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PRESS RELEASE
Pet Owners Should Be Prepared
to Activate Their Personal Pet
Evacuation Plans
NEW ORLEANS, LA (8/28/08) – The
Louisiana SPCA continues with the
shelter evacuation of all its
animals today through Friday. The
transport will take place in advance
of any mandatory evacuations so that
shelter personnel will be able to
return to the city and be able to
assist as needed. The shelter
remains closed to the public until
further notice.
Although the exact path of Gustav is
still unknown, LA/SPCA is urging pet
owners to be prepared to activate
their personal evacuation plans and
evacuate with their pets should a
mandatory evacuation be called.
“This is not a time to panic,” said
LA/SPCA’s Ana Zorrilla, “but a time
for pet owners to do a final review
of their personal evacuation plans,
and be ready to evacuate if needed.”
Zorrilla said that should an
evacuation be called, state
officials will release information
on multiple pet shelters that will
be established throughout the state.
The pet shelters will be adjacent to
human shelters and the pet owners
will be required to be with and care
for their pets. The list will
also be made available at Red Cross
Welcome Centers along all contra
flow evacuation routes. When pet
shelter information is released by
state officials, the locations will
also be made available on our web
site.
Zorrilla said the state will not be
setting up any pet shelters in
Orleans Parish. “If there are people
who do not have any means of
transportation or have special
needs, people should bring their
pets to pick-up points designated by
the city, but we stress very
strongly that this should be a last
resort,” said Zorrilla. “We
don’t want the public to rely on
this as their best plan of action,
but rather as their very last
option.”
Residents can search for
pet-friendly hotels by going to:
www.petswelcome.com or
www.tripswithpets.com. Zorrilla
suggests that residents consider
boarding facilities outside of the
disaster area. “Although some may be
full due to this being a Labor Day
Weekend, we encourage pet owners to
also look at boarding facilities
that are not in disaster zones as
another option.” Boarding facilities
and hotels will require proof of
vaccinations, which should be
included in every person’s pet
evacuation kit. The complete pet
evacuation checklist, below, is also
available in
a detailed brochure. The
brochure is available in three
languages – English, Spanish and
Vietnamese.
LA/SPCA PET EVACUATION CHECKLIST:
Place the following items in a
waterproof container so you’re ready
to go if you need to evacuate.
Dogs and Cats
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Your veterinarian’s contact name
and phone number
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Copies of pet vaccination
records
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Medications
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Leash
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Extra collar
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Food and water bowls
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Bottled water
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Toys
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Treats
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Paper towels
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Plastic baggies for picking up
pet waste
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Muzzle, if necessary
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First aid kit
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Current photo of your pet
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5-day supply of pet food and can
with opener if you need one
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Kitty litter
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Small travel kitty litter box
Snakes
Small mammals (in small carriers)
Birds (in carrier with perch
inside)
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