SACRAMENTO, CA (June 25, 2007) – As a massive wildfire threatens the South Lake Tahoe area, United Animal Nations (UAN) is encouraging residents to take their pets with them if they evacuate. Animals left behind during natural disasters can get injured, fall ill, starve, die, and hamper human evacuation and rescue efforts. Families who must evacuate are encouraged to:
- Assemble an animal disaster kit that includes food, water, medications, a leash or cat carrier, and photos of you with your animals. Visit www.uan.org for more disaster kit tips.
- Identify all of your animals with a tag and microchip so you can be more easily reunited if separated.
- Seek refuge in a hotel that allows pets. Most hotels and motels are pet-friendly, and those that aren’t often make exceptions during disasters. A searchable database of pet-friendly accommodations is available at www.petswelcome.com or www.petfriendlyhotelsandtravel.com.
- Find emergency shelters for animals. For information on emergency sheltering for pets, contact El Dorado County Animal Control at (530) 577-1766 or Dog Gone Crazy in Tahoe Vista at (530) 546-7522.
- Leave animals with friends or relatives or board them at a professional kennel safely out of the fire’s reach.
“Animals left to fend for themselves during disasters suffer terribly, and evacuees can compound their own stress by worrying about the pets they left behind,” said UAN president Nicole Forsyth. “For both human and animal safety, it is vital that every family include their animals in their evacuation plans.”
Through its volunteer-driven Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS), UAN provides free emergency sheltering and disaster relief services for animals in communities that become overwhelmed by natural disasters or other crises. Since 1987, UAN has responded to 70 disasters, including flooding and fires in northern
- Set up and operate temporary animal relief shelters
- Evacuate animals from a disaster site
- Rescue abandoned and stranded animals
- Feed and care for displaced animals
- Transport animals and coordinate veterinary care
- Distribute food and supplies to the community
- Reunite lost animals with their caregivers and find permanent new homes for unclaimed animals
Emergency management and animal control agencies in the South
can call United Animal Nations at (916) 429-2457 for assistance with animal-related issues.
MEDIA CONTACT: Alexis Raymond, (916) 429-2457.
Now celebrating its 20th year, United Animal Nations (UAN) is
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