Pets during flooding in ND

While my husband and I watched the news of the rising Red River and flooding, my thoughts turned to the pets; the beloved companions of people forced to leave their homes. Today, I see this AP article about provisions made for pets... What can we say to the people who gave their time, energy, money, supplies, and compassion to this effort? Thank you doesn't seem like enough, but it is all we know to say. "We see your work on behalf of pets and those who love them. Thank you."

The Humane Society, along with Adopt-A-Pet and emergency managers in Fargo and Moorhead, Minn., turned a pavilion normally used for horse and cattle shows into a flood shelter and started accepting pets late last week.

By Sunday, the shelter housed 71 dogs, 79 cats, 37 horses and a variety of other furry evacuees. Another 200 "pocket pets" such as guinea pigs, birds and rabbits were being housed at the Red River Zoo in Fargo. North Dakota State University's Horse Park had between 200 and 300 horses.

And a press release from United Animal Nations:

UAN 2009 Press Release
EARS Volunteers Helping Pets Displaced by Red River Flooding
UAN deploys volunteers trained in emergency animal sheltering to Fargo, North Dakota
FARGO, ND (March 27, 2009) – Today California-based United Animal Nations (UAN) began deploying trained emergency sheltering volunteers from across the Midwest to care for animals being displaced by the rising Red River in Fargo, North Dakota.
Volunteers with UAN’s Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) will care for animals as they are evacuated or rescued from flooding at a temporary emergency shelter located at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds. UAN will deploy 15 EARS volunteers per day to the emergency sheltering operation; so far, volunteers have traveled to Fargo from Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana to help the animals.
“Our EARS volunteers are trained in emergency sheltering, and they are ready, willing and able to come to Fargo at a moment’s notice to help the animals in harm’s way and to provide peace of mind to their families,” said Diann Wellman of Hartford City, Indiana, a volunteer Regional Director for the EARS program who is at the temporary shelter in Fargo.
With more than 4,000 trained volunteers, UAN can deploy its Emergency Animal Rescue Service when communities become overburdened by a crisis involving large numbers of animals. In its 21-year history, UAN has responded to more than 80 natural disasters and other crises, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005; the Greensburg, Kansas tornado in 2007; and the flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2008.
UAN is deploying EARS volunteers to Fargo at the request of the Fargo-Moorhead Humane Society and The Humane Society of the United States.
Visit our Emergency Response Blog for periodic updates and photos from the field.
For disaster preparedness tips for animals, visit our Web site at www.uan.org/disastertips.
To support our efforts, donate to our Disaster Relief Fund.
Founded in 1987, United Animal Nations (UAN) focuses on bringing animals out of crisis and into care through a variety of programs, including emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services, financial assistance for urgent veterinary care and humane education. Learn more at www.uan.org

Parrots who save people

Check out this story on NPR, also found on most major news venues, about a parrot who alerted the babysitter to a toddler's choking.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102322618

Anyone who has spent years with pets knows their uncanny ability to sense danger. In my own life, I've had a dog who knew a guy leaving an apt. next door was a burglar, even though I didn't. Another dog who could smell cancer and also recently alerted me by throwing himself against my leg as I was doing T-shirt transfers--right before I realized the paper was burning and just before the smoke alarm went off (that's Tyler, as you may have guessed).

If only we could learn from animals intuitive/instinctive intelligence. We'd be able to have a heads up when someone was lying to us...when strangers had been in our yard...when a storm was turning dangerous...when our bodies were giving off subtle scents and changes signaling illness.

As we progress in the 21st century: I look forward to our understanding of animals increasing...there is so much to learn!

The following is a list of books that I found helpful in writing my book "Open Your Heart with Pets."

