How to Plan and Prepare
for the Care of Animals
During a Disaster
Presented by Charlene Ruttle
Banff, May 2013
Who Am I
By day…mild, mannered Sgt. with Municipal
Enforcement, Town of Cochrane, Deputy
Director of Emergency Management.
By night…volunteer with several animal
agencies, travelled to Thailand, Iraq, Kuwait,
USA, community advocate for animal issues,
ANIMAL LOVER!
…and my trusty partner Dot Gillis …Super
Admin!!!
Job Responsibilities
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In my role as Animal Control Officer, I was
assigned to incorporate an Animal Disaster
Plan into our MEP.
I learned to start with the Human Plan…
then begin the Animal Plan as they are very
similar. Animals also need the basics, food,
shelter, medical care, etc.
In essence you are setting up a Reception
Centre for Animals
Comparison to the Human Plan
HUMAN – Reception Centre
ANIMAL- Shelter
Location
Location
Reception Centre Manager
Shelter Manager
Registration & Inquiry Supervisor
Intake Supervisor – Reclamation
Food, Clothing, Lodging Supervisor
Facilities & Supply Supervisor
Personal Services Supervisor
Triage Supervisor
Volunteer Services Supervisor
Volunteer Supervisor
Security Supervisor
Security Supervisor
Transportation Supervisor
Transportation Supervisor
Org Chart
Disaster Social Services Manager
Shelter Manager
Intake
Supervisor
Reclamation
Supervisor
Facilities and
Supply
Supervisor
Triage
Supervisor
Volunteer
Supervisor
Security
Supervisor
Transportation
Supervisor
Animal Care
Supervisor
Would you like to work like this…
Or This?…
Let’s Start Building A Plan –
A Common Sense Approach
Begin Locally

Utilizing resources found within your town, city
or county in which the event might occur.

Find a temporary shelter location
Hand shake agreements, or can be
supplemented by Mutual Aid Agreements
(MAA) or Memorandum Of Understandings
(MOU).
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Assemble Your Executive Team
SHELTER MANAGER
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Direct link to the EOC Social Services Representative
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Finds the location of shelter

Oversees operations of shelter – Activation and Deactivation
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Liaise with Reception Centre Mgr.

Brings the team together, trains together
VOLUNTEER SUPERVISOR

Works with Executive Team to supply volunteers to their areas

Recruits and manages volunteer resources

Process, record, track and retain information on volunteers

Trains volunteers in the mandatory HR functions, OH&S, WCB,
ANIMAL CARE SUPERVISOR

Oversees animal care within shelter

Trains volunteers in their area

Manages animal care volunteers in their area
Executive Team
INTAKE SUPERVISOR

Oversees operations of Intake Area

Trains the volunteers in their area

Manages the volunteers in their area
RECLAMATION SUPERVISOR

Oversees operations of Reclamation Area

Trains the volunteers in their area

Manages the volunteers in their area
TRANSPORATION SUPERVISOR

Manages transportation of small and large animals – from Reception
Centre to Shelter, moving animals within Animal Area,

Identifies, records and retains records of volunteers who can provide;
vehicles, trucks, horse trailers, etc.
Executive Team
TRIAGE SUPERVISOR – LOCAL VET or VET TECH

Oversees Triage Area, administers medication

Procures and manages medication and supplies (drug procedures)

Trains volunteers in their area

Manages volunteers in their area
FACILITIES & SUPPLY SUPERVISOR

Oversees acquisition and deployment of resources

Small and Large Animals: Crates, pet carriers, food, litter boxes,
leashes, toys, collars, bowls, bedding, muzzles, shovels, disinfectant,
water hoses, halters, lead ropes, rakes, pitchforks, buckets, hay,

Manages office supplies – forms, tape, scanner, camera, pens,
computer/printer, phones, flashlights, etc.

