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abandoned pets

post #1 of 13
9/24/05 at 8:40am
Thread Starter 
Is anyone else getting tired of seeing people's abandoned dogs and cats roaming the streets during or after a hurricane!!!! These people are unbelievable. I just saw a pure bred rotty running around, in he rain and wind of hurricane Rita. He looked very scared and had a collar on. I don't understand why people do that!!! It it really pissing me off. If you care about your animals, get then out of town with you, or make sure they are in a secure location before you leave, or stay with them!!
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post #2 of 13
9/24/05 at 9:58am
I agree 100%, it makes me sick to see all those abandoned pets! There is no way I would leave mine behind, even if you can not find a motel that accepts pets, just stay in your car with them! They are a part of your family, not a possession you can replace later!
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post #3 of 13
9/24/05 at 10:36am
I agree, but what happens when you are without a car and are being forced to board a bus or boat or whatever and told that you must leave the pet behind. The shelters for humans cannot accept all those pets, they are not set up for them. Most people will not leave untill it is usually too late. Look at all the traffic backups out of the Texas gulf coast from evac. There are no winners here only losers.
I am poor by Govt. Definition. I live under the poverty line. I can and do take good care of my pets but in the case of a true clamity such as a major earthquake or volcanic eruption which is the most likely here I would have a real problem especially as there usually no advance notice on quakes. Yes I have a car and 1 credit card that is usually maxxed out.
As unpalatable as this truth may be there are only so many resources and money and needs must be prioritized and yes People must come first. IMO
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post #4 of 13
9/24/05 at 12:40pm
A natural disaster can happen anywhere, at any time, to everyone! IMO, everyone should have a plan, and always be ready for the unexpected. That includes your pets! If you are not be able to take care of them in an emergency, you should not have them!
Last year, in less than 3 hours, my house had 4 feet of water in it along with over half my town. Even though I was not prepared, I managed to evacuate 6 cats, 2 large dogs, and 2 birds, along with all my furniture, food and water. It was not easy, and I'll have to admit I was hitting the tequilla bottle at 9am to control my emotions because I was losing it, but there was no way I was leaving anyone or anything behind! Now I am completely ready at all times with a plan to evacuate smoothly and efficiently.
There should not be one abandoned animal left behind because of 'Rita'! Katrina should have been a lesson to everyone! There has been plenty of time and warning with 'Rita' and if you did abandon your pet your should be charged with animal neglect and abandonment IMO!
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post #5 of 13
9/24/05 at 1:33pm
Makes you wonder how they care for their pets on a day to day basis.
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post #6 of 13
9/24/05 at 1:36pm
We too have a plan of action in case something happens. We have bins downstairs filled with supplies including water, food, cat food (good until next year), blankets, soft sided cat carriers, first aid kit and the list goes on. I live in Michigan and up here our main concern are blizzards. We also have a plan in place in case of a fire. We have a Sport Utility large enough to house my husband, son, cats, 2 snakes and hopefully me too.
I just know if I was one of those people that could not leave with my babies, I would be on my roof waiting for someone to rescue me with them. I could not leave them behind. I guess I would do down trying to save them versus living a life filled with guilt for leaving them......IMO
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post #7 of 13
9/24/05 at 11:13pm
This wasn't a natural disaster or evac but several years ago I found myself in a situation where I feared the worst outcome to an ongoing emotionally abusive family, so in a rush to get my mom and myself out of harms way I managed to pack up the cats food, litterbox, necessities and placed the cats in pet carriers. We left home and never went back. Luckily I had a credit card that got us a stay at a motel until we could figure out our next step in rebuilding a new life.

I just know that if I did not have the ability to take my cats with me I would still be in that home with an abusive father. Sounds crazy to those who don't relate but wherever I go, my cats are with me or else. They are my children and asking me to leave my children behind is just not acceptable to me. In the case of these hurricanes my heart goes out to everyone who lacked the resources to take their "pets" with them. But I also know that some of these people either underestimated the potential damage or they just didn't take their pets' lives into consideration.

