Hurricane Season Blows in Good News for Animals
June 01 2005 - 4:12PM
PR Newswire (US)
Hurricane Season Blows in Good News for Animals South Florida
Evacuation Shelter Will Now Be 'Pet Friendly' FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.,
June 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Thanks to a partnership between
the PETCO Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States, and
the Humane Society of Broward County, South Floridians seeking safe
shelter in the path of a hurricane will now have somewhere to take
their pets as well. In the past, human evacuation shelters in South
Florida have not allowed pets to enter. Residents needing to use
the shelters were left with the choice of abandoning their
companions, or ignoring the evacuation order and putting their
lives in danger. This year, thanks to this partnership, Broward
County will be able to provide a shelter for people and their pets.
This is being made possible with the donation of 350 small, medium
and large crates for animals, donated by the PETCO Foundation.
PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. vendor Doskocil discounted the price of
the crates -- purchased by the PETCO Foundation, and will also
provide shipping to Broward County free of charge. "This is a true
partnership for animals, who are often the forgotten victims of
natural disasters," PETCO Foundation Director Paul Jolly said.
"These crates will ensure the safety of people as well as their
beloved animals, because they will be encouraged to evacuate
knowing that there is a refuge for all of their family members."
The new pet friendly shelter is the creation of the Humane Society
of Broward County (HSBC), in cooperation with the Broward Chapter
of the American Red Cross and the School Board of Broward County.
The project is supported by the Broward County Emergency Management
organization. Under the program, residents of the emergency
evacuation zone and their pets will be sheltered in separate
designated areas of the facility with Humane Society of Broward
County officials caring for the pets during the storm and the Red
Cross only managing the area of the shelter designated for people.
Because of space limitations, those who want to use the shelter
during declared emergencies must pre-register and can do so in
person at the Humane Society of Broward County starting June 8th.
Please call 954-266-6871 or log on to http://www.humanebroward.com/
for registration information. "The 2004 hurricane season, which saw
four storms devastate large parts of Florida, showed the importance
of providing a place for people to evacuate to with their companion
animals," according to Laura Bevan, Director of The Humane Society
of the United States' Southeast Regional Office. "Many people,
especially the elderly, are unable to evacuate long distances, and
don't have the financial resources to stay in hotels that allow
pets. However, by staying in evacuation zones, they are putting
themselves and their animals in danger. This pet friendly shelter
will ensure that both people and their pets are safe." Despite the
existence of this new shelter, people who live in the emergency
evacuation zone are strongly urged to make prior arrangements to go
to the homes of friends and relatives who reside outside the area
during declared emergencies. This is usually a more comfortable
alternative for both people and pets than an evacuation shelter.
The Humane Society of Broward County is a private, non-profit
organization that is supported 100% by donations from individuals
and corporations who want to make a difference for the animals. The
HSBC operates only one location and is not affiliated with any
local or national group that shares a similar name. The PETCO
Foundation, PETCO's non-profit organization, has raised more than
$23 million since inception in 1999. More than 2,700 non-profit
grassroots animal welfare organizations from around the nation have
received support from the Foundation. Through the PETCO Foundation,
PETCO endeavors to be a community leader in promoting the welfare
of companion animals, as well as the importance of the human-animal
bond. The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's
largest animal protection organization representing more than nine
million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a
mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion
animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response,
wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm
animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education,
investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and fieldwork.
The group is based in Washington and has numerous field
representatives across the country. On the web at
http://www.hsus.org/. DATASOURCE: PETCO CONTACT: Paul Jolly of
PETCO Foundation, +1-626-287-0952, , or Shawn Underwood of PETCO,
Communications, +1-858-909-4662, Web site:
http://www.humanebroward.com/ http://www.hsus.org/
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