Companion Animals in Natural Disasters: A Scoping Review of Scholarly Sources

During a disaster, people may make evacuation decisions based on their companion animal’s welfare, therefore exposing themselves, their companion animals, and emergency responders to increased risk for injury or death. The loss and suffering of companion animals in disasters causes deep distress, diminishing people’s capacity to rebuild their lives. This scoping review presents scholarly research studies and reviews relating to people and their companion animals in the context of disasters, with an aim of informing researchers, policymakers, and practitioners and providing direction for future research. Using the Arksey and O’Malley framework, articles in scholarly journals from 2004 to 2014 are discussed. Analysis included 38 articles: 20 research studies, 12 reviews, and 6 editorials. Findings revealed 2 central themes: companion animals as a risk factor to human health and safety and companion animals being “at risk” themselves. An emerging theme was “responsibility”: Who is responsible for companion animals in disasters and how? Understanding the implications of human–nonhuman animal relationships for disaster response and having a broader public consensus on what is owed to animals at times of emergency are important to community preparedness and resilience.     

Emergency and Disaster Planning at Ohio Animal Shelters

Results of a cross-sectional study to determine the level of emergency and disaster response planning at Ohio nonhuman animal shelters and the role Ohio agencies have in emergency and disaster response planning in their communities indicated a lack of preparedness coupled with underutilization of the agencies as a resource. A total of 115 agencies (68%) responded to a standardized survey mailed to 170 Ohio agencies. Most (68%) agencies agreed that emergency and disaster response planning was important to their organization, although only 13% of agencies had completed a written emergency and disaster response plan. The majority (80%) of agencies indicated they would provide critical resources in an emergency or disaster in their community. Only 38 (33%) of the responding agencies were aware of the PETS Act of 2006. Although many agencies indicated the importance of an emergency and disaster plan, there may be insufficient resources, including time and proper training, available to ensure plans are developed. Improved coordination among veterinarians, local veterinary medical associations, emergency preparedness agencies, and animal shelters would enhance the relief efforts in a crisis.     

Occult Enterobacter aerogenes pneumonia diagnosed by indium 111-labeled leukocyte scan.

A major earthquake may strike while a surgeon is performing an operation in an office surgical facility. A sudden major fault disruption will lead to thousands of casualties and widespread destruction. Surgeons who operate in offices can help lessen havoc by careful preparation. These plans should coordinate with other disaster plans for effective triage, evacuation, and the treatment of casualties.     

How is animal welfare addressed in Canada's emergency response plans?

In 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita clearly revealed that even in the United States the welfare of companion animals and nonhuman animals in the wild, zoo, or aquarium was not considered within the evacuation plans for their human caretakers (owners). The lack of proper planning and trained individuals resulted in a huge loss of animal life as well as suffering and trauma to both animals and their owners. The present Canadian Federal Emergency Response Plan does not have adequate procedures for the evacuation of animals together with their owners, nor do Canada or the provinces and territories have a plan in place that consists of properly trained and equipped individuals to respond to this aspect of disaster management. The Canadian Veterinary Reserve (CVR) was thus organized at a national level to respond properly to disasters or emergencies of all types and thereby reduce animal suffering and loss of life. This article describes the formation of the CVR and its anticipated national role in addressing animal welfare during times of catastrophic need.     

A Survey of Companion-Animal Owners Affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake in Iwate and Fukushima Prefectures,Japan