Trains volunteers in their area

Manages volunteers in their area
The Shelter
Types of Services in the Shelter
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Care
Comforting the animals
Feeding
Medicating
Walking
Grooming
Waste Management
Triage
SHELTER
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The area where the animals are cared for until
they can be reunited with their care givers or
placed in foster care. The temporary shelter
must be designed to grow as the animal
population changes.

When a temporary shelter is set up, you never
know how many animals are going to be cared
for, what types of animals will arrive, and how
long the shelter will be needed.
SHELTER

Try and keep all animals you are responsible
for in one location. This keeps it easier for
people to find animals they are missing. The
more places people have to look, the less
chance they will locate their animals.

In some cases, you may need to set up
additional holding areas, for different types of
animals, i.e. dogs, cats, farm animals,
quarantine areas, etc.
Intake Supervisor
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The animal intake area is a very important part of the temporary shelter
when it comes to keeping track of all the animals. Services provided in this
area are:

Complete Animal Intake Form

Looks for and records current local identification e.g. Tags,
micro-chips, etc.

Photograph all Incoming Animals

Put identification on all Incoming Animals & their crates or areas
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Assist people in finding their lost animal
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Manages and trains volunteers in their area
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Types of volunteers

Clerical, administrative, generalists,
Intake
Reclamation Supervisor
RECLAMATION
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The Reclamation Area is where all the reunions
take place. Volunteers assigned to this area get
to see the end result of a lot of people’s hard
work. Services provided in this area are:

Complete all necessary paperwork for an animal
to be returned home
 Make sure that the family has all the food and
supplies they need to continue taking care of their
animals in the weeks to come
 Manages and trains volunteers in their area
Reclamation
This image cannot currently be display ed.
Volunteer Supervisor
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Works with Executive Team to supply
volunteers to their areas
Recruits and manages volunteer records
Process, record, track and retain information
on volunteers
Assigns volunteers according to abilities,
desires, or needs
Trains volunteers in HR functions, OH&S,
WCB
Thailand 2012 Volunteers
Facilities & Supply Supervisor
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Oversees acquisition and deployment of resources
Small and Large Animals: Crates, pet carriers, food, litter boxes,
leashes, toys, collars, bowls, bedding, muzzles, shovels, disinfectant,
water hoses, halters, lead ropes, rakes, pitchforks, buckets, hay,
Manages office supplies – forms, tape, scanner, camera, pens,
computer/printer, phones, flashlights, etc.
Construction, Debris removal, Garbage removal
Water and food – volunteers and animals
Fans or heaters, fencing, crates,
Restrooms, Tents
Manages and trains volunteers in their area
Types of volunteers

Errand runners, plumbers, electricians, grounds people, handy
persons, janitors,
Facilities & Supply
Transportation Supervisor

Manages transportation of small and large animals – from Reception
Centre to Shelter, moving animals within Animal Area,

Identifies, records and retains records of volunteers who can provide;
vehicles, trucks, horse trailers, etc.

Identifies vehicles utilized in transportation

Arranges for holding and disposing of deceased animals

Manages and trains volunteers in their area
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Types of Volunteers

