When I see those folks wading thru that water...

[kentuck]

...I can't help but think of Katrina.

The people seem to be helping each other a lot and there are a lot of boats on the water looking to help.

Also, the people in Houston seem to love their animals very much. I have seen numerous clips of dogs and cats being carried in their arms and in cages and in ice coolers. You can tell a lot about people by the way they treat animals, in my opinion.

Thinking of all the good people in Texas.

[Doreen]

1. I would stay with my animals.

The authorities would have to kill me if they demanded I evacuate without my animals. If they have to die they will die with their person. If I was able to carry them I would but if I couldn't I would stay. I made a commitment when I brought them into my life and I will stay with that.

[narnian60]

15. Same here.

Stayed through 2 category 3 hurricanes because of my animals. I will not leave unless it's a 4 or 5, and of course all four of them will come with me.

[beveeheart]

20. I think I read somewhere that after Katrina, evacuation of pets is now OK because

people didn't leave when they should have for, like you just said, they didn't want to leave their animals behind.

[politicat]

2. So many similarities.

Compromised hospitals. Compromised roads and pumping systems. It hit at the end of the month, so at the end of the money. Those hit hardest are the poorest and most fragile. No cooperative or coordinated planned evac for the most fragile (though this time it was more a matter of time. There just wasn't time.) Decades of failures of zoning and planning and corruption that will compound the difficulties the storm causes. "Heckuva job, Brownie" leadership.

[hlthe2b]

3. After Katrina, they forced official shelters to take pets... thankfully...

So many people died because they would not allow pets to be evacuated. Anyone remember the child with the little white dog, "Snowball" (mini American Eskimo, I think), who was not allowed to board an evacuation bus from New Orleans with the dog? Oh, gawd, I will NEVER forget that (nor forgive those who made that decision). It broke my heart that day along with so much human misery.

Thankfully all these pets are coming along this time. Sadly, lots of livestock, including companion horses pet goats will suffer horrific deaths.

[DemoTex]

4. I also think of Carla (the Texas hurricane that launched Dan Rather's career) ..

And the snakes. So many snakes. I thought of that this morning when I saw the news report of the Houston man and his son, wading in neck-deep water under I-45, in the pre-dawn dark, near a Houston bayou. Snakes.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. The problem of pets and shelter is that most shelters are simply

not equipped to house pets as well as humans.

Imagine the nightmare of a school gymnasium with several hundred people, and dozens of dogs and cats.

I've had cats in my time, and I fully understand how devoted people can be, but emergency planning needs to allow for pets. But then, if someone has four dogs, say, or seven cats, that will simply compound the problems.

There is simply no easy answer to what to do about the pets when people are forced out of their homes.

[phylny]

7. We do not live in a flood-prone or disaster-prone area, but the answer to this problem is crates.

We have five different crates. Two that will accommodate both dogs, three that are single-occupancy. If we needed to evacuate (unlikely where we live, but...) our two dogs would be in a crate, ready to be safe, but safe around other animals and people.

[TexasBushwhacker]

8. Some of the shelters are taking pets in carriers

People are sheltered inside and the pets are under a covered canopy.

[hlthe2b]

9. NO... A federal law was passed after Katrina. Official shelters HAVE to take pets.

as well they should... Even if they are later transferred to a separate secured area.

When people outnumber pets even 2-1 (more likely on the level of 100:1), there is no reason in the world that even several frightened or unruly pets can not be controlled and accommodated.

Even most Republicans recognized that and that is why that law was passed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pets_Evacuation_and_Transportation_Standards_Act
Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. As phylny said, the answer would be crates.

A lot of people, maybe most, don't have them.

I know I would be extremely unhappy to be in a shelter with a whole bunch of dogs, even crated. Or all the people that are highly cat or dog allergic? The barking would never stop. Separate shelters for those with dogs and those with cats would be a good idea.

[hlthe2b]

11. Wow... your compassion is overwhelming.

That you would be "unhappy" is quite frankly immaterial

Separation after the initial emergency/evacuations would undoubtedly occur, but for those with the slightest bit of humanity, saving lives immediately is the focus. and it is not going to be possible to load large dog crates on kayaks and row boats.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

12. Yeah, I know.

I've just gotten incredibly tired of people with dogs that are totally undisciplined. Oddly enough, I don't enjoy listening to my neighbors dogs bark for hours at a time. I know, that makes me a horrible person. I mean, why should anyone be expected to make sure their animal is well behaved?

[hlthe2b]

14. Expecting dogs not to bark in normal circumstances is quite different from wanting them left behind

to die in an emergency or not being willing to temporarily accommodate what it takes to save their lives.

I acutely remember seeing (live on tv) the episode with the child's dog, "snowball" being refused rescue passage after Katrina. Millions of others did too and fortunately this resulted in a change of not only pet rescue policy but law. It is a tragic story, but perhaps it will awaken the humanity that inconvenience appears to have numbed.:
http://epicroadtrips.us/2003/summer/nola/nola_offsite/Katrina/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowball_(Hurricane_Katrina_dog).html

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9223167/ns/health-pet_health/t/sad-story-little-boy-his-dog-grips-us/#.WaNQvNGQw2w

Among the thousands of crushing moments from last week’s deadly hurricane, one image brought the anguish home to many: a tearful little boy torn from his dog while being shuttled to safety.

