1. Florida’s Animal Disaster History
HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Florida’s Animal Disaster History
It wasn’t until Hurricane Andrew that it became obvious of the need to consider animals 8/24/92

2. 1st Major Animal Disaster
HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
1st Major Animal Disaster
Hurricane
Andrew
1992
The first major disaster with impact on animals – including domestic animals and zoos.
After Hurricane Andrew - pets not allowed in shelters
170,000 people left homeless – figure # of pets could be close to 200,000 companion animals.
Also exotics, wildlife, horses, livestock, large bird farms, for example.
Monkeys, cougars, etc.
PEOPLE WHO WROTE PLANS ASSUMED THAT ANIMALS WOULD POSE NO PROBLEM IF LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES
WORRIED ABOUT PERCEPTION THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD ACCCUSE THEM OF MISPLACED PRIORITIES (AND TAX DOLLARS)
FIGURED HUMAN/ANIMAL BOND WOULD MIRACULOUSLY DISAPPEAR IN A CRISIS SITUATION

3. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Andrew History
700,000 evacuated
80,000 housed in shelters
175,000 people homeless
25,000 homes destroyed
100,000 homes damaged
$20 billion in damages
$10 billion cleanup costs

4. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Personal Losses
Home
Job
Friends
Security
Pets

5. Forgotten Victims - Animals
HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Forgotten Victims - Animals
People told to leave pets behind
Homes blown apart – pets escape in fear
Disoriented pets wandered from home
No ID on pets
No system for animals

6. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
MASH Animal Compound
HSUS & Citizens Against Pet Overpopulation
Six weeks
Mostly volunteer workforce
Support from Army: supplies, full-time vet, tents, security

7. Animal Statistics of Compound
HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Animal Statistics of Compound
600 lost, foster or owner give-up animals
About 2,000 seen by emergency vets
Most lost pets never matched w/ owners
30 day holding period before adoptions

8. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
FL Wildfires 1998
First pet friendly shelters open in Volusia & Flagler counties
First “DART” response
State directed animal response effort
If we don’t change after a disaster we beg to do it again
After Andrew do we offer to build teams to come in and save you or do we teach you to save yourself
Teach you to fish – feed you forever

9. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Hurricane Floyd

10. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Evacuation Nightmare
Estimated 2 million people evacuated from FL, GA, SC & NC
2 hour road trips took 18 hours
Hotels & Shelters full
Not enough places for pets & large animals (horses)

11. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Floyd – “NC’s Andrew”
Give examples of disasters instructor has been involved in….
DISASTERS YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH?
Personal, community, state, or national

12. Florida’s 2004 Hurricane Season
HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Florida’s 2004 Hurricane Season

13. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Hurricane Charley
In Andrew – could live w/o a/c we still have ceiling fans – RIGHT!
No emergency rooms
Utilities, transportation, communication disrupted
Cascading effect; when one system is impacted, other elements are more likely to falter
When multiple elements fail, the effect can be crippling

14. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Hurricane Charley
Community services completely disrupted
“10 mile wide tornado”
No storm surge
Impacted along Hwy 17 corridor - Devastation across state

15. Charley - Animal Response
HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Charley - Animal Response

16. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO

17. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Hurricane Frances

18. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Frances

19. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO

20. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Hurricane Ivan

21. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO

22. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Hurricane Jeanne

23. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO

24. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Hurricane Katrina

25. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Katrina - LA
Every disaster has the potential for having an animal element, even the smallest incidents
HIT BY CARS
PUBLIC SAFETY PROBLEMS
ATTACKED BY OTHER ANIMALS
EATING AND DRINKING UNSANITARY WATER AND SPOILED FOOD
FORMING PACKS AND BECOMING PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD
FENCES HOLDING DANGEROUS ANIMALS NOW GONE.

26. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Katrina - MS

27. Animal Facilities Destroyed
HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Animal Facilities Destroyed

28. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
FL Assists MS

29. The Animal Victims of Katrina
HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
The Animal Victims of Katrina

30. Animal Issues are People Issues
HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Animal Issues are People Issues
Not question of putting animals above people
Taking care of what important to people
Human/animal bond -more important in extreme stress
Animals in disaster – not animals over people…’
We are helping people
Planning for animals intertwined w/ planning for
people if either is to be effective

31. HSUS DART July 9-11, 2004 Kansas City, MO
Questions?