Preparing for the Unthinkable
How to be ready to save your
buns if Terrorists strike.
Before the horrors of
September 11th, the tragedies pet owners most feared were a
house fire, a tornado, a hurricane, or a flood. Now, we've
been asked to shift our own personal paradigms and prepare for
the unthinkable: another terrorist strike.
Such strikes are hard enough on
humans, but our companion animals often are defenseless in the
face of terrorist attacks. While the odds are slim that
any one individual will face a terrorist assault; we've been
asked by our government to prepare ourselves and our homes.
Here are my thoughts on preparing to save your pets.
Pre-plan for disaster.
These are tips which should seem obvious...but are ones we
don't often consider.
- Have enough carriers.
Make sure they work. Know where they are. If an
area is being evacuated you won't have time to look for that
purple carrier you bought a few years ago and put....
Being able to move your animals away from harm may be critical
and speed will be of the essence.
- Pack your
Emergency Kit.
- Have food, hay, and water
packed to travel. Or to outlast shortages.
- Have a stash of food, hay,
and clean water. Check with your vet, but many
animal feeds can be frozen to avoid mold or decay. Be
sure the supplies are clean and protected from vermin.
Your stash should be replaced every 4 to six months depending
on how you store the materials.
- Have an emergency supply (3
days) of any meds your buns may need.
- Designate an alternate
care-taker. This is good advice for daily life as
well. If you find yourself unable to take care of your
animals due to injury or, heaven forbid, death; someone will
need to be ready to care for your pets. You may wish to
have an attorney draw up legal documents so that both parties
are protected from litigation. Make the arrangements now
so that there are no unpleasant surprises.
- Find alternate routes to
safe areas. If an emergency happens, most will get
in their cars and, like lemmings, follow the pack. The
main surface roads will become parking lots. Know how to
get out of town without using the main arteries.
- Have vet records together
and ready to take with you. If your animals need
assistance the veterinary records may mean the difference
between life and death. Even the results of "well-bunny"
exams can offer critical information in an emergency
situation. For dogs and cats, Vaccination records are an
essential.
Preparing for Particular Types
of Terrorism
Biological
Attacks
Anthrax - Anthrax is a natural occurring disease that
resides in the soil. When refined and made into an aerosol
or powdered form it can be a
devastating weapon. An animal with a weakened immune
system is vulnerable to the spores that exist in the soil.
The
weaponized version of anthrax is highly infectious and can
prove to be lethal to rabbits. They key to
protection is preventing the spores from reaching your animals.
Botulism - The neurotoxins produced by Botulism are used
as a weapon through aerosols or by placing the toxins directly
in food or drink. It cannot be transmitted from one person
to another. The neurotoxins attack the nervous system of
whomever or whatever ingests it. To protect your pets,
know from where their food comes.
Smallpox - The variety of smallpox virus which affects
rabbits is
myoxoma, or rabbit pox. This virus was used in an
awful and failed attempt to reduce the wild rabbit population in
Australia.
Rabbit pox is currently being used to study how smallpox would
affect a human population. The human variety, however,
should not be of concern to our rabbits.
Hemorrhagic Fevers -
Rabbit
Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (VHD), also known as Rabbit
Calicivirus Disease (RCD), is, in essence, rabbit Ebola.
While unlikely to be used as a weapon against humans, disruption
of normal communication and governmental systems could allow
this disease to spread to more of the US.
Plague - The Plague (yersinia
pestis) is one of man's oldest enemies. Carried by fleas,
the plague can also be spread through bites from infected
animals (including rabbits). Rabbits are rarely affected
by the bacterium. However, it is critical that fleas be
controlled as well as mice and rats who may bring the disease
into your home through fleas. Wild rabbits (and rodents)
should be avoided.
Tularemia - Tularemia (sometimes known as rabbit fever)
is a disease that is carried by some wild (Eastern Cottontail
and Western Cottontail) rabbits in the US. As such, while
it is a
powerful weapon, It's impact on your rabbits
should be mild.
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