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February 2006                                                                            Volume 10 - Number 1

Disaster Update...

 Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Rescue and Response Efforts after Hurricane Katrina
By Marc Plante

Following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, hundreds of Federal, State, and Local agencies responded to the disaster along the Gulf Coast.  One population that did not receive much attention was Katrina’s smallest and most helpless victims, family pets and animals.  The Humane Society  of the United States (HSUS), in conjunction with numerous associations, Federal agencies, and the American Red Cross developed and coordinated a three prong response to this situation.  This included immediate care, the ongoing response, and long term planning for future disasters.  

HSUS members were immediately deployed with the United States Disaster Animal Response Team (DART).  They were on the ground within days providing damage assessments, conducting search & rescue operations, and initiating emergency care.  Two shelters were setup to handle the influx of displaced and injured animals.  The Forrest County Multipurpose Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and the Lamar-Dixon Expo in Gonzales, LA were quickly converted into emergency animal shelters.  With the help from nearly 1,500 volunteers, these shelters were able to rescue and reunite over 2,200 animals.

After the initial response it became evident that the response and recovery effort would continue for an extended period of time.  HSUS established several funds and programs to support the states and localities with their needs.  The Katrina Shelter Reconstruction Fund was created to assist the localities with their primary mission, the reconstruction of their shelters.  The Pet Wellness Program and the Pet Reunification Fund were also established to provide reimbursement to local shelters for expenses incurred treating and reuniting affected animals.  Other grant programs were established to handle heartworm treatments, and spay and neuter programs to begin dealing with the long term issues in the area.  

Two long term issues were identified by HSUS:  staffing and planning.  A determination was made that the USHS staff needed to be increased.  HSUS also created the HSUS Disaster Services section to better plan for and respond to future incidents.  HSUS is also working with members of Congress to pass the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS), which would require state and local emergency managers to begin including plans for people with pets and service animals to safely evacuate with their pets.

With a budget totaling over $20 million, the three pronged response and recovery plan executed by HSUS and other organizations allowed for the rescue of over 15,000 dogs, cats, horses, livestock, and other animals.  Hopefully, the lessons learned during this disaster will be incorporated into future plans to allow us to be better prepared when the next disaster strikes.