Choosing to stay during a mandatory evacuation

[LSUmiss]

I

Right I'm just relating to the PP's posts regarding what they perceived to be part of having a pet (which I don't fully agree with) and evacuations in regards to taking pets with you which seemed to spark the two PP's posts regarding pets which then sparked your comment.

I agree there are things that vets do that can be unnecessary; was trying to relate it in regards to an evacuation and a shelter requiring xyz.

I don't have enough knowledge here on the shelter's requirements but using WDW's Best Friends Pet Care they require-

Requirements for Dogs: DHPPv/DA2PPv, Rabies, and Bordetella. Both Canine Influenza vaccines (H3N2 and H3N8) are required for any dogs attending Day Camp and/or any group play. Also, there is a seven-day waiting period after the 2nd booster before they can attend Day Camp or group play. Day Camp must also have a clean fecal check every 6 months.

Requirements for Cats: FVRCP (Feline Rhinotracheitis Virus, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia) and Rabies

I'm assuming, and I may be assuming wrong so apologies if I am, that Best Friends Pet Care is more strict on their requirements (like the fecal check for example) than what shelters require during an evacuations but again I don't have the knowledge. Based on your knowledge is what Best Friends Pet Care requires less or more strict in comparison to what evacuation shelters require of at least dogs and cats? I was asking you in particular based on your background knowledge.

Yeah that sounds about right & I’m perfectly fine with that being the requirement for facilities. My comment was more related to the pp who stated that you aren’t a good pet owner if their shots aren’t up-to-date. I consider myself a very responsible pet owner & absolutely disagree with that. What’s considered up-to-date is usually in excess of what the pet needs.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah that sounds about right & I’m perfectly fine with that being the requirement for facilities. My comment was more related to the pp who stated that you aren’t a good pet owner if their shots aren’t up-to-date. I consider myself a very responsible pet owner & absolutely disagree with that. What’s considered up-to-date is usually in excess of what the pet needs.

Ok good info.

Yes I didn't necessarily agree with that part either.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

We had two evacuation places lined up, both of which would have taken our pets. We have relatives 3 and 6 hours out--I can't believe that people don't have friends or family or SOMETHING that they could reach out to, to help with pets. I know we would have taken in people/pets if asked.

My nearest relative lives 16 hours away. Unless, we want to start talking about cousins that I haven't seen or spoken to in decades, some on which I have never met.

Friends? That don't live near me? One family is 7 hours, but can't take our dog. So we would have to leave him behind. Another lives 8 hours, but a different direction. They might be able to take us with our dog, but only if it isn't a time when their kids are home with their animals.

Our other friends either live near me or as far away as those already mentioned.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

I

Yeah that sounds about right & I’m perfectly fine with that being the requirement for facilities. My comment was more related to the pp who stated that you aren’t a good pet owner if their shots aren’t up-to-date. I consider myself a very responsible pet owner & absolutely disagree with that. What’s considered up-to-date is usually in excess of what the pet needs.

Some people are over the top regarding what it takes to be a good pet owner. Seriously, I'd rather see a happy dog in a home where it was loved and had adequate food and shelter than languishing in the pound waiting for that elusive "perfect" owner to come along.

There is an elderly gentleman in our neighborhood who has two dogs that ride around in his truck with him everywhere he goes. He took them in after acquaintances didn't want them anymore. He, the dogs, and the truck all look like they are held together with staples and rubber bands. The dogs are unkempt but well fed and very well behaved, he looks like he hasn't had a good meal in years. I doubt these dogs have ever seen the inside of a vets office, but in talking to him and watching him with his dogs, it's obvious that he absolutely loves them and they love him. I wonder what the pp would like him to do? Give them up to the humane society? Have refused to take them in the first place (they'd have just dumped them somewhere to starve most likely)?

Anyway, to stay on topic, while it's unlikely that we'd ever have to evacuate for a hurricane here, we are far enough inland that it's rare for storms to maintain hurricane status (Opal came through as a category 1 in 1995), I would never, ever leave without my dogs. I'd sleep in the car if necessary but they would go with us.

 

[QueenIsabella]

My nearest relative lives 16 hours away. Unless, we want to start talking about cousins that I haven't seen or spoken to in decades, some on which I have never met.

