Groups Working to Rescue Stranded Galveston Horses
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 2:47 pm
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Groups Working to Rescue Stranded Galveston Horses
by: Erin Ryder, TheHorse.com News Editor
September 16 2008, Article # 12704
While most residents fled the island of Galveston, Texas, as Hurricane Ike approached amid National Weather Service warnings of "certain death," numerous horses and other livestock were left behind. Now rescuers are working to get the surviving animals to safety on the mainland, where a staging area for horses has been set up at Jack Brooks Park in Santa Fe, Texas.
Jerry Finch, president of Habitat for Horses, an equine protection organization based in Galveston County, is assisting in this effort. As of the evening of Sept. 15, crews were just beginning to assess the damage and see to equine needs. Finch's team covered a portion of West Galveston.
"I just went down basically to do an assessment, and there are a bunch of (horses) down there," Finch reported. "There are probably at this point 80 to 100 horses that we're going to have to pull out, in just the little section that we saw."
Finch reported the Galveston flooding was reminiscent of the plight of Plaquemines Parish, La., after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. "The water (in Galveston) got 8 to 10 feet deep, so these horses had to swim out of whatever pastures they were in," Finch reported.
"For those that had to leave their animals, if we can find them we'll take care of them," Finch added. "We're horse people, but the livestock's important to us, too," he said of the stranded cattle that have been spotted in the region. "We'll do whatever we can do to make sure everybody's taken care of."
Finch said horse owners can assist in the rescue in two ways: They can donate time or money. Volunteers will be needed to help care for animals at the staging area. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Habitat for Horses at 866/434-5737. Finch said cash donations are most useful to the group. Donations can be made via the Web site, Habitatforhorses.org, or mailed.
Damage at the Habitat for Horses ranch in Galveston County.
"With money we can buy the things we really need," Finch explained. "So many people donated things in Katrina that we just never really needed. We need the money to buy the necessities, to pay the vets, to buy the hay."
Aside from the rescue operation under way, another concern is the Habitat for Horses' own primary facility, located on 27 acres in Galveston County. That ranch is home to around 50 animals. Finch described it as "in shambles. But the horses are okay. That was our biggest thing. As long as the horses are okay, we can handle it. We had a brand new barn, operating room facility, everything else, and it no longer has a roof. The sheds and storage are gone. But that's physical stuff--let's take care of the horses first, then we'll take care of (the rest of) it."
Other groups, including the Texas Animal Health Commission, members of a National Veterinary Response Team, USDA Veterinary Services, and the Texas State Animal Resource Team, are also working on the scene. Find contact information for these groups and other resources at "Hurricane Recovery: Contacts for Texas Livestock Owners, Rescue Crews."
Hurricane Recovery: Contacts for Texas Livestock Owners, Rescue Crews
by: Edited Press Release
September 15 2008, Article # 12699
From the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC):
Animal response to Hurricane Ike continues to be a team effort, as the issues are much larger than the resources of any one agency or association. The TAHC statewide has worked with the livestock industry to establish sites for emergency shelters, and with local governments, agencies, and associations to develop animal issues committees.
The Texas Animal Health Commission is supporting the disaster district committees in the affected area with persons who have animal and livestock expertise. The agency has established a small area command in the Austin headquarters, and is one of more than 30 agencies in the Governor's Division of Emergency Management. The TAHC's Area Command can be reached at 800/550-8242, ext 296.
At the request of the TAHC, members of a National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) are now being deployed by the federal government to assist in Texas recovery operations. Animal response teams from both Florida and New Mexico have volunteered to provide assistance to Texas via the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) system and are awaiting final authorization.
A joint TAHC and USDA Veterinary Services team is working in the Beaumont area, assessing large animal issues from the air and ground. The scope of livestock death loss is not yet known. Another team will be assessing the western side of the storm area, when re-entry is allowed.
The Texas State Animal Resource Team (TXSART), supported by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, is working in the area with credentialed animal care groups. A TXSART hotline for Orange and Jefferson County has been set up at 409/980-7280 and 409/838-2510.
