Disaster Response

Rockingham Harrisonburg Emergency Animal Rescue Team

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Purpose:

To minimize animal suffering, loss of life, and subsequent disability by providing timely and coordinated assistance for animals displaced during a disaster, thereby preventing or alleviating anxiety and distress of animals and their owners.


Objectives:

  • To protect the health and safety of the community
  • To provide immediate care and control of animals
  • To minimize animal suffering, loss of life, and subsequent disability
  • To provide a system for returning animals to their owners after the event is over


Definition of a Disaster:

A disaster is any occurrence, natural or man-made, that causes substantial suffering to human beings and animals, and catastrophic damage to property.


What we do:

  • We are a small group of volunteers organizing procedures for temporarily providing housing and care for companion animals in the event of a local emergency.
  • To date we have been involved with a table top exercise to learn how best to set up a temporary emergency shelter.
  • We have compiled a list of local hotels and motels that would provide shelter for people with their pets during an event deemed a disaster or emergency.
  • We have compiled a list of items to include in an emergency first aid kit, and discussed the uses of each item.
  • We have created a brochure to inform local pet owners about things they might want to do to prepare for such a time when they might need to evacuate themselves and their pets quickly from their home.
  • We have contracted with Rockingham County Fairgrounds to be able to use the fairgrounds to set up an emergency shelter in the advent of a disaster.

To learn more about what you need to do to prepare your own pets in advance for an emergency click here.