SHELTER, Ike Hamilton Expo Center

OPENED 8/28/08 for Gustav

Pet shelters and pet-friendly shelters have been set up across Louisiana to deal with the influx of owners with pets and livestock who might be displaced if Gustav hits the Gulf Coast early next week.

The state began making emergency evacuation plans for pets following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, when owners were forced to leave their pets behind during the evacuation process.

The plan likely will be tested for the first time since it was hatched.

"There are a lot of plans in place around the state for pet owners," said Becky Adcock of the State Animal Response Team. "The most important message for pet owners is that they include their pets in their family evacuation plan and under no circumstances leave their pets at home."

The first step for pet owners planning to evacuate is to know where they are going and find out if their pet is welcome, whether it is a hotel, relative or an evacuation shelter.

Jim Rundell, a Monroe veterinarian who was instrumental in developing the state plan, said pet shelters have been set up in Monroe and Shreveport adjacent to human shelters. When the pet shelters are at capacity, pets will be sent to Bastrop.

"For people who are self-evacuating, Monroe is probably going to be their first stop," Rundell said. "Monroe has traditionally been the main shelter because of the experience we've had in the past."

Shelters will be set up at the Shreveport fairgrounds and the Monroe Civic Center.

The Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe began accepting evacuees with livestock on Thursday. The facility's manager, Ramona Martin, said the center is set up ideally to handle horses.

"They are the ones that need to be leaving (today) because of the large trailers that must be used for transport," Adcock said.

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SOURCE: http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/UPDATES01/80828056/1006

UPDATE 6:58 p.m., Local emergency officials: Prepare for fallout from Gustav

The city of Monroe has also begun preparing its Civic Center facility as an evacuee shelter. Community Affairs director Johnny Riley said organizers of the Cottonland Cluster Dog Show have agreed to move the event to an outdoor tent at the facility if an overwhelming influx of evacuees arrive over the weekend.

“At this point, the first stage of evacuees will be housed in the Convention Center and the second phase will be the B.D. Robinson Conference Hall,” Riley said. “If those two are full, the third phase will be for us to use the Civic Center arena.”