During the recent hurricanes we all watched with sorrow as thousands of pets were displaced from their owners. Many concerned dog owners contributed financially to the relief efforts, while others volunteered their time at shelters, with rescue groups or opening up their homes to evacuated animals. The purebred dog community can be proud of its boundless generosity during this time.

Now that recovery efforts are in full swing, however, purebred dog owners are asking what they can do to help prevent these types of tragedies from occurring in the future. Although disaster preparedness is obviously an important issue to those in hurricane prone areas, tragedies such as fires, floods or terrorist attacks can happen anywhere. Dog clubs, federations and Legislative Liaisons are well positioned to help create and implement disaster plans for animals in their local areas. Such outreach not only provides a vital service to the community, it also presents a great opportunity to build relationships with local elected officials and animal control officers.

Hilton Head Island Kennel Club is one club that has set the standard when it comes to disaster preparedness. President Dr. Donald Brown and his wife Ann first became interested in this issue after volunteering with the Red Cross after a hurricane. “You look at these evacuees who don’t have any money, only the clothes on their backs and no place to go and you realize, ‘Hey, this could be me. This could happen to any of us,’” said Dr. Brown.

Recognizing that the best way to help victims would be to have a plan in place before disaster struck, the Hilton Head Kennel Club spent many months working with local and state officials to design and implement a successful disaster plan. They even conducted a two-part seminar this past June – first to help clubs address these issues, and second, to teach members of the local pet-owning public how they can be better prepared to protect themselves and their pets. The club’s work provides an excellent blueprint for other dog clubs and fanciers to follow in their own communities. It’s also helped them build a reputation among local officials as a concerned, proactive group with animal expertise - a reputation that will serve them well should legislative issues arise in Hilton Head.

Dr. Brown suggests that kennel clubs develop a committee to work on this issue. A club should have local coordinators who can work with evacuation sites to determine policies and fees, post the information to the kennel club’s website and act as a liaison with AKC. Finally he recommends the club establish a person who will be the first point of contact during the actual emergency.

Dr. Brown points out that many club members are adept at traveling with their pets and can help community leaders identify what needs to be done to create a successful disaster relief plan. Why not start by talking to your local animal control officers to find out what provisions there are for animals in the event of an evacuation. Does the city have animal friendly shelters? If not, would they consider adding it to their long range plans? Can you help identify areas locally that could take pets?

Fanciers should next work to create a list of hotels along evacuation routes and in their communities that will accept pets. If a hurricane or disaster strikes in a nearby area, local clubs can be ready to organize assistance for evacuees. For fanciers who own larger numbers of pets, the Hilton Head Island Kennel Club plan recommends identifying places that will accept motor homes and large vans. Suggestions include convention centers, dog show sites, raceways and private property owned by kennel club members or others who are sympathetic to this cause.

The recent hurricanes in the Gulf have opened the public’s eyes to the need for disaster planning, and AKC dog club members have a great potential to be leaders in this area. AKC’s Public Education and Public Relations departments are currently developing materials to assist fanciers in these efforts. In the meantime, it’s never too early to get started!