Disaster on the way, what do you do about your pets?

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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I live on a hill, about the only natural threats would be ground flooding, hard blizzards and a tornado that I would conceviably have to put up with, knock on wood. But if the order came down that I would have to evacuate, but had to leave my pets behind, I don't think I could go. I have a dog and two cats, both are outside animals, but rely on being fed every day, three times a day, and fresh tap water. I wouldn't want to leave the cats, but they are outside cats, and can fend for themselves, in all the seasons except for the dead of winter or a man made disaster, say a nuclear fallout.

My dog on the other hand, while a very smart animal and very resourceful, might not fare as well. I would imagine that he would have a worse time of it than the cats, as he cannot climb trees, easily get to elevated areas. I think I may be a little biased, mainly because I am a dog person, and spend a lot of time with this pooch. I think I would stay put and defend the house, either from the elements and/or people if the order came down to move without pets. If I could take him with me I would.

If you had to leave during a crisis without your pets, and your children/loved ones would be safe, would you willingly leave your pets behind? If I absolutely had to, I would just leave food out for them, and the gate open for them to get out if need be.
 
I can't see myself leaving my pets behind. Cats would probably be able to survive if they had to, but most dogs would starve to death, or worse. They're not suited to survive on their own, for the most part. Besides, I would hope I'm not personally set up to abandon my friends in the time of most need. I can't imagine the betrayal they would feel as I left them behind to flee for my own safety and I couldn't live with myself after having done so. It's probably best to prepare as well as you can for the most likely scenarios and hope for the best.
 
Theres just no way I'm leaving my dog behind!

That corgi is part of our family, and if the car is loaded up and we go, then she's going with us, thats all there is to that. Besides, if we have to camp out or something she's the best watchdog you can have. Nothing gets by those ears.
 
My cats are coming with me, if I have anything to say.

But, if it came down to it, and I absolutely couldn't bring them, I will not leave them in a situation like NOLA. I would humanely prevent their suffering, rather than risk them dying of starvation, drowning, disease, or radiation sickness. I love them too much to let them go through any pain, if they are going to die anyway. I can imagine that hundreds, if not thousands of pets are going to have to be euthanized in Louisiana, just to prevent the spread of disease, and/or to put them out of their misery. Sad, very sad.

Daniel
 
Being that we live in Florida with three beautiful, large dogs, my husband and I have been talking about this for years. We've been discussing it quite a bit recently. We both agree that we would never leave our dogs to die. I don't really care what people think of me for saying that. Our dogs are like helpless children to us. They've been loyal to a fault. We couldn't leave them and live with ourselves. When we watch the mandatory, by force, evacuations in New Orleans and then hear that the residents must leave their dogs behind, we both get really sick over it. They'd have to take me and my husband by force.

During the last hurricanes that came through our area my mother asked us to come to her place. I told her that I have my dogs. She answered, "Just leave them in the house" (or something to that affect). Guess what, we didn't leave. After seeing the aftermath of Katrina, my husband and I both agree that we will leave if a hurricane is coming towards us. We're taking our dogs. We'd all stay in our car if we had no other choice.

Edited to add: My husband wants us to buy a house in Ohio. I have to admit that hurricanes and my dogs has become a big motivating factor. At least I'd know that I have someplace to take them. Obviously, we're looking into the market and everything else, but a second house out of the southeast may be the ticket.
 
My wife and I have two cats that are both indoor cats. By this, I mean that they have been declawed on their front paws. They can not survive on their own, so I have a responsibility to them to care for them. This is a moral responsibility, since we were the ones who had them declawed, aside from the fact that I love my little Sweetheart. She is more dog than cat, in that she comes down to greet me at the door and will come to tell me that it is bedtime, just the way that my old black lab did. Her mother is a Maine Coon and her father, in the manner of cats, was a travelling man. He must have been very much of the Asiatic lineage, as she is very lithe, slim, and lightweight, rather like a white Siamese, and talks like a Siamese. But her behavior is very Maine Coon.

This whole thing puts me very much in mind of the old Robert Heinlein quote about a man being able to do certain responsible things, one of which is to shoot his own dog if necessary. When I had to put my lab down, I dodn't shoot him, but I stayed there and held him while the veterinarian gave him the shot and he just went to sleep. He was in so much pain that I had no choice and I am crying now, eleven years later, as I post this.
 
jsmatos said:
Edited to add: My husband wants us to buy a house in Ohio. I have to admit that hurricanes and my dogs has become a big motivating factor. At least I'd know that I have someplace to take them. Obviously, we're looking into the market and everything else, but a second house out of the southeast may be the ticket.
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Hey JS, c'mon up to Ohio! We love people who love dogs up here! :D
 
Yeah, my sister lives on a horse farm Northeast of Columbus and she has a bunch of dogs and cats as well as the horses. The only problem is that it gets cold enough to freeze the proverbial brass monkey and they get a lot of lake effect snow.
 