The common excuse I've heard is that dogs and cats have the instinct to survive and find food/water. In many cases this may be true but it's a shallow heartless notion that I for one cannot embrace or take comfort in. I just hope that every pet who can be saved, will be. They deserve so much better than they are currently enduring.
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post #8 of 13
9/24/05 at 11:23pm
When the weather gets bad, animals get really riled up. Some of these dogs and cats more than likely bolted before the owners knew about it. Honestly, I am glad to see them running free, versus penned up in a carrier or locked in a kennel. At least running free they have a chance to survive.
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post #9 of 13
9/25/05 at 12:01am
Hissy you kind of confused me with that last statement. Better running loose alone than in a carrier with an owner? What did you mean?

I did see news footage of a dog outside, but the announcer explained that some people, because of overcrowded roads and gas shortages had not been able to get away and were still in their homes. He felt the dog belonged to some of them. He had interviewed people who had spent the night of the hurricane in their homes, and although frightened, they survived.

To tell you the truth, sometimes when people start with the the "I would never do that...." it just sounds well, lacking in sympathy for less competent or more burdened persons who can't pull off what you did.



'
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post #10 of 13
9/25/05 at 5:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hissy
When the weather gets bad, animals get really riled up. Some of these dogs and cats more than likely bolted before the owners knew about it. Honestly, I am glad to see them running free, versus penned up in a carrier or locked in a kennel. At least running free they have a chance to survive.
I was thinking that too, that some of these animals may have just taken off, especially if they were already outside when the bad weather started. When I was a kid, we had indoor/outdoor cats, and if they were outside when bad weather started, you just couldn't find them no matter what.
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post #11 of 13
9/25/05 at 5:57am
If there was any advanced warning at all, the owners should have taken responsibility for their animals.

I lived thru an emergency when a tornado hit our house without any warning (nothing on the weather channel, emergency channels or the news). The sound of the storm caused all of my cats to duck and cover under beds, etc. Knowing that I couldn't get them all into carriers and carry them thru the storm to our storm cellar (you have to go outside to access it), and the tornado on top of us, we ran to the cellar without them. Had I tried to carry them out, they would have been blown away - the winds knocked me to the ground and at that point there were boats and barns flying overhead. The carrier would have been carried with them.

I have empathy for the folks that couldn't get out of New Orleans for whatever reason, and more so for those folks that wound up on their roof when their homes flooded quickly. When a disaster hits that fast, you really have limited options.

I do not have empathy for the folks that evacuated in advance and left their animals behind. No good excuse for those people.
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post #12 of 13
9/25/05 at 12:46pm
Exactly! When someone has plenty of advanced warning that there is a hurricane coming towards them and they have 4-5 days to get out or get ready for it, and they leave their pets behind...they have no buisness having pets in the first place if they cant take care of them! In an emergency when it hits you without warning, that is the exception.
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post #13 of 13
9/25/05 at 1:24pm
I think everyone, regardless of income or situation, needs an evacuation plan. We all face some calamity at some point - fire, storms, hurricanes, etc. We had hurricane Juan in Halifax and had to evacuate. I did not even think about NOT taking my animals. To me, they are like my children , no ifs ands or buts and all these ppl who seem not to understand all the fuss about animals can just go you know where.

I realize now everyone has resources to get out with all their pets. They do however have the ability to plan ahead. Work with others to collectively get out - rent a van with a group if need pbe, lobby the govt so that pets can accompany people to certain shelters. I am so upset watching some of those animals run loose in the toxic sludge that is much of New Orleans now and really, there is no need for it. These pets - while roaming and free - will likely become ill because of drinking the tainted water. Who will care for them? If their owners could not take them with them, they can prob ill afford vet bills for the diseases that will occur. I can well understand the folks who stayed with their pets - a pet is a member of one's family, not an item to be discarded!!

That said, it's tough all around for these people and it's easy to be a Monday morning quaterback, even if I do not understand football.
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