Make sure the pets are safe during storms

As of early Thursday afternoon, it appears Southeastern North Carolina will miss – thankfully – the worst that Hurricane Earl has to offer.

But at least minimal tropical storm force winds could effect the region, especially the further up the coastline you go. It is important that any outdoor pets are offered proper shelter during this event.

As most of you already know, I push for pets to live inside, where the creature comforts are. But I realize some pets do live outside. Still, all domestic animals should be offered a safe place during periods of extreme hot or cold weather and during storms.

We’ve softened domestic animals up quite a bit over thousands of years of domestication. So they aren’t quite as able to withstand harsh conditions – compared to their wild counterparts.

I know the regular readers of the Animal Tales column and the Cape Fear Critters blog already take great care of their pets, but you may need to offer a friendly reminder to others.

Stay save everyone. It looks like the hurricane season is just heating up. And it looks like Gaston, far to the east of Earl, is taking a similar path, if the early models are to be believed.

by Tom Grady -  Cape Fear Critters

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FEMA: Preparing For A Disaster: Planning For Pets And Livestock

Release Date: July 26, 2004
Release Number: 1526-036

MADISON, Wis. — Disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and floods don’t just affect people – they also affect pets and other animals. Planning ahead in the event of a natural disaster can protect the safety and well being of you and your pet.

Humans who refuse evacuation or re-enter evacuated areas to rescue pets that were left behind during a disaster put themselves and their pet in great danger, as well as first responders who may be needed to rescue those people. Conversely, pets that are left behind in an evacuation are put at increased risk for straying, disease and death. Residents should take steps to know their risk, learn the evacuation procedures for their area and create a plan for how their family (and pets!) would react to a natural disaster.

The consequences of not planning for animals:

• After Hurricane Floyd and related, widespread flooding, North Carolina State University rescued and kenneled 450 small animals (mostly dogs) and more than 700 were kenneled through East Carolina University. Of those rescued animals, North Carolina State reported an abandonment rate of nearly 80%.
• In the same disaster, approximately 2.9 million pets and livestock were killed.

Prevention tips: Protecting the life of your pet with planning

Create a disaster kit
Pack extra pet care and transportation items in an easy to grab kit, including:

• Extra collars, tags and leashes for all pets and extra pet food with a manual can opener if needed
• A supply of stored drinking water
• Toys or blankets the pet will find familiar
• Paper towels, plastic bags and disinfectant for waste clean-up
• Copies of your pet’s medical and vaccination records
• Extra supplies of any medications your pet is currently taking

If you need to evacuate

• Take your pets with you whenever possible (only service animals are allowed in Red Cross shelters)
• Identify “pet friendly” hotels (www.petswelcome.com).
  • Board with friends/relatives in a safe area.
  • Check with your local animal shelter.
  • Leave in plenty of time – you may not be able to take your pet at the last minute.
• Identify your pets, include your address, phone number and the phone number of a friend outside of the disaster range. Have photos for identification purposes.
• To transport your animals safely:
  • Condition your animals to being in a cage/carrying case/pen/trailer.
  • Keep animals on a strong leash/harness.
  • Take three to five days’ worth of supplies – food, water, high water-content fruits/vegetables, medication, cat litter, “comfort toys.”
  • Birds/lizards – blanket to keep cage warm/plant mister to hydrate feathers.
  • Snakes – pillowcase to transport/heating pad for warmth/water bowl to soak.
  • Pocket pets (hamsters/gerbils) – cage/bedding material/water bottles.

If you must leave your pets behind

• Leave them untied in an interior room with adequate air and no windows – such as a bathroom.
• Purchase a self-feeder in advance and leave enough food and water for at least three days. Leave faucet dripping with drain open.
• Leave favorite bed and toys.
• Place notice on front door with location and type of pets, their names and your contact phone number.
• NEVER leave animals tied up outside.

Disaster Preparedness for Livestock Owners
During a disaster, the behavior and activities of livestock can change dramatically. Advice on disaster planning and precautions is available from several sources, including the Humane Society of the United State (HSUS), your local emergency management office, animal control center and area veterinarians.

• EVACUATE LIVESTOCK WHENEVER POSSIBLE. Arrangements for evacuation, including routes and host sites, should be made in advance. Alternate routes should be mapped out in case the planned route is inaccessible. Evacuation sites should have or be able to readily obtain food, water, veterinary care, handling equipment and facilities.
• Trucks, trailers, and other vehicles suitable for transporting livestock (appropriate to the type of animal) should be available, along with experienced handlers and drivers to transport them. Whenever possible, the animals should be accustomed to these vehicles in advance so they’re less frightened and easier to move.
• If evacuation is not possible, a decision must be made whether to move large animals to available shelter or turn them outside. This decision should be determined based on the type of disaster and the soundness and location of the shelter (structure). All animals should have some form of identification that will help facilitate their return.
• Your disaster plan should include a list of emergency phone numbers for local agencies that can assist you if disaster strikes – - including your veterinarian, state veterinarian, local animal shelter, animal care and control, county extension service, local agricultural schools and the American Red Cross. These numbers should be kept with your disaster kit in a secure, but easily accessible place.

