{"id":728,"date":"2018-06-06T16:00:23","date_gmt":"2018-06-06T23:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/?p=66725"},"modified":"2018-06-06T16:00:23","modified_gmt":"2018-06-06T23:00:23","slug":"include-your-pets-in-your-disaster-prep-plan-long-beachs-disaster-preparedness-department-will-help-you-do-exactly-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/pets\/include-your-pets-in-your-disaster-prep-plan-long-beachs-disaster-preparedness-department-will-help-you-do-exactly-that","title":{"rendered":"Include Your Pets in Your Disaster-Prep Plan: Long Beach&#8217;s Disaster Preparedness Department Will Help You Do Exactly That"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The list of natural disasters that Southern California could likely experience is rivaled only by the 10 Plagues in Egypt. Your household must be prepared to ride out the storm, be stable during an earthquake, and get as far away as you can from potential mudslides or landslides and flash fires.<\/p>\n<p>If your family includes one or more pets, you\u2019re going to have to do more than just grab them up in a carrier or cage and light out. They all have to eat, and they all need water, and depending on species, you\u2019ll need cage covers, litter and litter trays, or leashes. Some pets will need medications, and all must have some means of identification, including microchips. Registering them with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longbeach.gov\/acs\">Long Beach Animal Care Services<\/a> (ACS)\u00a0is also a big help for identification and return of a pet.<\/p>\n<h2>Activities Planned for the Public<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-66726 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Are-Your-Pets-Prepared-970x932.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"576\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Graphic courtesy of the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In the spirit of pet safety during any disaster, the City of Long Beach will celebrate Pet Preparedness Month throughout June with a variety of outreach and educational activities to help you incorporate all these needs into your own family\u2019s emergency plans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPets are important members of many households in Long Beach,\u201d said Reggie Harrison, Director of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longbeach.gov\/disasterpreparedness\/\">Long Beach Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications<\/a>. \u201cLike us, pets need to be ready for a disaster but rely on their owners to be prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This Thursday, June 7, the Department will engage in what they call pet-centric business canvassing. Representatives\u00a0will visit businesses that cater to animals and pass out information about pet-disaster preparedness. Information about mosquito-borne-illness prevention for pets will also be provided; one of these diseases is heartworm, which can cause illness and heart failure in dogs and cats. Heartworm in pets is transmitted by the Aedes\u00a0mosquito, an invasive species that was found for the first time in Long Beach last summer. (See \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/life\/pets\/heartworm-in-dogs-part-1-overview\/\">Heartworm in Dogs<\/a>\u201d\u00a0in the Vet Is In column in the Pets section of the <em>Long Beach Post<\/em>.)<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"RRbZW2W5QZ\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/pets\/heartworm-in-dogs-part-1-overview\">Heartworm in Dogs, Part 1: Overview<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Heartworm in Dogs, Part 1: Overview&#8221; &#8212; the Hi-lo\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/pets\/heartworm-in-dogs-part-1-overview\/embed\/#?secret=rusrF43lKg#?secret=RRbZW2W5QZ\" data-secret=\"RRbZW2W5QZ\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.launderpet.com\/\">The LaunderPet stores<\/a>,\u00a0including <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wagsgrooming.com\/\">Wags to Whiskers<\/a>,\u00a0will be happy to work with the Department of Disaster and pass along information they provide about pet safety to our customers,\u201d said Dara Samson, the company\u2019s Consulting General Manager<\/p>\n<p>Two other special events will take place the following week. On June 11, 12:30PM, a live streaming of a Department presentation, \u201cWhat Goes in Your Pet\u2019s Emergency Kit,\u201d will be accessible on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CityofLongBeachCA\/\">City of Long Beach\u2019s Facebook page<\/a>. The presentation will provide information on items to include in a pet\u2019s emergency kit, and other pet-related disaster preparedness topics will be shared. \u201cWhat Goes in Your Pet\u2019s Emergency Kit\u201d will also be rebroadcast on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longbeach.gov\/disasterpreparedness\/\">Department of Disaster Preparedness\u2019s website<\/a>; search the title to view it if you can\u2019t see it live or are not a Facebook member.<\/p>\n<p>Then on\u00a0Friday, June 15, the Department will host a Pet Preparedness Scavenger Hunt in which residents can search for free pet-preparedness items to put into their pets\u2019 emergency kits. Prize packs will be hidden around the city and can be found by following the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LBHealthDept\/\">Department of\u00a0Health\u00a0and Human Services<\/a> on social media. