Above: Benjamin, one of the first dogs at GRB during Harvey
How We Rallied the Public to Help Us Care for 1,500 Evacuated Pets
Like most that happened during Harvey, this campaign was not planned. Nobody anticipated the extend of the disaster. We didn’t know that the Mayor would allow evacuees to bring pets inside the George R Brown Convention Center. And Friends For Life certainly did not anticipate that they would be asked to lead the nation’s first co-habitated shelter. Still, when the call from the City came on the stormy night of August 27, there was only one answer: “When should we come?”
A midnight visit revealed what supplies were needed. To safely house pets alongside people, we needed crates, blankets, collars and leashes. To secure the animals’ health, we needed food and bowls, as well as vaccinations to prevent the spread of airborne diseases. To keep families together, we needed bands to match people to their animals, and a system to keep the records. All of this was needed right the way, as the halls of George R Brown were filling with exhausted evacuees. We needed trained volunteers and veterinarians. With most of Houstonians stranded in their homes, and high water preventing access to our Heights shelter, we turned for help to residents who could access our drop off locations.
GOAL 1 - To secure supplies for the evacuees’ pets
In a 1am Facebook post we listed drop off locations and the needed items. The next morning, the locations were filled with supplies! People brought their own animals’ crates and carriers, shared pet food, blankets, collars and leashes. That day, the supplies assisted the first wave of animals. The post was shared and re-shared, reaching nearly 800,000 people – so the supplies kept arriving for days to come, allowing us to provide evacuees with necessities to take back home.
Results
How We Drew National Attention to Co-habitated Sheltering
GOAL 2 - To draw media attention to the successful proof of concept
Friends For Life first responders worked around the clock to provide care for pets at GRB. The team was also acutely aware that a success or failure of their work would determine animal treatment in future disasters. It was the first time that your animal could stay in a crate near your cot. You would feed him, walk him, or let him sit on your lap. In previous disasters, pets would be separated from their owners and placed in different locations, like feed lots. That meant more work for volunteers, more worry for owners and more stress for the animals. And, sadly, the reunification numbers were low. At GRB, there were no worries about re-unification because the family unit was never separated to begin with. This win-win idea, called “co-habitated sheltering,” was working! We wanted the world to know.
As our communication team kept sharing updates and reports of the GRB situation, the topic caught attention of national media. CBS, NPR, PBS and Red Cross sent their journalists to cover the subject. The news eventually reached the disaster management community. As a result, Friends For Life was invited to participate in national disaster manual – that includes the co-habitated shelter protocols developed during Harvey. This manual, created in collaboration with the USDA, the American National Red Cross and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, is now available to all disaster teams.