ABSTRACT

The unprecedented East Japan Great Earthquake in March 2011 impacted many humans as well as animals. To date, only national surveys that do not necessarily focus on the heavily impacted areas have been administered, and there is a lack of data on the situation for companion animals and their owners in these areas. This survey was administered between June and November 2012 to pet owners in Iwate (n = 140) and Fukushima (n = 149) Prefectures in north-eastern Japan, areas heavily affected by the disaster. It explored the types of disaster preparations for pets engaged in by owners; the situation on evacuation with pets; the use of, and need for, pet-related support after the disaster; and the associations between pet attachment and disaster-related behaviors of pet owners. In total, 41.2% (n = 119) of all respondents were able to evacuate with their pets, and evacuation rates were especially low in Fukushima. With the exception of preparation of pet food and other supplies, less than 50% of respondents engaged in different types of pet-related disaster preparations. Especially in Fukushima, those who evacuated with their pets were better prepared compared with those who could not. The rate of utilization of support was also low, with less than 50% of respondents utilizing each type of support, regardless of pet-evacuation status and area. The need for support was generally higher during the initial phase (immediately after the disaster; 30–40%) compared with the current phase (20–30%). However, in Fukushima the difference between the initial and current phases was not significant for both those who evacuated with their pets and those who could not. Bivariate analyses indicated mixed results for the association between disaster-related behaviors and pet attachment. Implications for future disaster-prevention measures are discussed.     

Public Attitudes toward the Use of Animals in Research: Effects of Invasiveness,Genetic Modification and Regulation

ABSTRACT

This study describes an online public engagement experiment aimed at investigating how acceptance of animal-based research is affected by: (a) the presence of regulations that govern the use of nonhuman animals in laboratories, (b) the invasiveness of procedures, and (c) the use of genetically modified (GM) animals. To meet these aims, participants were asked if they were willing to accept the use of pigs in different scenarios involving agricultural research. Two-thirds of the 681 participants were female and the majority (58%) were young (19–29 years old) with college or university level education (62%). Participants came from 26 different countries, with the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom being the top three countries represented. Participants who self-identified as being vegetarians, familiar with animal welfare, animal advocates, environmental advocates, and familiar with animal research were significantly more likely to be opposed to animal-based research. Older participants were significantly less likely to oppose animal-based research. Support significantly decreased when animal-based research involved an invasive procedure or GM animals. Support for invasive research significantly increased when regulation was in place, but regulation had less effect on acceptance of GM animal use. Comments provided by participants illustrated different decision-making strategies regarding different types of animal-based research. Given the increasing use of GM animals in research, more effort is required to understand people's concerns regarding this type of animal use and to determine how these concerns should be reflected in policy.     

What Is the Future for Zoos and Aquariums?

ABSTRACT

Animal welfare concerns have plagued the professional zoo and aquarium field for decades. Societal differences remain concerning the well-being of animals, but it appears a shift is emerging. Scientific studies of animal welfare have dramatically increased, establishing that many previous concerns were not misguided public empathy or anthropomorphism. As a result, both zoo and aquarium animal welfare policy and science are now at the center of attention within the world’s professional zoos and aquariums. It is now possible to view a future that embraces the well-being of individual captive exotic animals, as well as that of their species, and one in which professional zoos and aquariums are dedicated equally to advancing both. Though the ethics of keeping exotic animals and animals from the wild in captivity are still a contentious subject both outside and even within the profession, this study argues. We argue that this path forward will substantially improve most zoo and aquarium animals' welfare and could significantly reduce societal concerns. If animal welfare science and policy are strongly rooted in compassion and embedded in robust accreditation systems, the basic zoo/aquarium paradigm will move toward a more thoughtful approach to the interface between visitors and animals. It starts with a fundamental commitment to the welfare of individual animals.     

Southeastern Center for Emerging Biologic Threats tabletop exercise: foodborne toxoplasmosis outbreak on college campuses

