(Jenn Miller ) Cinderella, a foster pet, was a victim of hurricane Charley
Florida volunteer rescues animals
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SEPTEMBER 08, 2005
By Terri Rimmer

By Terri Rimmer
HappyNews Citizen Journalist
Jenn Miller is doing it again. After rescuing animals from last year’s hurricane Charley, the professional pet sitter from St. Petersburg, FL is on her second mission of helping animal victims that felt the wrath of Katrina.
Miller, founder of the 10-year-old Doggone Purrfect Pet Care and volunteer with United Animal Nations’ Emergency Animal Rescue Services (EARS), is assisting in gathering emergency supplies for EARS personnel who were deployed to the states affected by the disaster. Needs include Polaroid film and Polaroid cameras, Advantage for cats and dogs, Frontline for dogs, antibiotics and other medications for dogs and cats and medicated shampoo. And on Sept. 22, Miller will travel to Mississippi for a week to help reunite pets with their owners and adopt out the homeless creatures that have lost their owners. The animals up for adoption will be brought back with her to St. Petersburg, and the local veterinarian clinic is already collecting names of people who want to foster the pets.
Along with Miller, Raquel Aluisy, United Animal Nations (UAN) Regional Director in Tampa, is currently assisting animal relief efforts in Louisiana by overseeing one of the shelters for evacuees to leave their animals or for any that come in from the hurricane fallout.
With EARS alone, more than 1,500 volunteers have offered their services in helping with rescue operations, and the disaster program has already deployed two teams to manage shelters in areas affected by Katrina.
“We’ve gotten over 100 calls and 100 emails. Everybody is offering to help,” said Miller.
In the event of a disaster, EARS recommends taking the following precautions to keep companion animals safe:
· Always keep a collar and tag on those animals that should normally wear them.
· Identify several possible locations where you can take your animals should you have to evacuate.
· Start a buddy system with someone in your neighborhood so that they will check on your animals during a disaster in case you aren’t home.
· Have at least a week’s supply on hand to be used during a disaster in addition to your regular supply of animal food.
· Have at least a week’s supply of water in storage at all times for animals.
· Take several pictures of all the animals, and keep these pictures with your important insurance papers that you would take with you if you had to evacuate.
· Talk to your vet to see if he or she has a disaster plan.
· If an animal is on long-term medication, always keep a backup supply on hand since the vet may not be open for some time following a disaster.
· Have a cat carrier for each cat in your household assembled and ready to go in case of evacuation.
· Have a harness, leash and stake out cable for each of the dogs in your household.
· If your dog is kept in an outdoor run, make sure the pet is in a location where falling items such as tree limbs, shingles, power lines, chimney bricks, etc. won’t fall on the run and possibly injure the dog.
· Be sure and comfort your animals during a disaster.
· Know where the animal shelters or animal rescue organizations are in your area.
· Dog disaster kits should include food, water, pooper-scooper, cleaning supplies, collar and tag, plastic airline crate or wire collapsible crate, first aid kit, medications and pictures.
· Cat disaster kits should include food, water, litter box with scoop, litter, dish soap, collar and tag, harness and leash, wire collapsible cage, first aid kit and first aid book, medications and pictures.
Working under the command of the state veterinarians in both Mississippi and Louisiana, animal disaster relief organizations are now fully engaged in the largest disaster rescue and sheltering effort in U.S. history. The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (SPCA) has established a shelter for pets rescued from hurricane Katrina at the Lamar Dixon Horse Expo Center. Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine and Louisiana Animal Control Association has also set up an emergency animal shelter at the LSU Agriculture Center.
If you need to report a lost animal or animal needing rescue in Louisiana, call 1-888-773-6489 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. or email Katrin@ldaf.louisiana.gov.
Founded in 1987, UAN is the nation’s leading provider of emergency animal sheltering and disaster relief services and a key advocate for the critical needs of animals. With over 2,000 trained volunteers nationwide, EARS is ready to respond to disasters anywhere in the U.S. within 24 hours.
This story was produced by a Happynews Citizen Journalist.
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