NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The county’s emergency management team is seeking more money for a pet trailer and supplies to support animal rescue efforts throughout New Hanover County.
The $29,000 grant, provided by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, would accomplish two things. Director of New Hanover County Emergency Management Steven Still told Port City Daily it would cover the cost of a trailer and supplies to support animal safety in emergencies.
“Let’s just say we had an issue in the northern part of the county’s stables and we maybe have a large animal [that] falls into some type of hole, or we have an animal that may be contaminated with whatever industry we have,” Still said. “This is a trailer that would hold the equipment to do that.”
Assistant Emergency Management Director Anna McRay said because of Wilmington’s geography and location, those types of incidents are few and far between.
“We don’t do the rescues like they do out west during the monsoon season that ends up on the news with rescuing animals from those emergency flash flood type incidents,” she said. “We do make resources available to help domestic animal ‘pawrents’ if they need to come to an emergency shelter.”
Still said the idea to apply for the grant stemmed from the New Hanover County Animals in Disaster Workgroup.
“[They] wanted to have the ability to do something if the need arose,” Still said. “And there’s really nothing like that in this region.”
The group works toward increasing awareness of and planning to support caretakers of domestic, commercial, exotic, and wild animals. Reacting to disasters is one component of their work, but they also help educate animal owners on evacuation preparedness and best-care practices.
“It’s truly an effort to bring the community to the planning table to make sure we are being inclusive and thinking through all of the what-ifs in a disaster,” McRay said.
The grant application, submitted by Still, states the supplies for large animals will be broken down 80% for horses and llamas, 20% other animals.
Funds from it would also accommodate shelters in disaster situations, providing crates, medical supplies and food for animals brought to co-locations shelters during, say, a hurricane. In New Hanover County, Trask and Blaire middle schools are used to house humans and their cats and dogs together during disasters.
According to the grant application, the trailer will hold supplies for the initial seven days animals spend in a co-location shelter. The resources could support up to 100 animals — 60 dogs, 30 cats and 10 other animals.
McRay estimated around 80 animals were housed in co-location shelters during Hurricane Florence in 2018.
When not in use for disaster situations, the trailer can be used for training and exercise opportunities inside and beyond the county.
Emergency management coordinates with other county organizations, such as the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control, which also shelters animals for free during disasters. Some of the county’s fire and rescue teams have completed training and plans to rescue large animals. Local vets and animal rescue groups also help.
“This would not be solely a NHC resource, but rather available to other localities in the region as are other assets for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts,” McRay said.
Reach journalist Brenna Flanagan at brenna@localdailymedia.com
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