The use of tabletop exercises as a tool in emergency preparedness and response has proven to be an effective means of assessing readiness for unexpected events. Whereas most exercise developers target a population in a defined space (eg, state, county, metropolitan area, hospital), the Southeastern Center for Emerging Biologic Threats (SECEBT) conducted an innovative tabletop exercise involving an unusual foodborne outbreak pathogen, targeting public health agencies and academic institutions in 7 southeastern states. The exercise tested the ability of participants to respond to a simulated foodborne disease outbreak affecting the region. The attendees represented 4 federal agencies, 9 state agencies, 6 universities, 1 nonprofit organization, and 1 private corporation. The goals were to promote collaborative relationships among the players, identify gaps in plans and policies, and identify the unique contributions of each organization-and notably academic institutions-to outbreak recognition, investigation, and control. Participants discussed issues and roles related to outbreak detection and management, risk communication, and coordination of policies and responsibilities before, during, and after an emergency, with emphasis on assets of universities that could be mobilized during an outbreak response. The exercise generated several lessons and recommendations identified by participants and evaluators. Key recommendations included a need to establish trigger points and protocols for information sharing and alerts among public health, academic, and law enforcement; to establish relationships with local, state, and federal stakeholders to facilitate communications during an emergency; and to catalogue and leverage strengths, assets, and priorities of academic institutions to add value to outbreak responses.     

基于防灾目标的城市公园空间结构及合理性评价——邻域法在长春市的应用

防灾公园作为重要的空间要素之一,是城市应急避难场所建设的主要形式.基于防灾目标,运用邻域法对长春市公园布局合理性进行评价.结果表明:研究区防灾公园的空间分布不均衡,西北部密集、东南部稀疏,呈现出同一等级防灾公园集中分布、不同等级防灾公园分散分布的空间格局.防灾公园避难有效性较低.50%以上公园人均避难面积不足,近40%公园可达性超过最长避难时间.不同等级防灾公园的避难有效性存在显著差异,中心防灾公园最高、固定防灾公园次之、紧急防灾公园最差.针对长春市防灾公园布局不合理情况提出以下主要建议:不同等级防灾公园可采用镶嵌式的空间布局模式;公园设置标准应与人口分布趋势相对应;加强紧急防灾公园建设.     

The Spillover Effect of a Flood on Pets and Their People: Implications for Rental Housing

When disasters strike, companion animals (pets) matter. Emergency planning for them is a key aspect of disaster preparedness, especially considering that people may delay evacuation out of concern for their pets. Temporary boarding options for pets are important; however, caregivers (owners) must ultimately return to permanent housing. Surprisingly little attention has been paid to housing recovery in the disaster literature on pet ownership, and no studies have examined the potential for increased vulnerability among tenants with pets. This study analyzed online rental listings in a city that was severely flooded in 2013. In the following year, demand for pet-friendly rental housing outweighed supply. Landlords frequently stipulated restrictions on the allowable sizes, species, or breeds of pets. Dogs were often banned outright. To keep their pets, prospective tenants needed to exercise flexibility in location and pay higher surcharges. The implications of housing insecurity for tenants with pets have broad relevance, not just in disaster circumstances. Giving up a companion animal to secure housing can negatively impact resilience, whereas living in unsafe environments to avoid pet relinquishment may increase vulnerability.     

Willingness of New England dental professionals to provide assistance during a bioterrorism event

A bioterrorism attack could overwhelm medical personnel and facilities, suggesting a need for aid from nonmedical personnel. The American Dental Association suggests that dental professionals should assist in such cases, utilizing their strong scientific and technical skills. This study describes New England dental professionals' willingness, potential roles, motivators, and barriers to providing this aid. This cross-sectional study used a self-administered survey to collect data addressing the knowledge and opinions of dental professionals concerning acting as responders. The survey was distributed to 370 attendees of the 2005 Yankee Dental Conference, in Boston, Massachusetts. Most dental professionals expressed willingness to help during an attack (N = 340, 92%), reporting that dental professionals, in general, should perform a mean number of 6 roles. Three-quarters of dentists and dental students were personally willing, with proper training, to give immunizations, and 54% would perform triage. Knowledge was weak, but most dental professionals were interested in obtaining further education (83%). Since dental professionals are willing to assist during a bioterrorism attack and are motivated to obtain disaster response training, government officials and local directors and managers of disaster/emergency response agencies should consider incorporating dental professionals into their disaster management plans.     

