Hurricane evacuations if you have a pet in Clay Co....Nowhere to go-Another New Orleans waiting to happen

I read the news article about the debate going on with the school board about allowing any of the schools to be used for shelters of people with pets.  I didnt see CCAC mentioned anywhere in the article maybe because this is not their area of responsibility?

I understand the dilemma that exists, it's easy to stand for the animals but the Schoolboard is considering the fallout from doing that which I believe is the only responsible thing to do. 

They maybe could have said "ok" and then worked out the details but as I understand the article there is the question of who would be responsible for damage done to the schools.  You have to remember that in some areas of Clay County, pets aren't just dogs and cats, some people have horses.........realistically they can't just throw the doors open and say "come on in" with no regard to the consequences............someone gets hurt by an out of control pet and here comes another lawsuit.  

Don;

I've fired a couple off at CCAC myself, but this one is a cheap shot at best.

Do we leave our pets behind, do we stay with our pets in a Flood zone,

Am I missing something here? Isn't CCAC located in a flood zone? What is the difference if you leave them where they are or give them to CCAC?

I don't know how to explain this to you any better so I'll just say it. Your pet is not my responsibility. If you have a pet in a hurricane/flood zone and you haven't made some provisions to take care of it you shouldn't be allowed to have a pet.

Now, if CCAC hasn't made some provisions to take care the animals that are already there, that is one thing. But to expect them to be able to handle a massive influx of animals from irresponsible pet owners is totally unreasonable.

Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part. You have a horse, get a horse trailer to carry it out of harm's way. You have cats and dogs, make sure you have enough carriers and a large enough vehicle to carry them all and leave early.

You want a plan for the pets, mobilize the pet rescue people and make a plan. Advertise it for all to see. When a hurricane is about to hit, get them busy carrying out the plan they wrote. Don't rely on the government for everything. Take action and do something besides throw rocks at someone.

You and the rescue people could the heroes. If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem.  

Mike Heemer

Actually, it's not too much to ask of a professionally-run Clay County Animal Control to have plans in place for emergency situations - just like every other department of county government should have emergency plans.

But let's not lose perspective of the issue.  CCAC should be an animal's last resort during emergencies.  The real responsibility lies with the pet owners, who are responsible for the animals even during emergencies.  Each family's emergency evacuation plans should include provisions for the care and safety of their pets, not expect an underfunded, understaffed government agency to come to the rescue.

Michael S. Mann

michaelsmann@comcast.net

Personal responsibility

Is sorely lacking in America today I don’t know when it happened, but some time in the last ten to fifteen years Americans got the Idea that it is government’s job to take care of them. The words socialism used to be a feared word, not today. Maybe it has to do with the way the baby boomers children were raised. You know the mentality that my kids will have a better life that I, by giving them their hearts desire. When they grow up that way, they expect all to be handed to them. When things just get handed to you someone has to pay for it, that should be a no brainier, but it’s not. I want health care, I want foreclose bailout, I want, I want, I want.

Freedom doesn’t mean self will run riot. Freedom means the free will to make choices, and the choices you make are the ones you must live with. With the choices you make, personal responsibility is attached, at its right side.  

Just listen to how the presidential candidates talk today, they promise to give things they have no business giving away in the first place. Hence, big brother sits at your door. I say not at my door, Freedom to me is precious thing, and the more government stays out of my life the freer I am. I don’t want anything from the government I haven’t earned.

If I am not smart enough to make arrangements for my animals before a hurricane, shame. Shame, shame on me, don’t expect government to take care of what you should be doing. And on top of that you have the gull to rake a county employee over the coals for something you should be making arrangements on.

Please, Please do me a favor, if , and when a hurricane approaches, and you haven’t figured out what to do with your animals, set them free they are smarter than you give them credit. An animal can take care of their selves; they have been doing it for eons. It is you I am worried about; it is obvious that you need government to take care of you.     

It takes an unsatisfied person to make things satisfactory: Winn1955

The flood maps for the area where CCAC is located have not been updated since 1992 I have studied the flood map and it does not appear to me that it lies in a flood zone.

However, let me add that in order to ascertain it's precise location within the flood map panel a topographical survey would need to be performed and I am not qualified to perform such a survey. 

NOT LIVESTOCK FRIENDLY......BIG DIFFERANCE....Duval Co has 3 pet friendly shelters..If not Animal Control to make these plans...whos jobs is it...or do we just don't care about those people....Good Job overpaid Clay Co GOVERMENT MANAGAMENT.

In the other blogs we’ve been talking about how this county is twenty years behind the times in keeping up with the necessities required by its citizens. Do you really think that animals are even remotely considered in this equation? Or could this possibly be just an excuse to bad-mouth Connie Goon again. I haven’t heard her name brought up in the last couple of weeks.

As far as animals go when it comes to hurricane preparedness, how many other counties besides Duval have made arrangements to accommodate them? Do Bradford, Putnam or St. Johns have areas set aside to shelter pets in case of catastrophic events? Probably not.

20% of the people that stayed behind in Katrina stayed because they did not want to leave their pets. Many of those lives could have been saved if the Pet Owners had taken the responsibility to have an emergency plan, that included their pets, in place.  I personally have animals, they are my family.  When I go where I'm headed should a disaster strike, they go right along with me.  I don't expect my government to babysit my animals.  Responsible people act responsibly.

Or could this possibly be just an excuse to bad-mouth Connie Goon again. I haven’t heard her name brought up in the last couple of weeks.  Walt - Kudos !!  

I happen to have personal knowledge that CCAC has a disaster policy that has been in place for quite sometime that nears Jacksonville's Animal Control.  I know Connie Goon personally and if you have any questions or concerns about her pet friendly shelter policy, please give her a call.

Amie

FYI

CCAC does have an Emergency plan all one has to do is contact them.

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