To get aid in a disaster, one first determines find which county and/or state is declaring the disaster. Then you "hashtag" that geographical name and it will lead you to all kinds of aid. The county websites usually have information listed for immediate help. If you add the terms "livestock" or "pets" to the hashtag name of disaster, it will lead you to the main shelters or primary organizations offering aid. Livestock and horses are the most difficult to transport during a disaster. Most large farm animals are evacuated to county fairgrounds.
For smaller animals such as dogs and cats, government pounds sometimes help evacuate and temporarily house pets for those who have lost their homes. The reality is government pounds clear shelters by killing pets to make room for others. However, when we try to warn people that there's a real possibility that their pets are in danger of being killed, they get angry at me. In fact so many disasters leave beloved pets unclaimed and at the fate of pounds that are run by health departments, which are pressured to kill "excess" animals. Their job is animal care and control of dead animals and diseases or to impound any stray animal and kill it, i.e., management by death.
So it's up to the community and those of us who want to help those in need to reach out and offer aid to local shelters such as finding fosters, providing items like pet food, kennels, fencing, shavings, hay, grains, chicken coops, etc. In addition, after a period of time, unclaimed pets will need homes, and there is a very small period of time to find adopters if the owner does not claim the pet. What people need to know is that California has enacted the Hayden Act, which stipulates a four to six day hold for unclaimed pets (seven days with holiday) at government pounds.
There are three major recent disasters that need the public help. First is the northern California fire, known as #ValleyFire and #ValleyFirePets; second is the Texas fire, #BastropFire #pets, and last is the South Carolina Fire, #SCFloodRelief #pets.
The California fire in Lake County, was California's worst ever in terms sheer destruction. During fires, domestic animals seem to run back into burning houses or barns, unlike wildlife which instinctively knows where to go during a fire. So it's best to lock domestic pets outside and let them go free. Horses should have a snap halter so they don't get caught, and nothing made of nylon or plastic. Cats always suffer the most in fires since their instinct is to hide and not to run out into open spaces.
Rachael Hairston Photography