Friends? That don't live near me? One family is 7 hours, but can't take our dog. So we would have to leave him behind. Another lives 8 hours, but a different direction. They might be able to take us with our dog, but only if it isn't a time when their kids are home with their animals.

Our other friends either live near me or as far away as those already mentioned.

Really? You know absolutely nobody who lives in a different county? Or is in a less dangerous location? If you had 4 days to think about it, you couldn't come up with ANYONE? Or somehow make it to the relative that was 8 hours away? I'm not saying it would be easy or fun for everyone involved, but there are options for everyone. One of our choices is 6 hours away, and we would have had to keep our animals in their garage. Certainly not optimal, but better than leaving them behind or risking our own lives.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

Really? You know absolutely nobody who lives in a different county? Or is in a less dangerous location? If you had 4 days to think about it, you couldn't come up with ANYONE? Or somehow make it to the relative that was 8 hours away? I'm not saying it would be easy or fun for everyone involved, but there are options for everyone. One of our choices is 6 hours away, and we would have had to keep our animals in their garage. Certainly not optimal, but better than leaving them behind or risking our own lives.

I don't know of anywhere we could take our dogs. Our friends all live here. My husbands family is 12 hours away and they would refuse to take the dogs, they hate animals. My mother might let us stay with them, but that's not a given.

As I said earlier, as long as my kids were safe and I wasn't endangering them by doing so, if we leave the dogs are going with us. I may have to send DH and the kids to a shelter and camp in the car somewhere but they are absolutely going with us.

edited to add: and if by some unforeseen, terrible reason, we had to leave them, I'd make sure they weren't confined in any way. Animals have pretty good survival instincts so I would make sure they were able to act on them. People who leave their animals tied up, in crates, or locked in houses they can't get out of should have the same done to them.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Really? You know absolutely nobody who lives in a different county? Or is in a less dangerous location? If you had 4 days to think about it, you couldn't come up with ANYONE? Or somehow make it to the relative that was 8 hours away? I'm not saying it would be easy or fun for everyone involved, but there are options for everyone. One of our choices is 6 hours away, and we would have had to keep our animals in their garage. Certainly not optimal, but better than leaving them behind or risking our own lives.

Really. My friends either live within minutes of my house or many, many hours.

Eight hours away is a friend, not a relative, someone that would most likely not be able to take our dog.

My closest relative is 16 hours away.

Now, for us, we would travel then stop at a hotel. It might trash our daily budget. But we would recover. And we have insurance. Including flood insurance.

But everyone should keep in mind, when you evacuate, sometimes you do it for weeks or even a month (or more.) So you are asking these friends and family to take you and your family and animals in for what could be a very long time.

 

[tzolkin]

What’s considered up-to-date is usually in excess of what the pet needs.

Yes, and it’s also sometimes complete subjective. Here’s an example:

Dogs must have “up-to-date” Bordatella to stay at a kennel or be groomed. My vet’s office automatically puts in 6mos as when the next vaccine is due. So if I want to board/groom them 6mos and 1 day I cannot because it’s not “up-to-date”. However, if I ask my vet to manually put in 1yr or if I purchase it at Tractor Supply and administer myself, then that same exact vaccine is still “up-to-date” for twice the length of time.

 

[LSUmiss]

Really? You know absolutely nobody who lives in a different county? Or is in a less dangerous location? If you had 4 days to think about it, you couldn't come up with ANYONE? Or somehow make it to the relative that was 8 hours away? I'm not saying it would be easy or fun for everyone involved, but there are options for everyone. One of our choices is 6 hours away, and we would have had to keep our animals in their garage. Certainly not optimal, but better than leaving them behind or risking our own lives.

All of my friends & family live in the same area or at best 60 miles northeast of me. Our plan is to go to a friend’s house there, but if the storm is bad enough or depending on the path that wouldn’t be enough. We have financial resources so we would figure something out. But, it’s not unusual in the south for ppl to live this close to all of their friends & family. For Katrina, we were the ones that lived 60 miles north & everyone came to us.

 

[LSUmiss]

Really. My friends either live within minutes of my house or many, many hours.

Eight hours away is a friend, not a relative, someone that would most likely not be able to take our dog.

My closest relative is 16 hours away.

