ACCOMAC, Va. (Delmarva Now) — Accomack officials are proposing to designate an emergency shelter for pets during future emergencies, including hurricanes and other events.
“One of the top calls that came into the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) when we were open (during the recent hurricane state of emergency) was about pets — specifically, could they bring their pets to any of the shelters that we had that folks are located in,” said Michael Mason, Accomack County Administrator.
The answer to that question was no, Mason said.
Gov. Ralph Northam in September issued a mandatory evacuation order for all Virginia residents in Zone A, ahead of the anticipated effects of Hurricane Florence. The order triggered the opening of the county's emergency shelters and raised questions among pet owners about what to do with their animals if they had to evacuate.
The county did offer a separate shelter for pets at the Eastern Shore Regional Fire Training Center on Beacon Road in Melfa, Mason said.
Still, pet owners' inquiries resulted in officials exploring what options the county could consider offering to pet owners in future emergencies.
“Any time there is a barrier that you think may cause people to want to stay in a danger area, you want to take a good, hard look at is there anything we can do to maybe assist with people making what I would refer to as the right decision,” Mason said.
He subsequently spoke about the idea of a pet shelter with Accomack County School Superintendent W. C. “Chris” Holland, who suggested using Nandua High School as a combination shelter for residents and their pets, Mason told the Accomack County Board of Supervisors.
“There are some rules and regulations associated with what pets can be brought into the facility,” Mason said, noting pets would have to be crated and have proof of vaccinations.
“We are trying to plan ahead and trying to agree with the school board on using Nandua High School as a combination shelter; so that’s moving ahead,” Mason said.
Robert Crockett, Accomack County Board of Supervisors Chairman, said Holland has been very “progressive” and “proactive” about the issue.
There is a large room with a concrete floor and a separate entryway available at the high school, which could be suitable for an emergency pet shelter, Mason said, noting another door leads from the room to a fenced-in, grassy area.
“People could just pull a vehicle up and unload crated pets into there,” he said.
The county would advertise “heavily” the location of the pet and residents shelter, which would be for residents from all areas, if approved.
“The people would be in the same facility as their pets; they could go and see their pets, visit their pets, tend to them,” said Supervisor Donald L. Hart Jr.
Volunteers likely would be in charge of the pet shelter aspect of the emergency shelter, as they have done with the shelter offered at the Fire Training Center, Mason said, noting details for the arrangement need to be worked out.
