Horse Illustrated Magazine

Flooding in cities along the Mississippi River has forced many residents to evacuate, often abandoning their homes and belongings. In natural disasters such as this, horse and pet owners must make quick decisions about how to keep their animals safe.

Owners of small animals such as cats and dogs can pack up their pets in the car and take them along. However, not all shelters for evacuees allow animals. National organizations such as the ASPCA, HSUS and American Humane Association have stepped in to assist local animal shelters in affected areas to feed and house animals left behind or temporarily surrendered when their owners fled.

With horses and other large animals, evacuation becomes even more complicated. Horse owners are encouraged to make arrangements for housing and trailering and evacuate well ahead of time to prevent a last-second scramble.

In Memphis, the Agricenter International has offered 600 stalls for horse owners to use during the flooding. Owners must take care of their own horses but can use the stalls for only the charge of two bags of shavings. Some hay has been donated, but more is needed. To find out more, contact the Memphis/Shelby County EMA at 901-525-1515.

The Women’s Horse Industry Association is collecting donations for horses and horse owners in Tennessee affected by the flooding. For more information, contact Catherine Masters, Executive Director, at 615-730-7833 or visit WHIA’s website at www.womenshorseindustry.com

For horse owners in Louisiana, which is still bracing for the worst of the flooding, the Louisiana State Animal Response team has compiled a list of horse transport resources for evacuation on its website, www.lsart.org.

For rescources on preparing for emergencies, visit these sites:
Pet Disaster Preparedness from the ASPCA
Disaster Preparedness for Horses from HSUS

Further Reading
Is your barn prepared for emergencies?
Emergency Plan