Drivers, errand runners, people who can lift heavy loads, people
good with animals, etc.
Transportation
Animal Care Supervisor
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Daily Animal Care – water, feed, walk, groom
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Complete all daily log charts
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Report to Triage (Vets/Techs) any change in animal status
i.e. vomiting, etc.
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Cleaning of kennels and animal housing
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Disinfecting, cleaning, removing animal waste
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Manages and trains volunteers in their area
Triage Supervisor
LOCAL VET or VET TECH
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Oversees Triage Area
Manages procurement and supply of medications (drugs)
Administers medication and vaccinations
Monitors special dietary needs of animals
Provides on-going care for sick and injured animals
Treats skin problems
Identifies which animals must be taken to vet clinic for care
which you cannot supply
Triage
Security Supervisor
This function is generally a mobile function that
is tasked with ensuring the safety of the
volunteers and animals.
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Security
Assists in directing people to specific areas within the shelter.
Determine method of communication, radios, cells, etc.
Seek advice or training from local police, i.e. what can we do, what can’t
we do
Manages and trains volunteers in their area
Security
VISUALS
Thailand, 2012
Hurricane Katrina, 2005
Photographed by Charlene Ruttle
[email protected]
403-851-2967 wk
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Stock photo – internet
Are You Prepared?
The first step in preparing for a disaster is to have a plan for the human members of a
household. If you are not prepared yourself, you are reducing the chances you will be
able to care for your animals.
For assistance on creating a human plan, visit http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/epwk/index-eng.aspx for tips and advice;
Begin on your animal plan. The two most important things to do to prepare for the needs of
your animals are:
1.
Determine how you can safely evacuate all your animals
2.
Know in advance where you are going to house them temporarily
The more animals you have the more challenging this will be. Pack an emergency kit for
them for a 72 hour duration. Include;
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Food, Identification, Medication, Vet information, Water, Carriers, Leashes &
Harnesses, Stake out chains, dog runs, etc.
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Consider utilizing Pet identification stickers on your house…Animals Inside…Please
rescue my dog, cat, and include Pet name and your information.
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Practice you plan and include your animals as part of the whole household.
QUESTIONS?
I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my
number, so Call Me Maybe
…(Carly Rae Jepson)
Charlene Ruttle
[email protected]
403-851-2967 work
Learning from High River
Municipal Enforcement Officer Lisa Coyne of
High River, shared with us some details
regarding the June floods in High River. She
is preparing a report for her community and
will be willing to share it with other
municipalities.
She can be reached at 403-603-3499 for a
copy of the report and she is willing to speak
to small groups regarding High River’s
experience. (But not till 2014…too busy
now) !
High River
What she told me:
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Municipality took over 3 days into event – they were tasked elsewhere
during the initial disaster
Taking over from concerned citizens was an exercise in diplomacy
Regarding safety, liability, etc…people want to help, but don’t always
see the legal side of things
1140 animals were rescued successfully. 20 perished – some being in
crates and basements and washed away.
Used local agencies for boarding and sheltering animals i.e. Heaven Can
Wait Kennels
Issued a phone number for the public to call to ask for assistance in
locating or extracting animals from flood affected homes
Worked in teams, with a professional and a volunteer and extracted
animals which were in immediate distress
High River
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Those able to be safely retained in their homes were left and cared for on
a daily basis – dry and sheltered – no further distress
Lots of professional help, SPCA, City of Calgary Animal Services, Calgary
Humane Society, Fish & Wildlife, etc.
Information changed rapidly – as to whether people could return home or
not
Used locksmiths to gain entry into locked homes – some homes just were
open. (All with authority of animal owner). Worked in teams – no single
rescues
Used foster homes, specialists for certain types of animals i.e. – snakes,
lizards, chickens, etc.
30 cats to date not back home – no id, some surrendered as families
cannot cope with everything
Can’t crate animals of different species together in same areaa, i.e. cats,
dogs, birds
Charlene’s Travels to IRAQ
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Charlene just returned Monday, November 4th from Erbil, Iraq.
Her mission with SPCA International, at the request of US
Consulate was to conduct a TNR (Trap/Neuter/Release) clinic for
cats. Visit http://spcainternational.org for more information.
Erbil also written Arbil, or Irbil is, with a population of
approximately 1.3 million, the fourth largest city in Iraq after
Baghdad, Basra and Mosul. It is located 80 kilometres east of
Mosul, and is the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Wikipedia
Once-Calm Area of Iraq Is Shaken by Bombings - NYTimes.com
www.nytimes.com/.../relatively-calm-kurdish-region-of-iraq-is-shaken-by-r...
Sep 29, 2013 - A car bombing in Erbil was among at least five explosions in the Kurdish region in northern
Iraq. Six or more people were killed.
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Here’s some photo’s Charlene took…