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9/18/05: Yes, A Disaster Plan Can Save The Pets washingtonpost.com Sunday, September 18, 2005 The emotions that pets generate among young and old alike fleeing any disaster are not a new lesson ["Best Friends Need Shelter, Too," op-ed, Sept. 10]. I commanded the U.S. joint task force that evacuated 21,000 Navy and Air force family members — and their pets — from the Philippines to Guam after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. Many of these families were verging on hysteria — and all were traumatized, sure that they would never see their pets again and fearful of what would happen next. Most arrived with only the clothes on their backs and their most prized possessions — including Fido, Snowball, Ralph, et al. With meager resources — one Army veterinarian and a handful of Seabee carpenters — we built a 250-space kennel overnight and securely housed every pet brought to us. Scheduled visiting and exercise followed. It was another example of the "can do" spirit of the wonderful men and women of our armed forces. A plan to evacuate and care for the victims of a natural disaster, if it doesn't include their pets, is a lousy plan. JIM PERKINS Prince Frederick © 2005 The Washington Post Company |