The Pets of Hurricane Matthew: Evacuation and Sheltering with Companion Animals

The purpose of this research was to understand the ways in which ownership of companion animals influences evacuation decision-making, using Hurricane Matthew of 2016 as a case study. Using stated-choice surveys, this research identifies behavioral decisions made during and after the evacuations associated with the hurricane, and details how decisions were made for different types of pets and the various stressors and problems encountered during the evacuation process. The data were collected via a web-based survey posted in pets’ interest and animal rescue groups following Hurricane Matthew. Respondents lived in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Findings suggest that respondents had transportation logistics problems evacuating with their animals, and respondents with cats were more likely to leave some of their pets behind when they evacuated. Sheltering decisions and the wellbeing of pets also were themes identified from the data, especially as it relates to stress and attachment to animals. Implications from this research include a closer examination of how human–animal bonds can affect the ways in which evacuation and sheltering unfold. If humans have plans and access to resources for their pets during evacuations, they may be more likely to adhere to evacuation orders and to experience less stress throughout the process.     

Systemic collapse: Medical care in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

This article describes and analyzes key aspects of the medical response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It is based on interviews with individuals involved in the response and on analysis of published reports and news articles. Findings include: (1) federal, state, and local disaster plans did not include provisions for keeping hospitals functioning during a large-scale emergency; (2) the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) was ill-prepared for providing medical care to patients who needed it; (3) there was no coordinated system for recruiting, deploying, and managing volunteers; and (4) many Gulf Coast residents were separated from their medical records. The article makes recommendations for improvement.     

Guidelines for hurricane and disaster preparation for animal facilities

Animal facilities are vulnerable to hurricanes and other natural disasters, which can endanger lives and disrupt critical animal care routines. Facility managers must therefore prepare a rigorous emergency plan that ensures human safety while considering the specific needs of all animals on site. The author presents guidelines and recommendations for disaster preparedness based on her experience at a facility in Florida, where hurricanes are relatively common. An effective plan must include a priority system, a well-trained emergency response team, efficient communication methods and concrete provisions for animals and employees.     

Wild Minds: What People Think about Animal Thinking

ABSTRACT

The question of how nonhuman animals think is pervasive in the scientific and popular media, yet there is an apparent lack of concordance between findings from research in animal cognition and how this information emerges in popular discourse. The present study investigated the way people conceive of animal thinking, in order to inform the development of an exhibit on animal minds that will address this issue and foster a deeper connection between people and animals. This two-part, sequential study of perceptions of animal thinking used qualitative interviews of visitors to the New York Hall of Science and Staten Island Zoo to develop a quantitative, online consumer survey of American museum visitors. The results show that American museum visitors vary in their perceptions of animal thinking, but appear to be open to new ideas about how animals might think. Participants' responses to the interviews revealed they could easily recognize survival strategies in wild animals, but had reservations about discussions of empathy, deception, and awareness. In addition, animals kept as pets or companion animals in Western culture were commonly perceived to have higher cognitive capacities for thinking than food or other domestic animals. Participants' responses to the online consumer survey appeared to focus on an overall concept of animal thinking, rather than different cognitive dimensions. Although participants were generally neutral in their responses, demographic analysis revealed participants who had dogs and/or cats, a college education, or watched nature shows were more likely to support the belief that animals can think. Participants who had children at home were less likely to support this belief. Further research is needed to determine how different kinds of thought processes are understood by general audiences and how demographic factors might influence perceptions of animal thinking.     

Patterns and Limitations of Urban Human Mobility Resilience under the Influence of Multiple Types of Natural Disaster

Natural disasters pose serious threats to large urban areas, therefore understanding and predicting human movements is critical for evaluating a population’s vulnerability and resilience and developing plans for disaster evacuation, response and relief. However, only limited research has been conducted into the effect of natural disasters on human mobility. This study examines how natural disasters influence human mobility patterns in urban populations using individuals’ movement data collected from Twitter. We selected fifteen destructive cases across five types of natural disaster and analyzed the human movement data before, during, and after each event, comparing the perturbed and steady state movement data. The results suggest that the power-law can describe human mobility in most cases and that human mobility patterns observed in steady states are often correlated with those in perturbed states, highlighting their inherent resilience. However, the quantitative analysis shows that this resilience has its limits and can fail in more powerful natural disasters. The findings from this study will deepen our understanding of the interaction between urban dwellers and civil infrastructure, improve our ability to predict human movement patterns during natural disasters, and facilitate contingency planning by policymakers.     

