Japan, Pets, and Disasters
Mar. 24th, 2011 06:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teagueLike everyone else in the world I've heard about the catastrophy in Japan. A lot of just general crapfest has been going on, and I'm anxiety prone on the best of times, so I have tried to limit my exposure to horror levels of bad news. I have a friend in Japan that I made sure was ok. He is. After that, I know the basics, but I don't want to focus on a lot of details. And I'm not saying this to be dismissive. Far from it. They are our allies and friends, and we need to get out there and donate, and do what we can for them. But if any country was ever equipped to deal with chaos on this level and of this variety, it's Japan. They are a highly organized, community first society who have dealt with radiation issues in the not so distant past. They will weather this, and will get things fixed and running very quickly. I have faith. They are like that super organized friend who has all kinds of insurance, and keeps their passports, and computer backups in a safe deposit box. If that person's house burns down, they'll still need help with shelter, food, and belongings, but you just know they will have a new place and be settled again in no time.
Having said all of that, there is one area I have chosen to focus on. The animals. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a big animal person. I believe we should not be needlessly cruel to animals, but should instead be invested stewards in the fates of the other living beings who share our universe. I admit to the hipocracy of eating meat, and to not a small amount of shame in regards to it, but life is complicated. Anyway, before I digress, the point is animals and animal welfare is a key interest of mine. The affects of natural disasters, and evacuation on pets was really first thrown into the media spotlight during Hurricane Katrina. People literally died because shelters would not accept their pets, so they went home, or somewhere else unsafe. Their pets were that important to them.
There are some out there who can't understand that. Mostly people who don't own pets. The simplest explanation is this; people respond to their chosen companion animals in much the same ways that they would respond to human companions. In fact, in many cases pets will have a similar affect on human emotions that having children can have. It's not *exactly* the same. I'm not saying that, but if you have ever slept with a small animal in your bed, and you've woke up rather than rolling over and potentially squishing it, you've responded to the same instict that kept our ancestors from rolling over on their own children. And everyone knows that person who treats their pet *exactly* like a child, talking baby talk, dressing them up, and even cooking their dinners. There are breeds spacifically bred and chosen because of their subconscious child like qualities.
This is the ideal face of an Apple Head Chihuahua. Note the large, slightly bulging eyes, the small nose and mouth area, and the pronounced forehead.
The ideal face of a baby. There are large eyes, small nose and mouth area, and pronounced forehead. Some of you already knew all about this. Others of you just got your mind blown.
In the eyes of the law pets are chattel, and I can understand why that is, but during disasters authorities need to understand that pets are vital family members as well. Some people don't even really have any other companions, such as certain elderly people. Those are the ones most vulnerable to tragedies like chosing not to evacuate to stay with their pet. It happened during Katrina, and it happened in Japan. I've been following the stories of an organization called Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (JEARS). They've been very good to try and be focused on the successes, but you know there are heartbreaks too. They have reported finding people who chose to stay rather than leave the only friend they had.
To close I want to offer a link to a source to help you prepare yourself and your pet in case of disaster. In prone areas, it's good to be prepared.
http://www.petfriendlytravel.com/pet_shelters
Having said all of that, there is one area I have chosen to focus on. The animals. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a big animal person. I believe we should not be needlessly cruel to animals, but should instead be invested stewards in the fates of the other living beings who share our universe. I admit to the hipocracy of eating meat, and to not a small amount of shame in regards to it, but life is complicated. Anyway, before I digress, the point is animals and animal welfare is a key interest of mine. The affects of natural disasters, and evacuation on pets was really first thrown into the media spotlight during Hurricane Katrina. People literally died because shelters would not accept their pets, so they went home, or somewhere else unsafe. Their pets were that important to them.
There are some out there who can't understand that. Mostly people who don't own pets. The simplest explanation is this; people respond to their chosen companion animals in much the same ways that they would respond to human companions. In fact, in many cases pets will have a similar affect on human emotions that having children can have. It's not *exactly* the same. I'm not saying that, but if you have ever slept with a small animal in your bed, and you've woke up rather than rolling over and potentially squishing it, you've responded to the same instict that kept our ancestors from rolling over on their own children. And everyone knows that person who treats their pet *exactly* like a child, talking baby talk, dressing them up, and even cooking their dinners. There are breeds spacifically bred and chosen because of their subconscious child like qualities.
This is the ideal face of an Apple Head Chihuahua. Note the large, slightly bulging eyes, the small nose and mouth area, and the pronounced forehead.
The ideal face of a baby. There are large eyes, small nose and mouth area, and pronounced forehead. Some of you already knew all about this. Others of you just got your mind blown.
In the eyes of the law pets are chattel, and I can understand why that is, but during disasters authorities need to understand that pets are vital family members as well. Some people don't even really have any other companions, such as certain elderly people. Those are the ones most vulnerable to tragedies like chosing not to evacuate to stay with their pet. It happened during Katrina, and it happened in Japan. I've been following the stories of an organization called Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (JEARS). They've been very good to try and be focused on the successes, but you know there are heartbreaks too. They have reported finding people who chose to stay rather than leave the only friend they had.
To close I want to offer a link to a source to help you prepare yourself and your pet in case of disaster. In prone areas, it's good to be prepared.
http://www.petfriendlytravel.com/pet_shelters
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Date: 2011-03-25 08:15 pm (UTC)