Robert SmithAnimal Services Manager

Washoe County Regional Animal Services

WASHOE COUNTY

REGIONAL ANIMAL

SERVICES

Bobby Smith

Manager of Operations

4 COMPUTER STATIONS FOR

DISPATCH OPERATIONS AND A

PLANNING ROOM

75 TO 125 DOGS

50 CATS OR SMALL

ANIMALS

ACCESS TO FACILITIES THAT CAN

HOUSE VARIOUS TYPES OF

LIVESTOCK

WE CAN ALSO HOUSE ANIMALS AT WCRAS AND

OTHER NEARBY SHELTERS

WCRAS HAS TWO EMERGENCY SHELTER

TRAILERS

STATISTICSEACH YEAR OVER 4,000 PEOPLE DIE

IN HOUSEFIRES ALONE AND MORE THAN 25,000 ARE INJURED IN FIRES.

ANIMALS ARE NOT RECORDED

UP TO 25% OF PET OWNERS WILL FAIL

TO EVACUATE BECAUSE OF THEIR

ANIMALS

30 – 50% OF PET OWNERS WILL

LEAVE THEIR PETS BEHIND EVEN WITH ADVANCE NOTICE

OF AN EVACUATION

DUE TO THE ISSUES WITH ANIMALS DURING HURRICAN KATRINA,

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PASSED H.R. 3858, THE PET ACT,

ALSO KNOW AS “PETS EVACUATION AND TRANSPORTATION

STANDARDS” OF 2006. THIS ACT ADVISED GOVERNMENT

AGENCIES THAT IT IS CRITICAL TO HAVE HOUSEHOLD PETS

ADDED TO DISASTER PLANS AND THOSE AGENCIES MUST

PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO PETS AND THEIR OWNERS DURING TIMES OF DISASTERS.

IN 2007 THE NEVADA LEGISLATURE ADDED LANGUAGE TO NRS 414 EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT

NRS 414.095 STATES THAT LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT MUST, WITHOUT LIMITATIONS, ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PERSONS WITH

PETS….DURING AND AFTER AN EMERGENCY OR DISASTER

IN 2008, HOMELAND SECUIRTY AND FEMA ADDED THE PETS ACT INTO THE MASS

EVACUATION INCIDENT INDEX

INDIVIDUALS MAY CHOOSE NOT TO

EVACUATE IF DIRECTED TO LEAVE THEIR ANIMALS

BEHIND

HOUSEHOLD PETS MUST BE

INCORPORATED INTO EVACUATION PLANS

ANIMAL SHELTERS MUST BE SET UP IN

CLOSE PROXIMITY TO HUMAN SHELTERS

PLANNING AND ACCOMODATING

HOUSEHOLD PETS IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO MASS EVACUATION

THE WASHOE COUNTY EVACUATION, SHELTERING

AND MASS CARE PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY THE BCC ON

MARCH 25, 2008AFTER CAREFUL STUDY AND

REVIEW BY MULTIPLE AGENCIES IN WASHOE COUNTY, THE PLAN WAS

IMPLEMENTED IN 2010

WHETHER IT IS A LARGE SCALE

NATURAL DISASTER LIKE HURRICANE

KATRINA

OR AN UNFORSEEN EMERGENCY SUCH

AS A HOUSE FIRE

EVERYONE CAN BENEFIT FROM HAVING AN

EVACUATION PLAN IN PLACE BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES

IDENTIFICATION &

PHOTOGRAPHS

HEALTH RECORDS &

PAPERWORK

DISASTER KIT

TRANSPORTATION

BUDDY SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION &

PHOTOGRAPHS

DOGS AND CATS SHOULD ALWAYS WEAR PROPERLY

FITTING COLLARS, WITH AN ID, RABIES AND LICENSE TAG

WE RECOMMEND THAT ALL CATS AND DOGS HAVE A

MICROCHIP IMPLANTED FOR IDENTIFICATION AS COLLARS

CAN EASILY BE REMOVED OR FALL OFF

MAKE SURE ALL THE INFORMATION ON THE TAGS ARE

CURRENT AND YOUR PET IS REGISTERED WITH REGIONAL

ANIMAL SERVICES

KEEP A PHOTO OF EACH PET AND MAKE SURE ANY

DISTINGUISHING MARKINGS ARE VISIBLE

YOU WILL NEED PROOF OF OWNERSHIP TO RETRIEVE

YOUR PET FROM A SHELTER

HEALTH RECORDS &

PAPERWORK

STORE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS IN A ZIP-LOCK OR

WATERPROOF PLASTIC BAG

YOUR PETS AND LIVESTOCK NEED TO BE CURRENT

ON ALL VACCINATIONS

YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO SHOW PROOF OF

VACCINATIONS IF YOU NEED TO BOARD YOUR

ANIMALS AT A PRIVATE FACILITY

DISASTER KIT MAINTAIN A DISASTER PREPAREDNESS SUPPLY KIT FOR

EACH OF YOUR ANIMALS THAT SHOULD INCLUDE THE

FOLLOWING:

FIRST AID KIT

VACCINATION RECORDS

VETERINARIAN’S INFORMATION

PET CARRIERS, CAGES

LEASHES/NON-NYLON, HALTERS AND LEADS OR

ROPES

2 WEEKS SUPPLY OF FOOD/WATER

CAN OPENER

NON-SPILL FOOD/WATER BOWLS

CAT LITTER & BOX

NEWPAPER/PAPER TOWELS

PLASTIC BAGS

DUCT TAPE

PERMANENT MARKER

BLEACH

WATER BUCKET

TRANSPORTATION

EACH ANIMAL SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN

PET CARRIER, PORTABLE CAGE, LEASH

OR HALTER AND LEAD READILY

AVAILABLE

FOR LIVESTOCK, KEEP TRAILERS AND

VANS WELL MAINTAINED, FULL OF GAS

AND READY TO MOVE AT ALL TIMES

IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR OWN

VEHICLES, MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH

LOCAL COMPANIES OR NEIGHBORS

BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES

BUDDY SYSTEM

IN CASE YOU ARE NOT HOME WHEN A DISASTER

STRIKES, ASK A TRUSTED NEIGHBOR TO CHECK ON

YOUR ANIMALS

EXCHANGE VETERINARY INFORMATION AND FILE A

PERMISSION SLIP WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN

AUTHORIZING THEM TO GET EMERGENCY TREATMENT

FOR YOUR PET IF YOU CANNOT BE LOCATED