Abstract
Using GIS to Care for Companion Animals in an Emergency
Track: Community Projects and Partnerships
Author(s): Frank Wideman, Susan Hayden, Robi Gray
In 2005 Nation 4-H GIS Leadership Team started looking at the limitations of shelter availability in the US. The 4-H group developed a program called “Alert, Evacuate and Shelter” to help local communities organize shelter information on a GIS platform. Hurricane Katrina brought to light an additional issue, the lack of companion animal shelters does hinder the evacuation of their owners. That sheltering has now been mandated in all community emergency management plans. In 2008 the 4-H GIS Leadership Team worked with the San Diego Animal Shelter to better organize their data on the county animal shelters. Like in most organizations, that data was kept in what could be described as a simple mailing list. The 4-H group assisted the animal shelter by geocoding the data and building the geo-database. Another part of the work included the development of the guide for a “96 Hour Companion Animal Emergency Kit.
Frank Wideman
National 4-H GIS/GPS Team
321 N Main Street
Perryville , Missouri 63775
United States
Phone: 573-547-4504
E-mail: widemanf@missouri.edu
Susan Hayden
Illinois Cooperative Extension Service
P.O. Box 117
901 Illinois Avenue
Waterloo , Illinois 62298
United States
Phone: 618-939-3434
E-mail: SHayden@illinois.edu
Robi Gray
University of Georgia, Cooperative Extension
260 Alabama St.
St. Simons Island , Georgia 31522
United States
Phone: 912-554-7575
E-mail: robigray@uga.edu