes indigent, elderly, medical special needs  Actual estimate: 12.000 - 23,500 pets in 12 coastal parishes might need transportation and shelter!

24. What supplies will we need?  State of LA (LDAF)  7500 plastic transport kennels, pre-positioned at DCI  7500 wire shelter kennels, pre-positioned at warehouses near Shreveport and Alexandria  bowls, leashes, other supplies  LSART  Purchased and pre-positioned shelter kits in Shreveport, Alexandria & Monroe  Requisitioned transport and shelter forms and supplies  Purchased and distributed evacuation kits to parishes

25. How many people are needed to help? A LOT!  Shelter workers/management  10 workers/500 pets if owners are present  30 workers/500 pets if owners not  Arrived 48 hours pre-storm for set-up  National Humane Organizations (AHA, ASPCA, HSUS, IFAW, Noah’s Wish, UAN)  Filling the gaps  LA Dept. of Corrections inmates  Sheltering: kennel set-up, unloading, cleanup, maintenance  On-site shelter at DCI for special needs pets and pets in transit  Transportation: configuring and loading kennels on trucks  LSART PPP liaisons/Van drivers  24-48 hour shift, 2 days pre-storm  2 per parish minimum  LSART volunteers, LSU SVM students and LDAF Personnel

27. Who is ready and who isn’t?  Shelter management training in Shreveport & Alexandria  Coastal parish evacuation protocol trainings for ACOs  Regional evacuation, search & rescue exercises  Transportation safety exercises  Daily conference calls with animal control officers  LSART Manual

28. Evacuation Exercise in Plaquemines Parish – Pet Registration Transportation Safety Exercise at Dixon Correctional Facility with USDA Animal Care and LA/SPCA Shelter Training Course with Noah’s Wish at Pet Mega-Shelter in Alexandria

29. Last minute modifications to state pet plans made a huge impact on response success.  DOTD amended human transport contract to allow lap pets in soft carriers to travel on owner’s lap - 42% of pets qualified as lap pets  Fewer pets separated from owners during transport  Lessened the load on pet transportation assets  DSS agreed to prioritize transport of pet owners to Shreveport co- located shelters  Allowed 80% of pet owners to care for their pets  Volunteers had to provide full care for 200 pets, not 1000  USDA and FEMA came through with vans to transport special needs and exotic pets  High risk animals did not have to travel in refrigerated trucks

30. Evacuation = Registration + Transportation  Most coastal parishes used version of LSART PPP protocol to register and load pets  Standardized system – Easy to implement  Assured reliable tracking of pets from parish to shelter to parish  USDA Animal Care Teams joined LSART liaisons at PPP to monitor heat stress and loading safety  Greatly helped communication between LSART and parish officials  Transport protocol required periodic stops at vet check stations in route to shelters

31. Did the Mega-Shelters really work?  We knew where everyone was!  All pets on state transport trucks went to State Fairgrounds in Shreveport (1054)  Lap pets went to LSU-A Ag Coliseum in Alexandria (120)  Management provided by regional LSART sheltering teams (mostly veterinarians)  Six National Humane Organizations provided trained shelter workers under direction of LSART Shelter Management Teams – Teamwork!  100% of pets transported and sheltered by LSART/LDAF were returned to their home parishes

32. Not Exactly…  Communication woes (of course)  Power/computer failure at LDAF Command Post  Unable to coordinate effectively with other state agencies (transport, shelter, re-entry)  Some parishes did not have identified AEC  Way off on our numbers for CTN pets  Actual CTN pet nos. were about 10% of lowest estimates for total coastal evacuation  Why? Demographics, reluctant to use system, not informed about availability of pet transport

33.  Having resources pre-staged hastened readiness during the event  Established relationships with trusted, trained volunteer partners. Animal control officials were able to maintain control of their parishes during recovery.  Transportation safety protocols we developed are being adopted as national standard.  Standardized evacuation protocol enabled us to track pets from parish to shelter and back to home parish.

34.  Public Messaging  People don’t know their rights as pet owners  People still think pets are safer at home  Documentation and Record-Keeping  FEMA Reimbursement Policy for Pet Evacuation ▪ New policy - nobody is sure how it works (even FEMA)  Shelter statistics to enable better population est. ▪ Where are they from and how did they get to the shelter? ▪ What types of animals? How many animals? ▪ What medical care needed? Length of stay?