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longbeach.gov\/disasterpreparedness\/news\/long-beach-celebrates-pet-preparedness-month-in-june\/\">Links can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur goal is to make Long Beach a safe place for people and pets,\u201d Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said. \u201cI encourage residents to take advantage of all of the activities and information that are available during Pet Preparedness Month to ensure that our four-legged friends stay safe in the case of a disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Organizations and Entities at the Read to Step In<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-66728\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/spcaladart-416x300.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Photograph courtesy of spcaLA.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Long Beach and the surrounding area have several organizations and entities that either focus completely on pet-disaster education or provide assistance and shelter. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scart.us\/index.html\">SoCal Animal Response Team<\/a> (SCART), centered in Huntington Beach, provides resources, education, training and assistance to individuals and city entities. The <a href=\"https:\/\/spcala.com\/programs-services\/dart\/\">Disaster Animal Response Team<\/a> (DART), an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spcala.com\">spcaLA<\/a>\u00a0special program, is an elite disaster-response team established in 1993. DART has responded to fires, floods, earthquakes and other crises, including hurricanes Katrina and Harvey.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThrough our experiences responding to such disasters as local fires and hurricanes Katrina and Harvey, we learned that reunifying pets with their owners can be difficult, exacting work,\u201d reads a statement from spcaLA. \u201cIf done improperly, the chance of a lost pet being reunited can diminish. Also, animals can become ill or injured in the wake of a disaster, so it is important to maintain the health and safety by adhering to strict medical protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DART prepares for disasters through routine training and deployment of its team. In the event of a disaster in Long Beach, spcaLA will team up with Los Angeles County and our own shelter at ACS.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIdeally, we would house the animals here at the shelter as much as possible,\u201d said Ted Stevens, ACS\u2019s Director. \u201cWe do have the ability to set up small-scale and larger-scale temporary shelters at offsite locations if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Rescues Aren\u2019t Airbnb for Lost Pets\u2014They&#8217;re Team Players<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-66727\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Budimir-Jevtic-rescue-458x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Photo by Budimir Jevtic.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Long Beach is also home to many dedicated rescues, but all of them\u2014and that\u2019s not arguable\u2014are completely full of pets that they\u2019re trying to get homes for and for the most part cannot house any.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRescues can\u2019t handle more animals in the best of times, let alone a disaster!\u201d said Deborah Felin, volunteer for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.helensanderscatpaws.com\">Helen Sanders CatPAWS<\/a>. \u201cI would advise people to try to be somewhat self-sufficient, prepare ahead, and take care of found animals and their own as best they can. I would encourage people to check with rescues and shelters always if a pet is lost, as well as neighbors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But rescuers, if they\u2019re able, will help an individual to find an owner of a lost pet or a landing spot for one. Breanna Dato of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pg\/Educating-Animal-Owners-994685844000235\/reviews\/\">Educating Animal Owners<\/a>\u00a0scans for a microchip when any of her team members finds a lost pet\u2014\u201cmost of the time, they don\u2019t have one,\u201d she said\u2014and posts photos and information on lost-pet websites. ACS has <a href=\"http:\/\/www.longbeach.gov\/acs\/pets\/lost-and-found\/\">a live Twitter feed<\/a>, and Facebook also has lost pet pages, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Long-Beach562-Lost-Found-Pets-320042761443997\/\">562\/Lost and Found Pets<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/676062509119135\/\">Lakewood and Long Beach Lost and Found Pets<\/a>. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lostmydoggie.com\/\">Lost My Doggie<\/a>\u00a0is also an effective networking resource. Most rescues will use tools such as these to help reunite pets and their people under any circumstance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI definitely think that we would do everything that we could, but as Deborah said, we encourage people to take responsibility for their pets,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.littlelionfoundation.org\/\">The Little Lion Foundation\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0Claudia Marie. \u201cBe sure you have your microchip information, vet records and so on. I would encourage people to check rescues as well as shelters if they are looking for a missing pet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But first and foremost, stressed Roni Naccarato of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.zazzycats.org\/\">Zazzy Cats Kitty Rescue<\/a>, you need to have a plan for your own pets.