When a wildfire, flood, or storm strikes a community, the damage is far-reaching: Homes and infrastructure may be destroyed, people are forced to evacuate, and pets are sometimes lost or left behind.
A study published this week in PLOS Climate found that the number of cats and dogs in shelters near climate-related disasters spikes for up to a year after the event. Researchers looked at data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Shelter Animals Count (SAC) to make the connection between these disasters and the surge in shelter animals.
Heidi Brown, an associate professor of public health at the University of Arizona, said that, as a dog owner, she wanted to learn more about how pets were being affected by climate disasters. “When people are struggling, they’re struggling with their animals,” she said. “When we think about cities and states adapting and preparing for disasters, what do we see in terms of actually integrating human and animal responses to that?”
Brown analyzed data from FEMA and SAC from 2013 to 2018. The counties studied are ones that requested federal aid after hurricanes and fires during that time. The type of disaster affected dog and cat numbers in shelters differently. After hurricanes, shelters saw an influx of dogs, starting the month of the storm and continuing for a year after. After fires, shelters saw a sharp increase in cats, as well as a rise in the number of cats euthanized. It’s possible, the study suggests, that cats are more likely to be injured enough to warrant euthanasia after a wildfire.
“Naively, I’m a dog owner. I don’t have a cat. I was surprised about the effects of fire with cats,” Brown said. “Cats have hide instinct, and dogs have more of the run response … understanding about the context in which these things are happening is extremely important.”
G/O Media may get a commission
Back to School
Back to School Month with Govee Sale
Decorate your dorm
You may not be allowed to paint your dorm room walls when you get back to school, but no one can stop you from painting them with light! Govee has a ton of different RGB smart lights on sale just for the occasion as the first week of school approaches.
There are some protections for people who are trying to evacuate from disaster zones with pets. The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards, or PETS Act, was passed in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina. The act requires pets to be considered in evacuation plans, but many counties across the U.S. still lack effective plans that account for different types of animals. And according to the CDC, some Red Cross evacuation centers don’t allow animals inside.
The study argues that pets be considered in evacuation plans for their own safety and for the mental wellness of the people who own them. In the study’s introduction, researchers referenced a 2017 report in which pet owners were found to have lower levels of PTSD than non-pet owners during and after natural disasters. “They’re so important for our mental health as we’re dealing and responding [to emergencies],” Brown said. “There’s people that will make the choice, and have in the past, between saving themselves or waiting with their animals.”
Pets Fill Animal Shelters Up to a Year After Climate Disasters & Latest News Update
Pets Fill Animal Shelters Up to a Year After Climate Disasters & More Live News
All this news that I have made and shared for you people, you will like it very much and in it we keep bringing topics for you people like every time so that you keep getting news information like trending topics and you It is our goal to be able to get
all kinds of news without going through us so that we can reach you the latest and best news for free so that you can move ahead further by getting the information of that news together with you. Later on, we will continue
to give information about more today world news update types of latest news through posts on our website so that you always keep moving forward in that news and whatever kind of information will be there, it will definitely be conveyed to you people.
Pets Fill Animal Shelters Up to a Year After Climate Disasters & More News Today
All this news that I have brought up to you or will be the most different and best news that you people are not going to get anywhere, along with the information Trending News, Breaking News, Health News, Science News, Sports News, Entertainment News, Technology News, Business News, World News of this made available to all of you so that you are always connected with the news, stay ahead in the matter and keep getting today news all types of news for free till today so that you can get the news by getting it. Always take two steps forward
Credit Goes To News Website – This Original Content Owner News Website . This Is Not My Content So If You Want To Read Original Content You Can Follow Below Links