brandy pup
08-30-05, 06:59 PM 08-30-05
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina I have a suggestion for current and future pet shops owners...
Have an ermgency plan for your community! Many shelters wont accept pets in an evacuation. Some people dont have cars or ways to get out of the city with their pets. Some people are staying to ride out the storm becuase they cant take their pets.
As a pet shop owner you should contact an emergecy animal relief such as noah or the ASPCA etc and see what you can do to help your community and their pets. (of course if your under water also then you need your own plan as well)
If you have a grooming/boarding then you could offer boarding services at reduced to free rates. If you dont have facilities like that you can maybe offer discounts to people who are donating food and items to reielf projects or even donate some items to the reief project. You could offer a percentage of your sales to the reief efforts.
Even have a 'contact' point were people can call in and leave a message for a loved one and visa versa. Have a volenteer listing of transportation help, foster help etc.
It's heartbreaking to see people and their pets in such a crisis. And so little help is offered to the people with the pets it seems.
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2005-08/19194962.jpg
Joseph Barnes, who is homeless, stands in the nearly deserted French Quarter with his cat Patches. Barnes said he was not allowed to enter the Superdome shelter with his cat, because pets were not permitted in the shelter. He said he was unsure where he would spend the night
Have an ermgency plan for your community! Many shelters wont accept pets in an evacuation. Some people dont have cars or ways to get out of the city with their pets. Some people are staying to ride out the storm becuase they cant take their pets.
As a pet shop owner you should contact an emergecy animal relief such as noah or the ASPCA etc and see what you can do to help your community and their pets. (of course if your under water also then you need your own plan as well)
If you have a grooming/boarding then you could offer boarding services at reduced to free rates. If you dont have facilities like that you can maybe offer discounts to people who are donating food and items to reielf projects or even donate some items to the reief project. You could offer a percentage of your sales to the reief efforts.
Even have a 'contact' point were people can call in and leave a message for a loved one and visa versa. Have a volenteer listing of transportation help, foster help etc.
It's heartbreaking to see people and their pets in such a crisis. And so little help is offered to the people with the pets it seems.
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2005-08/19194962.jpg
Joseph Barnes, who is homeless, stands in the nearly deserted French Quarter with his cat Patches. Barnes said he was not allowed to enter the Superdome shelter with his cat, because pets were not permitted in the shelter. He said he was unsure where he would spend the night