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you can&#8217;t save your own, you can&#8217;t save others,\u201d Naccarato said. \u201cMake sure you have a plan in case you do find a pet. Know ahead of time you have a safe place to take them if you need to. Have a list of shelters and vets at the ready so you can immediately start calling for help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For more resources for and information about disaster preparedness for pet owners, see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scart.us\/Links.html\">SCART\u2019s resource page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f1f7fb; border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 15px;\">\n<h2>Points for Pet Owners<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-66732 size-large\" style=\"font-size: 1rem;\" src=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/13-PCI-Pet-Emergency-Kit-info-Graphic-970x970.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em>Graphic by PetSmart Charities.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Finally, here\u2019s a summary of tips from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petsit.com\/consider-pets-when-preparing-for-disaster-pet-sitters-international-advises\">Pet Sitters International<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Plan your response. Recognize the different types of natural and man-made disasters that can occur in your area and address them in your disaster plan.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>Update identification. Make sure your pet wears current identification at all times that includes name, rabies tag and your cell phone number, since you will be away from home. [<strong>Note: <\/strong>Be sure that all your pets are microchipped, even the ones who are prisoners of love in your homes. For all the \u201cBut my pets never go outs\u201d we hear, if they manage to do so during a quake or any disaster, this will help find them.]<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>Find a safe place for your pet to go. Research your local community resources to see which evacuation shelters may allow pets, and find pet-friendly hotel options on your evacuation route. Ask your vet or search online. [<strong>Note: <\/strong>Remember\u2014rescues and shelters aren\u2019t pet hotels. They need to be as open as possible in case of emergency.]<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li>Stock up on emergency supplies. Keep extra collars, leashes, bowls, newspapers, trash bags, cat litter, litter pans and at least a five-day supply of pet food and water on hand. Store those items, a photo of you with your pets, and important veterinary and vaccination records in a sturdy, waterproof storage container that you can carry easily. Be sure you have a pet first-aid kit as well. [<strong>Note: <\/strong>Don\u2019t forget meds, if any. Spcala recommends a two-week supply of everything and adds bowls, bedding and toys.]<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li>Get a carrier. Have a properly sized pet carrier for each pet. Carriers should be large enough for the pet to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably. Make sure that each pet crate or carrier is marked with your pet\u2019s name, your name and contact information.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol start=\"6\">\n<li>Identify a backup pet caretaker, such as your professional pet sitter or a neighbor, who can care for your pets if disaster strikes when you are away from home or if unforeseen circumstances prevent you from returning home to rescue your pets. Make sure the selected person is aware of your disaster plan and can easily locate your pets and pet disaster supplies in your home. Put this plan in writing as the caretaker may need to show proof of your permission to access your home in your absence. Include written permission to get emergency veterinary treatment for the pets in your absence. [<strong>Note: <\/strong>Be sure to include any special instructions for feeding and meds.]<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>\u201cToto did not really care whether he was in Kansas or the Land of Oz so long as Dorothy was with him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>~ <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/author\/show\/3242.L_Frank_Baum\"><em>L. Frank Baum<\/em><\/a><em>,\u00a0\u201c<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/work\/quotes\/1993810\"><em>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz<\/em><\/a><em>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The list of natural disasters that Southern California could likely experience is rivaled only by the 10 Plagues in Egypt. Your household must be prepared to ride out the storm, be stable during an earthquake, and get as far away as you can from potential mudslides or landslides and flash fires.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":66243,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[68],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets","tag-the-scratching-post","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=728"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=728"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=728"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}