| Home > Community thoughts > Ignoring the plight of pets in disaster aftermath adds to human stress: Lessons from Katrina |
| Ignoring the plight of pets in disaster aftermath adds to human stress: Lessons from Katrina | | Date Created: 12 Sep, 2005, 08:07 PM |
 I've blogged here in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina how that disaster revealed an unpleasant underbelly within American society: rich/poor; black/white; prepared and informed/unprepared and self-absorbed.
European and Australian observers have looked upon rescue efforts and wondered at the initial response which seems exceptionally heavy with military style to keep law and order. Those other nations and communities have had their share of floods and natural calamities but we've not seen evacuees held at gunpoint and refused return to their property to recover their left-behind members of their families: their pets.
And this is the further division within American society: Those who would describe themselves as pet-oriented, and those who don't see the point. It seems as dichotomous as that.
When we lost Shrek, our German Shepherd Dog which is blogged here (see Top stories, right) I discovered that some of our friends were devastated for our loss (he was recovered) while others asked us to almost immediately "get over it" and find another pet.
The pet lovers spoke to us like in ways that suggested they believed his loss would be like losing a child; others just didn't see it that way, and can't understand how any one can form such a strong attachment to a non-human. My own thought is that they often find it difficult to understand strong attachments, period.
In the wake of Katrina, we are reading stories from a variety of sources which have proven quite horrifying, and caused me to spend more time with Shrek, for fear of losing him, like so many in the affected areas had lost their pets. Made worse by not being able to return to find them, and stories of abandoned animals being destroyed by Guardsmen and others "for humane reasons."
Believe it or not, the much-maligned FEMA - whom I greatly respected at one stage when I was heavily involved in Disaster Management planning and Traumatic Stress via memberships of organisations such as ISTSS (International Societuy for the Study of Traumatic Stress) and NOVA (National Organisation for Victim Assistance) based in Illinois and Washingtion, D.C. respectively - has a website devoted to animals and disaster planning.
Aimed at children, you can see it here.
It clearly acknowledges the role of pets in disaster planning, and how families can best care for their pets.
Something has gone terribly wrong in the human management of Katrina's wake. Watching parents separated from their children - including babies - seems a nightmarish experience, and a recipe for further disaster. Same for separation of families from their pets, which can offer normalising and stabilising for families in times of crisis.
The Daily Kos blog has some poignant stories about pets, as well as commentary from some who can't understand the fuss. National Geographic magazine discusses efforts to organise pet rescues which seems embarassingly better than those for the human left behind.
And the Humane Society of the US has shown the way with rescue efforts too, documented at its homepage, here.
To some extent, how humans treat their animals reflects either well or badly on themselves. The ability to look after those less able than ourselves says something about the human condition. Katrina will test many in its awake in terms of their humanity, and how they treat animals is one subtest.
I always feed Shrek before I feed myself. Because I can and he can't. It's my responsibility as a pet owner.
Those who deny the linkage between humans and animals would do well to consider history first.
The notion of feeding one's animals before oneself is not a whim, but indeed, part of the Talmud which Jews revere.
Moreover, from the archives of the Cleveland Jewishnews.com, comes the following quote:
"A pet of a Jew is actually in some ways considered a Jew as well. Jewish-owned pets must observe Shabbat like the rest of us. For example, one may not allow one's pet to carry something in a public area where there is no eruv (physical boundary within which Jews can carry items on Shabbat) (Ex. 20:10). Furthermore, on Shabbat, one must avoid trapping one's pets in any way (Shabbat 106b; i.e., closing them into a room) and even must limit contact with them due to their muktza status. ("Muktza" is a category of rabbinic law which forbids handling certain objects on Shabbat.)
Last, but not least, those who require the use of guide dogs will be pleased to know that they are eligible for membership and seating privileges in any synagogue (Igros Moshe 1:45). Woof!"
I add this only to display that there are long established links between animal ownership - for work - and pet responsbility, for pleasure.
Ignoring this link, one of the most emotional many people will experience in their lifetimes apart from their own families, is done at the peril of those lending assistance in times of disaster. It's not preipheral to families' recovery, but central to re-establishing stability in the wake of overwhelming trauma.
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