Now, for us, we would travel then stop at a hotel. It might trash our daily budget. But we would recover. And we have insurance. Including flood insurance.

But everyone should keep in mind, when you evacuate, sometimes you do it for weeks or even a month (or more.) So you are asking these friends and family to take you and your family and animals in for what could be a very long time.

Relatives stayed with us after Katrina for almost a yr! Many of my friends had relatives who had to stay longer.

 

[jrmasm]

Just some food for thought, yesterday I was touring a doggy daycare that does boarding as well. I saw 4 dogs that were there because their family had evacuated to our area and they boarded the dogs here as well. I assume the friends the people were staying with wouldn't or couldn't take in the dogs.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

Just some food for thought, yesterday I was touring a doggy daycare that does boarding as well. I saw 4 dogs that were there because their family had evacuated to our area and they boarded the dogs here as well. I assume the friends the people were staying with wouldn't or couldn't take in the dogs.

I know a lot of our pet related business' here offer help with evacuees pets. We also have two vet schools in the area, so we are a very pet friendly town.

I'd hate to think about the cost to board ours for a long term evacuation. At $60/day for three, even the cheap places add up quickly, so I know it's a blessing for those that need to take them up on their offers.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I

Yeah that sounds about right & I’m perfectly fine with that being the requirement for facilities. My comment was more related to the pp who stated that you aren’t a good pet owner if their shots aren’t up-to-date. I consider myself a very responsible pet owner & absolutely disagree with that. What’s considered up-to-date is usually in excess of what the pet needs.

Yup

I have 3 cats. 2 of them are up to date with vet visits and shots. 1 is a lunatic who will not allow us to crate him for any reason. I hope I never have to evacuate. I have an emergency pill in case he needs to be drugged and he would need the entire dang pill.

My vet is 100% on board with how we care for this cat.

 

[luvsJack]

Really? You know absolutely nobody who lives in a different county? Or is in a less dangerous location? If you had 4 days to think about it, you couldn't come up with ANYONE? Or somehow make it to the relative that was 8 hours away? I'm not saying it would be easy or fun for everyone involved, but there are options for everyone. One of our choices is 6 hours away, and we would have had to keep our animals in their garage. Certainly not optimal, but better than leaving them behind or risking our own lives.

You do realize there are people in this world that have barely been out of their own neighborhood (like many from Ward 9 in NOLA until Katrina) much less out of their city or county/parish. All of their family and friends live in the same area.

For now, we are dd's evacuation place (60 miles inland) and she can bring her dogs. Another Katrina? Guess we will ride it out with all of us and 5 dogs total in our closet. No where to go. I have one nephew in Washington state and another in NY. A bit far to carry me, dd, dh and 5 dogs.

DD has friends on the coast that their entire family lives within a 10 mile radius of each other.

 

[QueenIsabella]

But actually my point is, there are resources--you just have to look for them. I'm friends with a woman who runs a local, no-kill cat rescue. She's currently up to her ears. She told me the other day that she took in 33 cats after Flo passed through. They're trying to get 22 of them transferred several hours away, for holding until things calm down. Last night, she had to evaluate another 11 kittens. If you came to her a couple days before the storm, she wouldn't turn you away. THERE ARE RESOURCES. If people choose not to use them, that's on the individual. I'm sure there are similar rescues for dogs, and either more unusual pets. If you have no idea, and danger is approaching--start with your local vet or pet store.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

You do realize there are people in this world that have barely been out of their own neighborhood (like many from Ward 9 in NOLA until Katrina) much less out of their city or county/parish. All of their family and friends live in the same area.

For now, we are dd's evacuation place (60 miles inland) and she can bring her dogs. Another Katrina? Guess we will ride it out with all of us and 5 dogs total in our closet. No where to go. I have one nephew in Washington state and another in NY. A bit far to carry me, dd, dh and 5 dogs.

DD has friends on the coast that their entire family lives within a 10 mile radius of each other.

I've actually lived many different places. I've lived in 11 different houses, 4 states and 3 countries. But evacuating overseas doesn't make sense.

But my husband is an only child, my one sibling is the one that lives 16 hours away. My parents are gone, and my husband's parents may as well be.

And my friends live hours and hours away.

I guess I never realized that I should have made friends with people that would end up living just a couple of hours from me.