Wonkette Stole my Title…

Why People Use the WaPo for House Training.

'Suppose that's what I get for havin' to depend on a human to do my bloggin'.

Marc Fisher… I whizz on your shoes--twice. (Via PostWatch and Cosmo)

Ya' know, people, I wrote about this pet evacuation issue last year when all those hurricanes were hittin' FL. There was an on-line petition to get the Red Cross to set up pet-friendly disaster shelters. On of the reasons AHM won't give money to the Red Cross is--it still hasn't been done.

"Thousands of Pasco [County, Florida] residents were ordered to evacuate last year for Charley, Frances and Jeanne. But many of them stayed home for Fido, Fluffy and Tweetie. The problem: Pasco County's emergency shelters don't allow pets. Owners have to take their furry friends to a kennel or a friend's house or ride out the storm at home.

"That's why Pasco officials are working on a plan to provide pet-friendly shelters for owners and their animals. Nothing is finalized yet, but officials hope to work out something before the hurricane season ends Nov. 30, said Jim Johnston, the county's emergency management coordinator."

Guess what--you're too late, sucker!

"The issue is not as simple as it might seem. For one thing, Johnston said, officials must decide whether all animals would be welcome, or whether some creatures would be barred for safety reasons. "My boa may be a pet to me," he said, "but it may pose a risk at the shelter if you brought your bird."

Can you say "cages" fool?

"Cleanup is another concern, he said. The most likely shelters would be schools, county buildings or civic association buildings, Johnston said. After the storm passes and the pets go home, he said, the buildings would need to be cleaned so the pet dander doesn't cause allergies for the regular occupants.

Oh, yeah. I'm sure pets will make a hell'v'a bigger mess than say…oh…the people in the Superdome.

"As Hurricane Charley barreled toward Florida last year, Pasco officials ordered evacuations for 168,000 residents in mobile homes and coastal areas. Only 3,100 went to county-run shelters. Even assuming some folks went to motels or a friend's house, officials estimated only a quarter of the affected residents heeded the evacuation orders. The evacuation rates for hurricanes Frances and Jeanne were equally paltry. Johnston suspects a good number of those who stayed behind were pet owners."…

"If you don't (have pet-friendly shelters), the perception is you're not addressing the public's needs," Johnston said.

Gee…d'ya think? People stayin' in old houses and trailers just 'cause they won't abandon their pets sure aren't havin' their needs met.



I say let the people decide--which animal would you have preferred seein' in the Superdome? Me--



--or the human animals they invited inside?

posted by Harrison at 12:21 PM