I know my wife wouldn't leave our (it was with her 6 year before we married) dog behind, but if the shithouse really came down, I'd try to take her and the cats with us in backpacks. or something.
 
FullerH said:
Yeah, my sister lives on a horse farm Northeast of Columbus and she has a bunch of dogs and cats as well as the horses. The only problem is that it gets cold enough to freeze the proverbial brass monkey and they get a lot of lake effect snow.
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Most Winters it usually doesn't get all that cold up here anymore. We get a few cold weeks and that's usually it. Of course, it's all comparative. :)
 
In a disaster situation, I would absolutely take the pets. It might come down to having to eat them.
 
MikeH said:
In a disaster situation, I would absolutely take the pets. It might come down to having to eat them.
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Mike, that's heartless. :( I'd cut off my arm to feed my dogs if they were hungry. Well...maybe yours, anyway. ;)
 
I'm NOT leaving my cats behind to fend for themselves, and that's that. I'll stay and do the best I can.
 
I, most likely, will stay put and go down with the ship. I am usually not the panicky type, and the banter and hysterics just prevent me from taking these people seriously. We probably lose more people in the frantic rush to avoid the storm, then in the storm itself. NO was damaged by the storm and lost by incompetence; are, these the people who's marching orders you are willing to accept? Perhaps, if the people had actually stayed in NO, they would have been able to restore the key power systems in time to have spared the city most of the damage. Flight and panic is never the right way to go. If you fear for your safety, you should forget about the evacuation plan and just permanently move to a safer spot.

n2s
 
ADBF said:
Hey JS, c'mon up to Ohio! We love people who love dogs up here!
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Thanks. :D My husband is from Ohio and most of his family live there. I really enjoy going up there for our visits. Everyone is very warm and friendly. I've always liked people that I meet from Ohio. And yes, lots of dog people in my husband's family too. ;)

not2sharp said:
I, most likely, will stay put and go down with the ship. I am usually not the panicky type, and the banter and hysterics just prevent me from taking these people seriously. We probably lose more people in the frantic rush to avoid the storm, then in the storm itself. NO was damaged by the storm and lost by incompetence; are, these the people who's marching orders you are willing to accept? Perhaps, if the people had actually stayed in NO, they would have been able to restore the key power systems in time to have spared the city most of the damage. Flight and panic is never the right way to go. If you fear for your safety, you should forget about the evacuation plan and just permanently move to a safer spot.
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I am the first to agree with you about relying on anyone else for your safety (especially the government idiots. ;) ). But, as much as I love Florida, that doesn't mean that I'd stay and face a cat 4 or 5 hurricane coming my way. That doesn't mean that I'd run out in a panic. I would leave as much in advance as possible, then come back and rebuild whatever was damaged. I think that NO is the wrong example for what can happen in a Florida disaster. I look more to how the people responded in Andrew, Frances, Charley, and Ivan. I don't have to worry about flooding where I live beyond whatever the hurricane brings.
 
If possible, email me and we can arrange for some of your animals to stay with me for a while. You can trust me; I swear. I will do anything I can to help.

I'm totally serious. Email me and give me your phone number if there is any chance that I can help. I don't have the money to fly them to Pennsylvania, but I do have the resources to care for them if you can get them here.

I intended not to post on BFC again, so as of now I'm sticking to this (lurking in the community center and the general knife forums) but this kind of thing upsets me a lot. Please, please, let me know if there is ANYthing I may be able to do to help!

lantoniolli@aol.com
I don't want to post it here, but if you email me I will send you my phone number, or you can send me yours.

very sincerely,
~ashes
 
Most Winters it usually doesn't get all that cold up here anymore. We get a few cold weeks and that's usually it. Of course, it's all comparative.
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As a former Ohioan now living in Florida, I cannot tell you how wrong you are. Of course, I'm glad that many people from my former state love the change of seasons and mild winters of Ohio. Stay up there, it's too hot and dangerous down here ;) :p

On topic, I have had to evacuate, and the dogs went with us. I cannot envision a realistic disaster scenario where I couldn't or wouldn't take them.
 
i could never leave my husky behind. NEVER! end of story. he either comes with us or we don't leave. i don't care who says what there is no way we'd leave him behind.

The cat on the other hand is a different story. He can easily fend for himself since he spends most o fthe day outside. He's gotten really good at killing stuff lately ;)
 
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