For more information on disaster planning for pets and other animals, visit the web site of The Human Society of the United States (HSUS) at www.hsus.org/ace/18730.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Monday, 26-Jul-2004 09:03:22

STOP Cutting Down Trees

It is getting serious!! 

Man’s Best Friend in Shariah’s Cruel Crosshairs

Islamic Shariah law is utterly and completely incompatible with western civilization and should remain confined the retrograde Middle East areas which embrace it, on Friday Iran outlawed all advertisements for pets, pet food, pet shops and all pet products.

Back in June, Reuters reported that a fatwa, or Islamic religious decree, had been issued in Iran denouncing pet dog and cat ownership.

This hatred for dogs is just part of Islamic Shariah law, and it will never fit in with the West.

(snip)

They hate the West. They hate Christianity. They hate Jews. They hate “infidels.” Yet here they are spreading their tentacles throughout our country, just as they have done in Europe. The children of Ishmael are now poised to erect a monster victory mosque and “cultural” center at Ground Zero.

. . . . Check out article , and # 4.

Man’s Best Friend in Shariah’s Cruel Crosshairs

In just one more example of how Islamic Shariah law is utterly and completely incompatible with western civilization and should remain confined the retrograde Middle East areas which embrace it, on Friday Iran outlawed all advertisements for pets, pet food, pet shops and all pet products.

Back in June, Reuters reported that a fatwa, or Islamic religious decree, had been issued in Iran denouncing pet dog and cat ownership. The edict was announced by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and is based on the fatwa by 86-year-old Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, who claims that people’s love for their dogs and cats may lead to “evil outcomes.” Shirazi singled out dogs in particular, declaring them to be “unclean” under Shariah law.

He denounced Iranian dog owners for “blindly imitating the West.” He said, “Many people in the West love their dogs more than their wives and children.” Oh, like how the Islamists love their wives and children so much that they use them as human shields and suicide bombers? Nothing says “I love you” like a brand-new suicide bomb vest on your teenager, or your husband’s fist hitting your face as he heads off to spend the night with one of his other wives, or your husband stoning you to death for “dishonoring” the family.

Of the declaration that dogs are unclean, Robert Spencer reporting in Jihad Watch says,

“Of course, so did the prophet of Islam: ‘Ibn Mughaffal reported: The Messenger of Allah… ordered killing of the dogs, and then said: What about them, i.e. about other dogs? And then granted concession (to keep) the dog for hunting and the dog for (the security) of the herd, and said: When the dog licks the utensil, wash it seven times, and rub it with earth the eighth time.’–Sahih Muslim 551″

Apparently dish soap is highly overrated by those of us in the West. There’s nothing like good old dirt to get the “unclean” out!

This hatred for dogs is just part of Islamic Shariah law, and it will never fit in with the West. As Robert Spencer points out, this goes back to Muhammad’s opinions. We have seen examples of this here in America, where Muslim cab drivers refuse to pick up people who have dogs with them, even service dogs for the disabled. That’s a violation of American law. It is illegal to deny access to a disabled person with a service dog. It’s not a matter of the Muslim cabbie being worried that the dog will “mess” in the cab–it’s part of his twisted Shariah law, and in the case of this elderly Islamic leader, Shirazi, the root of his disdain for dogs is his hatred for the West, which is common among Islamists.

They hate the West. They hate Christianity. They hate Jews. They hate “infidels.” Yet here they are spreading their tentacles throughout our country, just as they have done in Europe. The children of Ishmael are now poised to erect a monster victory mosque and “cultural” center at Ground Zero. If it were to be built, I wonder if dogs would be permitted inside–in the spirit of “interfaith dialogue,” of course!

I feel sorry for the Muslim people who live under this retrograde regime in Iran, and those in other Muslim-dominated countries, and I feel bad for the dogs and cats there, as well. How can you trust someone who hates dogs or cats? I don’t trust such a person or his judgment. Dogs and cats are precious creatures that bring so much joy to our lives. Yes, dogs need to be bathed, and a weekly shampoo wash and rinse does wonders for the “unclean” doggie. Cats are self-cleaning, which is quite handy. God gave us these friend animals for our happiness, and there is no earthly loyalty like what they give us. I think of all the lonely people who may count among their few friends their cat or dog.

To some, this may seem like a small issue–the banning of all things pet in Iran–but it further illustrates the diametrical difference between Shariah law and the laws and civilization of the West. They do not mix, and they cannot be made to coexist without completely undoing our Constitution and culture. We must fight against the spread of the virulent ideology of Islamic Shariah law, which is slowly creeping into our country. It’s the same Shariah law, whether it’s in Iran or the Ground Zero Mosque.

Posted on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 10:32:26 AM by scottfactor

Sources:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2580703/posts

http://scottfactor.com/conservative_blog/mans-best-friend-in-shariahs-cruel-crosshairs/