Animals in Public Evacuation Centers
As persons are displaced from their homes into evacuation centers, they often
wish to bring companion animals with them. Having a pet nearby may serve as a
source of comfort to someone who has lost their possessions and, perhaps,
family members. Unfortunately, many disaster evacuation centers (and
specifically Red Cross evacuation centers)
cannot accept pets because
of states' health and safety regulations. Pets kept at human evacuation centers
can sometimes pose a risk of disease or injury to other shelter inhabitants. In
fact, service animals that assist people with disabilities are currently the
only animals allowed in some evacuation centers.
Animal evacuation centers and foster homes may accommodate animals while owners
reside in temporary evacuation centers, but these services may not be available
everywhere. The following Questions and Answers were developed to address
health and safety concerns regarding animals kept in non-Red Cross public
evacuation centers.
Q: What are the potential health risks of housing animals and people in one
location?
A: Close contact between humans and other animals in
evacuation centers may pose a risk for injury or illness. Scared and stressed
animals may be more likely to bite or scratch their owners, other people, or
other pets. In addition to injury and potential infection from bites and
scratches, bites from dogs, cats, and ferrets may present a risk for rabies.
Serious bite wounds may require surgical repair. Furthermore, proper care of
the animal, such as collection and disposal of urine and feces, may be
difficult in public evacuation centers. This poses an additional risk of
infection for people, particularly the immunocompromised. People may also be
allergic to furred or feathered pets. These problems may be more serious when
people do not have access to their usual medications.
Q: What are some diseases that may be transmitted by contact with pets?
A: Routine contact with dogs, and especially cats, may pose a
risk for ringworm, which is a skin infection caused by a fungus. Animal feces
and fecal-contaminated skin and fur may pose a risk of diarrheal illness from
Campylobacter, Salmonella, and some intestinal parasites. Although these risks
are usually small, in the wake of natural disasters such as hurricane Katrina,
physical stress and exposure to floodwaters and contaminated food and water may
increase the risk for diarrheal infections. Most reptiles (lizards, snakes,
iguanas, turtles) shed
Salmonella in their feces; children younger than 5 years old are at
high risk for this disease if they handle reptiles. Although people usually
acquire toxoplasmosis by ingesting meat containing tissue cysts, young cats may
rarely shed Toxoplasma oocysts in their stool. Prompt removal of stool from the
environment minimizes this risk. Some pet rodents, such as hamsters, gerbils,
and guinea pigs, can transmit lymphocytic choriomengitis virus (LCMV).
Toxoplasma and LCMV can cause birth defects in an unborn child if a pregnant
woman becomes infected.
Q: What are the risks associated with animal bites?
A: The consequences of animal bites, especially dog bites, can
be serious. The risk of a bite injury may be greater in situations that promote
close contact between people and unfamiliar animals.
Bites from dogs, cats,
or ferrets carry a risk for rabies, even if the animal has been
vaccinated and appears healthy. If a dog, cat, or ferret bites a person or
another animal, they must be confined and observed for 10 days to see whether
they develop signs of rabies. If the biting animal shows signs of rabies or
cannot be reliably confined and observed, that animal must be euthanized and
tested for rabies.
Serious bite wounds require medical care, and surgical
repair in some cases. Animal bites may also result in infection,
and the injured person may need to be treated with antibiotics, a tetanus
booster or receive other medical care.
Q: What are some other less common health risks associated with pets?
A: Dogs and cats may serve as a source of ticks that could
bite humans and cause disease. Depending on the type of tick, Lyme disease,
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or ehrlichiosis may be of concern,
although pets themselves cannot transmit these diseases to people. Cats may
spread cat scratch disease (
bartonellosis)
through bites or scratches. Bites from pet rats may transmit a disease called
rat bite fever. Exposure to infected birds may lead to
psittacosis, a bacterial infection that causes pneumonia. For this
reason, it is often best to also house pet birds, especially parakeets,
parrots, love birds, and canaries, away from the general shelter population.
Q: What can be done to minimize the health risks of pets in human
evacuation centers?
A: The following guidelines may help reduce risk of injury or
disease if it is necessary to house pets in a public shelter:
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The appropriateness of housing pets in public evacuation centers should be
carefully considered. Sometimes separate areas can be established for pets. If
this is done, then these areas should be staffed with animal care personnel who
have been trained in the handling of animals as well as appropriate approaches
to infection control. Animal evacuation centers or foster homes may be good
alternatives.
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If a pet is kept at a human shelter, it should not be allowed to freely roam
the facility and should be kept under control at all times, either via caging
or a leash. This is for the animal's safety, as well as that of the people
living in the shelter.
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All dogs, cats, and ferrets must have proof of current vaccination against
rabies, or be vaccinated upon entry to the shelter.
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Dogs and cats should be treated for intestinal parasites while staying at the
human shelter. This is particularly important when the pet is younger than 6
months old.
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Dogs and cats should be treated with medications to kill fleas and ticks. In
doing so, care should be taken to administer treatments that are safe for that
particular species of animal (i.e., not all treatments that are safe for dogs
are safe for cats).
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Furred or feathered pets should be housed in areas separate from people with
allergies or asthma triggered by fur, feathers, or dander.
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Cats should be kept in a cage with a litter box that is cleaned frequently (at
least once every 24 hours). Pregnant women or immunocompromised people should
not have contact with used litter.
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Dogs should be walked regularly on a leash outside of the shelter to allow them
to urinate and defecate in designated areas, and any feces should be
immediately collected and disposed of.
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Anyone bitten by an animal should speak with a healthcare provider to discuss
associated concerns (e.g., tissue trauma, infection, rabies risk). Bites and
scratches should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water. Arrangements should
be made to confine and observe a biting dog, cat, or ferret for a period of 10
days.
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People caring for pets in evacuation centers should practice good hygiene by
cleaning up after their pets (e.g., disposal of feces) and frequently washing
their hands.
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Children younger than 5 years old should not handle
reptiles
without adult supervision, and should always wash their hands after doing so.
Hand washing should be monitored by an adult.
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Pregnant women and immunocompromised people should avoid contact with cat
feces, and with pet rodents such as hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs.
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People should not share food with their pets, nor allow pets to lick their
faces.
For more information on the value of pets, and on keeping people and pets
healthy, please visit
CDC Healthy Pets Healthy People
www.cdc.gov/healthypets/
American Veterinary Medial Association
www.avma.org