AKC Pet Disaster Relief Rolls Out Help
for Pets in St. Louis County, MO
St. Louis County is now equipped with an AKC Pet Disaster Relief trailer that will be available to dispatch to any disaster scenes that need assistance sheltering pets.
AKC Pet Disaster Relief, a national program that is dedicated to keeping pets and their owners safe in the aftermath of natural or civil disasters, joined forces with local American Kennel Club dog clubs and dog lovers to present an emergency trailer to officials from the St. Louis County Office of Emergency Management.
The St. Louis County trailer takes the total to 60 trailers nationwide. AKC Pet Disaster Relief trailers help to create a safe, temporary home-base for at least 65 pets immediately after a disaster is declared. The trailers house and deliver essential supplies such as fans, lighting and generators; cleaning supplies; maintenance items; and animal care items including crates and carries, AKC Reunite microchips and an AKC Reunite universal microchip scanner as well as bowls, collars and leashes. These supplies can be used as co-location shelters, where people can evacuate with their pets, as well as emergency animal shelters for displaced animals.
“We extend our gratitude to these AKC dog clubs and AKC Reunite for providing us such an important tool for our community. Now our team is better prepared to help pets and pet owners during times of disaster.”
Michele Ryan ~ Logistics Specialist from St. Louis County Police Department
“The first few hours of a disaster are critical to care for animals and this trailer will provide the shelter and supplies needed to keep them safe,” said Tom Sharp, AKC Reunite CEO. “The catastrophic floods St. Louis had in December 2015 and Spring 2017 required some pet owners, that were mandatorily evacuated, to relinquish their pets to a shelter. The AKC Pet Disaster Relief trailer hopefully can help St Louisans avoid being separated from their pets during future flooding.”
The purchase of the trailer was made possible by more than $22,000 in donations and grants from the Three Rivers Kennel Club, the North Arkansas Kennel Club, the Edwardsville Illinois Kennel Club, the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. and AKC Reunite, the nation’s largest non-profit pet identification and recovery service.
“We extend our gratitude to these AKC dog clubs and AKC Reunite for providing us such an important tool for our community. Now our team is better prepared to help pets and pet owners during times of disaster.” said Michele Ryan, Logistics Specialist from St. Louis County Police Department, Office of Emergency Management.
“In the future the animal shelter will be co-located with the Red Cross human shelter. This will encourage those that don’t want to leave their pets behind to go to a shelter when need be. Their pets will be located nearby, where they can see them, pet them, play with them, etc.” said Paul Dupuis, Deputy Director from St. Louis County Police Department, Office of Emergency Management.
“Our club is honored to be a part of the group helping provide the county emergency services by bringing them an invaluable tool like the AKC Pet Disaster Relief Trailer,” said Lyn Yelton, Treasurer of the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.
“We’re very pleased to help bring an AKC Pet Disaster Relief Trailer to the county. The trailer helps assure St. Louis County residents that their pets will be safe in case of a disaster.” Said Colette Weishaar, President of the Three Rivers Kennel Club.
Individuals, corporations and other interested parties can donate to trailer projects in local areas or across the country. Donations are tax deductible and accepted online. Approved organizations that raise a minimum of $1,000 will have their logo featured on the AKC Pet Disaster Relief trailer.
Learn more about how to get involved online with AKC Pet Disaster Relief or contact us at 919-816-3980 and relief@akcreunite.org.
