Animal Care Disaster Plan is being created

Wayne County has formed a committee to develop an Animal Care Disaster Plan.

The committee includes representatives from the County Emergency Management Office, Wayne County Public Health Service, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County, Wayne County Humane Society, Farm Service Agency and NYS Ag & Markets. This plan will describe the organization and operational policies and procedures required to meet the needs of animals during and following a major emergency situation.

An incident involving a natural or man-made disaster will exert a tremendous amount of effort to coordinate the assistance. This plan will outline a comprehensive approach to address the pre-disaster public education, response and activities that residents can take to keep their animals safe during a disaster.

Recent disasters have reflected the human-animal bond that affects large segments of the human populations and their behavior in disasters. People with companion animals frequently will choose not to evacuate rather than leave animals behind. People will try to re-enter an area to retrieve animals left behind, putting themselves as well as emergency personnel at risk. Therefore, it is essential to develop policies and procedures for responding and managing small and mid-sized events that could become disasters.

The committee also is working with representatives from NYS AG & Markets to develop a County Animal Response Team (CART). This team of volunteers will be trained to respond to incidents where animal rescue is required. The committee is looking for volunteers to become CART members. People are needed with varying skills and expertise.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering should call the County Emergency Management Office at 946.5663.

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