In several storm-ravaged counties, large numbers of cattle and horses caught in the storm surge either died or fences are down, and animals are loose or stranded. The TAHC is coordinating carcass disposal with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Reports of dead livestock should be made to the TAHC's Area Command Center at 800/550-8242, ext 296. Callers will be asked to provide the location, species of animal, approximate number, and if, possible, the GPS coordinates of the site.
The Texas Agrilife Extension, Texas Department of Agriculture and livestock industry groups which have established "Operation No Fences: Hurricane Ike Horse and Cattle Relief" to collect feed, hay and water troughs to provide the livestock with safe feed and water. For more information or to make a donation, call the Texas 4H Foundation at 979/845-1213.
Producers who wish to donate hay or are in need of hay are encouraged to call the Texas Department of Agriculture's Hay Hotline at 877/429-1998. Visit tda.state.tx.us/hayhotline for more information.
Many of the emergency animal shelters for large and small animals remain operational, and livestock producers continue to generously volunteer their pastures and barns for evacuees.
Early information from shelters providing reports indicates that more that 550 livestock animals and about 1,200 small animals were provided refuge. This does not include persons sheltering their pets in their temporary housing, or individuals providing sheltering space. The TAHC has sourced pet cages from Louisiana to augment the local sheltering capacity. Evacuees who need to locate sheltering space should call 2-1-1.
Tips on Horse Management Following a Disaster
by: The Horse Staff
September 15 2008, Article # 12696
The Texas State Animal Resource Team (TXSART), a program of the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation that coordinates preparedness, response, and recovery efforts for animals affected by disasters in the state of Texas, has released some tips on managing animals following a disaster.
The group recommends that people remain calm and seek information by listening to the radio or television. They should follow the directions provided by local, state, and/or federal emergency personnel who are reacting and responding to the situation. This might include staying inside until advised that it is safe to go out.
Some of the issues that horse owners might deal with include scattered debris, encroaching flood waters, downed power lines, and other contaminants that might be present.
Further recommendations include:
"Keep your animals confined to a smaller, secure pasture for the first few days following the disaster as familiar scents and landmarks may be absent or altered. Check all shelter structures and fences for signs of damage and initiate repair. Do not turn animals loose into uninspected areas as they may turn up missing or become injured.
"As part of the recovery process, acclimate your animals back to their normal routines as soon as possible."
Hurricane Recovery: Equine Needs Being Assessed, Vets Asked to Check In
by: Edited Press Release
September 14 2008, Article # 12691
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) and the Texas State Animal Resource Team (TXSART) continue to address animal issues resulting from Hurricane Ike. An Area Command was established in the TAHC headquarters Thursday, and can be reached at 800/550-8242, ext. 296. The TAHC Area Command coordinates with the State Operations Center at the Governor's Division of Emergency Management through agency personnel assigned to the SOC.
TAHC staff members in the path of Hurricane Ike have checked in, and are either continuing to work with their disaster district committees, or are prepared to deploy with the state's incident management teams to assess damage and begin response. TAHC Area Command has pre-staged field personnel from unaffected parts of the state in safe areas and will deploy these personnel to areas where the need is most critical when the SOC authorizes entry for assessment and response.
Sheltering numbers are still being tallied, but as an example, in Brazos County, the large animal shelter has 161 horses, three cattle and four pigs; while the small animal shelter contains 173 dogs, 93 cats and 16 exotics. In addition to pre-designated shelters, the TAHC has received numerous offers of sheltering space from livestock owners with pasture or barn space and from the Cedar Valley College's Veterinary Technology program. With their permission, this information has been forwarded to the 2-1-1 operators, who are providing evacuees with human and animal sheltering information.
Prior to the hurricane strike, the TAHC contacted industry representatives and the private practice veterinary clinics in 21 counties, to assess potential post-storm needs that might arise, and to alert the veterinarians of possible assistance that could be available through TAHC and TXSART. The TAHC has requested practitioners to report in when possible on conditions post-storm. The Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) has pre-staged a limited number of generators which can be deployed to veterinarians with critical needs.
The TXSART is working the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal Care representative to acquire and coordinate the assistance of trained personnel from Florida and some animal care organizations to assist with both large and small animal issues. The TAHC also has sourced pet cages from Louisiana to augment local sheltering capacity.
Updates will be provided as new information becomes available and assessment teams are able to report damages and needs for assistance.
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