It tugged at the heartstrings, prompting an outpouring from around the country of people on the hunt for both the boy and his dog Snowball in hopes of a reunion.

They’ve been scouring shelters, posting notes on the Internet and making phone calls to track them down. One woman set up a Web site to help people pair up pets with their owners. Another set up a reward to encourage someone to come forward with information on Snowball’s or the boy’s whereabouts.

“Everyone wants to know about Snowball,” said Laura Maloney, executive director of the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The boy was among the thousands sheltered at the Superdome after the hurricane. But when he went to board a bus to be evacuated to Houston, a police officer took the dog away. The boy cried out — “Snowball! Snowball!” — then vomited in distress. The confrontation was first reported by The Associated Press. Authorities say they don’t know where the boy or his family ended up.

[a la izquierda]

23. My dog did not like other dogs, so during tornadoes we rode it out at home.

We are fortunate enough to have a car, and would drive away in sleep in the car or camp if we had to. I'm not leaving my dogs to die awful deaths like some people. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hurricane-harvey-texas-dogs-chained-up-roman-forest-stephen-carlisle-a7914456.html

[TeamPooka]

13. Maybe you would be happy to be in the shelter, even with dogs, because you just survived

when others died.
But maybe not

[narnian60]

17. +100

[malaise]

6. Watching CNN as a guy with a boat that took a camera crew out rescued an old man in obvious pain

and the rest of the family. Thankfully they removed the camera so the woman can be rescued.

This is Katrina version 2 - give thanks for decent citizens

[bluepen]

16. Great way to get ringworm.

[haveahart]

18. I am so sad about this. A part of our family lives there. They were ok but holding on thru rising

waters. Haven't heard from them for a while. On stepdaughter had to stay with her elderly and disabled father who would not or could not move out.

I also feel for those who fled to Houston from the ravages of Katrina only to be faced with yet another terrible disaster. Lot of families fled NO to seek shelter and start a new life in Houston.

Be safe everyone.

[Maeve]

19. I know some rabidly RW folks--but in an emergency, they are gold

They will drop everything and help a neighbor--the same neighbor they let their dog crap on last week.

Do not assume peole are logical or consistant. They can be total bastards and generous aides in the same breath.

[mopinko]

21. this time they let the boats in.

i will never forget how a flotilla of private boats was turned away during katrina.

[calimary]

22. Yeah, me too, kentuck.

And you make a good point: You CAN INDEED tell a lot about people by the way they treat animals.

We told our daughter and her new husband that the best way to understand what would be involved with a kid would be - get an animal, first. The responsibility and needs of pet ownership can go a long way toward helping you appreciate what you're getting into if you're thinking about starting a family.

Your animals have needs - that YOU must fill.
Among their needs: to be fed, easy access to a water bowl, a place to "go", a place that's safe and sheltered, their health needs to be monitored, some grooming, and a wee bit of behavior training. They can't be left alone for long periods - they need companionship (particularly if they're just the one pet). They can't be "turned loose" or released to the wild when you're tired of them. AND IF you're "tired of them", then maybe you shouldn't have gotten a pet to begin with! You're probably not fit to have one! And if you think pets and animal maintenance is a pain in the ass, maybe you're not ready (or fit) to be a mom or dad, either.

It always pisses me off to hear the stories, after Easter for example, of innocent animals like bunnies and baby chicks, who after a day or two start making it obvious that they're ANIMALS with specific needs, are abandoned. Don't people get it? That's the last thing I'd give to a kid in an Easter basket. These little animals depend on us people, and they're NOT mere playthings to be cast aside after you've played with them for a few minutes. They're for keeps, and they have needs, and they depend on their human owners, and they're a responsibility.

That also happened after the "101 Dalmatians" film was released. Suddenly there was a big jump demand for dalmatian puppies. But from what I recall, they're a responsibility and they have their own behavior issues and you have to care for them properly!

"A good Dalmatian is a dependable, dignified gentleman, yet high-spirited and playful. A good Dalmatian.
However, there are lot of poorly-bred Dalmatians around, and these dogs can have serious temperament flaws. In addition, even a good Dalmatian needs plenty of exercise and companionship. Too much confinement (especially without the companionship of his family) and too little mental stimulation lead to boredom, hyperactivity, and destructive behaviors."

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/dalmatians.html

[hamsterjill]

24. Thank you, Kentuck.

I'm not in harms way, but a lot of my friends are heading in to flooded areas today to start trying to help the animals. They are taking any remaining animals out of the local shelters to make room as displaced pets come in from the floods. The animals they take from shelters will be relocated to either San Antonio or Austin.

I sincerely appreciate any good thoughts that are sent to these brave souls attempting to help.