Local Animal disaster team headed to Texas

One of the good lessons learned from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina a couple of years ago is that animals need to be tended to. Of course, humans are the first priority, but anybody who ever had a pet knows how devastating it can be when something happens to their cherished animals.

I wouldn't be happy to lose my home or my possessions, but if something happened to my dog or my cat, it would make things even worse.

And if something bad was going to happen to me, I'd be happy to know that my animals will be taken care of in my absence.

I've interviewed families from New Orleans who lost their pets in the hurricane. I've visited scores of dogs that were flown to Los Angeles after the disaster. And I remember seeing little children crying on the news because they couldn't take their beloved pets with them during evacuations.

So kudos to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles, which is sending out an animal response team to Houston to help with animal rescue efforts after Hurricane Ike hit.

This story is from City News Service:

A ``Disaster Animal Response Team'' from the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is leaving Los Angeles this morning
and heading to Houston to help in animal rescue efforts resulting from
Hurricane Ike.
   The team is being dispatched in response to a request for assistance
from Texas authorities.
   ``We want to provide as much aid as possible,'' said Madeline Bernstein,
SPCA-LA president. ``As proved during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the
2007 California wildfires, our DART unit can provide emergency help in various
types of disasters.''
   The DART team, which consists of 9 SPCA employees, will leave in a five-
vehicle caravan from the P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village and Education
Center in Long Beach at around 7:45 a.m. Saturday morning. The team expects to
reach Houston on Monday, Sept. 15.
   The DART team vehicles are outfitted with full communications systems
capable of monitoring and dispatching emergency services.
   DART provides temporary shelter for animals and frontline veterinary
care. In addition, DART can help local state and national agencies to assist
families and their animals with medical, food and housing assistance.