A University of Colorado at Boulder professor returned from Florida this week after a visit to study the effectiveness of emergency operations at animal shelters in an area hard hit by one of the recent hurricanes.
Pets are a major problem during hurricanes and other disasters because people aren't allowed to take cats and dogs into emergency shelters and most animal shelters already are filled to capacity under normal conditions, said Leslie Irvine, associate professor of sociology. After Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992, about 2,000 cats and dogs were left homeless.
"After Hurricane Andrew, pets were called the 'forgotten victims,' " she said. "There was no plan for taking care of them."
Irvine's study is one of 10 post-disaster studies from around the nation to be supported in Florida by the CU-Boulder Natural Hazards Center, which receives funds from the National Science Foundation specifically to sponsor "Quick Response" research following major disasters. The Quick Response Research Program allows researchers to conduct field research in the immediate aftermath of disastrous events.
Other studies funded following this year's hurricanes included an examination of how conflicts are resolved in the Emergency Operations Center during an extreme event, the rapid collection of information on hurricane-damaged buildings and neighborhoods using remote-sensing technologies, and a study on the impact of the National Flood Insurance Program on land-use patterns.
Irvine visited the Suncoast Humane Society in Englewood, Fla., which served as the main staging area for animal intake for a county hit by Hurricane Charley. When shelters are confronted with an emergency overflow situation, adoptable animals are sometimes transferred to other shelters. Some animals affected by the recent Florida hurricanes were airlifted as far away as Texas and Colorado.
"Charlotte County had a good plan in effect," Irvine said. "No animal had to be euthanized due to a lack of space." In contrast, an estimated 1,000 dogs and cats were euthanized due to a lack of shelter resources following Hurricane Andrew.
During her visit, Irvine studied how animal shelters planned for and handled the disaster. She also examined how emergency workers provided assistance to people suffering from anguish over separation from their pets. In addition to cats and dogs, some shelters also received rabbits and ferrets.
"The main thing I learned was the importance of planning and interagency communication," Irvine said. "They are just key."
Proposals for Quick Response studies are solicited each September by the Natural Hazards Center and are approved on a "stand-by" basis. Then if an appropriate event occurs during the following year -- including technologicial or human-induced events, such as Sept. 11 - researchers have the option of activating their grants. The small grants average about $2,000 and cover transportation, food and lodging.
For more information on the CU-Boulder Natural Hazards Center's Quick Response Research Program visit .