When floods hit, not only people are affected, but also their beloved pets, which can hinder evacuation efforts. To help ensure the safety of these animals in the event of a flood, the ASPCA and the Louisiana State Animal Response Team joined together to provide training to eleven agencies from across the state on how to successfully drive an assortment of boats to assist in the rescue of animals from water. Performed on a man-made lake, and involving ten different types of engine-propelled boats, the training used stuffed toy animals as stand-ins for the rescue exercises. “The goal here is to build local response capabilities,” said Dick Green, senior director of ASPCA Disaster Response to The Advocate.
With the recognition that many people refused to leave their pets behind during previous flooding, instead choosing to put themselves at risk to stay with their animals, John Walther, assistant commissioner over animal health with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, observed that this training “is an evolution of what we learned from Katrina. Saving pets saves people.”
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