Animal Miracles by Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger (Holbrook, MA: Adams Media Corporation, 1999)

Beauty in the Beasts: True Stories of Animals Who Choose to Do Good by Kristin von Kreisler (New York: MJF Books, 2001)

Cesar’s Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems by Cesar Millan with Milissa Jo Peltier (New York: Harmony Books, 2006)

The Character of Cats by Stephen Budiansky (New York: Penguin Putnam, 2002)

Dogs Never Lie About Love by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson (New York: Crown Publishers, 1997)

The Dogs Who Found Me: What I’ve Learned from the Dogs Who’ve Been Left Behind Ken Foster

Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons with Sarah Wilson (New York: Warner Books, 1992)

The Hidden Life of Dogs by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas (New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1993)

Jack Hanna’s Ultimate Guide to Pets by Jack Hanna (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1996)

New Perspectives on Our Lives with Companion Animals by J.A. Serpell (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1983)

Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp (New York: The Dial Press, 1998)

Post-Trauma Stress: A personal guide to reduce long-term effects and hidden emotional damage caused by violence and disaster by Frank Parkinson (Boston: DaCapo, 2000)

One at a Time: A Week in an American Animal Shelter by Diane Leigh and Marilee Geyer (Santa Cruz, CA: No Voice Unheard, 2003)

Best Friends: The True Story of the World’s Most Beloved Animal Sanctuary by Samantha Glen (New York: Kensington Books, 2001)

Pets and People: The Psychology of Pet Ownership by Barrie Gunter (London: Whurr Publishers Ltd, 1999)

Speaking Out for Animals: True Stories about Real People Who Rescue Animals, Kim W. Stallwood, Ed. (New York: Lantern Books, 2001)

Successful Dog Adoption by Sue Sternberg (Indianapolis: Howell Book House, 2003)

A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas (New York: Harcourt Books, 2006)

The Wonderful Thing about Pets: Remarkable stories about the animals who share our lives from Gary Burghoff and the editors of Pets: part of the family™ (New York: Rodale, 2000)

Foreclosure and Pets

The following is a reprint of an article I posted last year at the Seattle Post Intelligencer blog:

While animals teach us much about living in the moment, relaxing, and stopping to smell the roses, or the dirt the roses grow in... the anxieties and practical dilemmas faced by many homeowners today do not go unnoticed by the family pet.

Perhaps a pet owner is facing forclosure due to losing their job, their health, their spouse, their youth... As they worried about their prospects they might have taken some comfort in their pet; not seen it as a cost or obligation, but a listening ear, a warm body, a faithful friend. Now they are going somewhere else--to an apartment, to a relative's or friend's house, to a nursing home, to a campground, or a homeless shelter--and their pet must fend for itself or depend on the compassion and energy of shelter staff.

Opening your heart to pets begins with living consciously, in other words, paying attention to the animals around you. If you are able, ask your local animal rescue organization what you might do to help. Adoption, is great, but there are many things one can do without actually adopting a pet, such as donating supplies (newspapers, old towels, pet food), money, time, or skills (designing a website, making fliers, volunteering at an adoption event).

If someone you know is facing foreclosure, they are likely facing many practical and emotional challenges. They may feel ashamed and afraid and may not answer direct questions about their move or what they are going to do with their pet. If you suspect no plans have been made for their pet, perhaps you or someone you know might be willing to foster or adopt the pet, and could gently ask if they are keeping their pet or looking for someone to adopt it. Particularly if there are children in the home, losing the home, possibly their school and friends, and then the family pet, seems like an unbearable stress for a child. Open your heart and see what you might do to help.

Be conscious of abandoned houses in your neighborhood, houses that once contained pets. If you hear a dog barking hours on end and suspect it is in an empty house, contact the local animal control officer. There are people who abandon pets inside of homes, and these animals will die inhumanely unless a human intervenes.

The first step in openness is awareness of a need, and seeing how you might say "yes" to a solution. You don't have to be the entire solution. You don't have to exhaust or bankrupt yourself to be someone else's solution. Just open your heart, and you will know what to do.

The Humane Society of the United States writes on their website that they help "rental managers, property owners, and pet caregivers solve the challenges of keeping pets in rental properties. It's all part of our Pets for Life™ campaign, designed to keep pets with their families, where they belong. In addition to helping people keep their pets when they move, we also help solve other problems that threaten human-pet relationships, such as behavior issues and allergies." Visit HSUS for more information.