4 COMMUNITY ANIMAL WELFARE FOOTPRINTS
>>> Contingency planning: A guide to good practice
A family or individual often sees a pet as a key part of
that unit. For example, one study done in the United
States found that 85 percent of pet owners surveyed
regarded their pet as part of their family1
. Pet
ownership can satisfy the need for companionship,
daily routine and exercise, with many owners valuing
their pets for helping them fight depression, reduce
stress and anxiety and prevent loneliness
2. In many
cases people are unwilling, or simply refuse, to leave
their animals behind in an emergency.
Why is it so important?
Following the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina in New
Orleans in 2005, many residents refused to be evacuated
without their animals. Of non-evacuees surveyed, 44 percent
revealed that their pets were a reason for staying. It has been
reported that those who left their animals behind, thinking
they would return to them quickly, left around 600,000
animals stranded. This led to the United States Government
introducing the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards
Act 2006 (PETS), which requires local governments to consider
pets in their emergency planning process.
In the UK, although Part 1 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004
requires local authorities to make local arrangements for civil
protection, there is currently no legislation requiring local
authorities in England and Wales to consider companion and
other animals' welfare as a part of the contingency planning
process. The recent Evacuation and Shelter Guidance
published by the government in England has further
information on the legal responsibility of owners to care for
their animals. It states: "During an emergency, pet owners
have a legal obligation to care for their animals and should be
reminded of this, especially if they decide to self-evacuate or
choose not to leave. Only in the most extreme circumstances
is it realistic to expect evacuees to leave their pets behind, and
communication, transport and shelter plans should bear this
in mind." The publication has additional guidance specific
for farm livestock, zoo animals and wild animals in
travelling circuses.
The need to consider animals as part of the planning process
has been highlighted by a number of recent events. The floods
at the beginning of 2014 have been described as the worst in a
generation. The RSPCA has specially trained Defra category C
water rescue teams. During the floods, 15 percent of the
RSPCA's inspectorate was deployed, around the clock, in the
emergency response teams that assisted people and animals.
Between 1 January and 14 February 2014, the Society provided
assistance to 741 animals, delivered food and supplies to
people who would not leave their homes without their pets
and worked as part of multi-agency rescue teams.
However, despite the help given to people and their animals,
it was clear there were a number of issues that prevented
more effective assurance of animal welfare, especially for
those animals that had been evacuated to rest centres with
their owners. There are important lessons to be learned from
this experience, most notably that provision should be made
for emergency cover inside rest centres for animals being
evacuated with their human companions. Animals' welfare
can remain at risk if they do not have safe shelter as well as
their owners, and some owners will not leave their pets
outside if they perceive a risk. Whilst the RSPCA are able to
assist with the rescue, we are simply not able to provide
boarding during these situations, therefore ensuring good
animal welfare can help public safety and reducing the risk
of public disorder.
A CONTINGENCY PLANNING POLICY
1 Cohen, S. P. (2002). Can pets function as family members? Western Journal of Nursing Research, 24, 621-638
2
The Pet Care Trust (2003). Pets are good for you... A report into the benefits of pet ownership.
3
Fritz Institute (2006). Hurricane Katrina: Perceptions of the affected.
4
HM Government (2014). Evacuation and shelter guidance, non-statutory guidance to complement emergency preparedness and emergency response and recovery.
RSPCA