医学生突发公共卫生事件应对知信行调查

目的：了解医学生突发公共卫生事件相关知识、态度、行为现状,为制订干预措施提供依据。方法：采用多阶段抽样方法,共抽取某医学院1380名本、专科学生进行突发公共卫生事件知、信、行问卷调查。结果：突发公共卫生事件相关知识平均得分为（35.93±6.98）,总体知晓率为71.54%。其中女生高于男生（P=0.000）,本科生高于专科生（P〈0.000）,外省生源高于本省生源（P=0.001）,年级越高得分有增高的趋势（P=0.000）。40.8%的学生对突发公共卫生事件感到恐惧;80.0%的海医学生愿意了解突发公共卫生事件相关知识,并认为学校有必要开设相关课程及进行应急演练;仅有17.2%的学生曾和家人讨论过如何应对灾害事件,91.5%的学生从未与家人进行过逃生演练。结论：医学生对突发公共卫生事件相关知识掌握不全面,部分学生尚未建立正向的认知态度和健康的行为方式,学校应采取适当的方式加强突发事件知识和技能的训练。     

医学研究生灾难医学知识的初步调查及对策

目的了解医学研究生对灾难医学相关知识的认知情况。方法通过发放调查问卷,对我校2008-2011年入学的458名医学研究生进行灾难医学相关知识调查分析。结果医学研究生对灾难医学的基本概念、基本急救技术、灾后心理援助以及传染病的预防及处理相关知识掌握较好,但对灾难伤员的检伤分类、灾难医学管理相关知识掌握明显不足。结论医学研究生掌握灾难医学相关知识已明显提高,但仍存在不足,应加强医学研究生急救技能培训、开设灾难医学选修课,以提高我国灾难医学救援整体水平。     

Misanthropy,idealism and attitudes towards animals

Abstract

When evaluating the ethical status of an action that harms a nonhuman animal (henceforth animal), one might weigh the benefit to humankind against the cost of the harm done to the animal. To the extent that one does not like humans (is misanthropic), one will not be likely to think that benefits to humans can justify doing harm to animals. We hypothesized that misanthropy would be less strongly related to support for animal rights among idealists (who tend not to do cost-benefit analysis) than among nonidealists. College students (n=154) completed a questionnaire which included questions designed to measure their ethical idealism (ten items), misanthropy (five items), and attitudes towards animal rights and animal research (28 items). Respondents were classified as being idealistic if their score on the idealism scale was greater than the median score. The regression lines for predicting attitudes towards animals from misanthropy differed significantly between idealists and nonidealists. Among nonidealists there was a significant positive relationship between misanthropy and support for animal rights, but among idealists the regression line was flat.     

Are community health centers prepared for bioterrorism?

Community health centers (CHCs) are essential in the delivery of primary care services to underserved populations. Given the critical function of CHCs, surprisingly little is known about their role in preparing for or responding to acts of terrorism. This survey-based study examines the state of CHCs in terrorism preparedness and assesses their training needs. Of the administrators who responded to the survey, 87% indicated that their centers had an emergency response or disaster plan. Of those, 78% indicated they had updated their plans within the past year. Among those who had a written plan, 41% addressed bioterrorism preparedness, 38% had contingencies for a mass influx of patients, and 3% indicated that their plans addressed increasing operational capacity. Additionally, while 48% reported having assessed the education and training needs of their professional staff in the area of disease surveillance and reporting, only 24% had assessed these needs in relation to bioterrorism. Our findings suggest that CHCs have made great strides in preparing for some emergencies but that preparedness does not yet extend to specifically include terrorism events. Policy and practice recommendations are included to more fully develop CHCs as a resource.