UPDATE
Texas Animal Health Commission
Box l2966 * Austin, Texas 78711 * (800) 550-8242 * FAX (512)
719-0719
Bob Hillman, DVM * Executive Director
For info, contact Carla Everett, information officer, at 1-800-550-8242,
ext. 710, or ceverett@...
Hurricane Ike-- September 15, 2008
Animal response to Hurricane Ike continues to be a team effort, as the
issues are much larger than the resources of any one agency or
association. The TAHC statewide has worked with the livestock
industry to establish sites for emergency shelters, and with local
governments, agencies and associations to develop animal issues
committees.
+ The Texas Animal Health Commission continues is supporting the disaster
district committees in the affected area with persons who have animal and
livestock expertise. The agency has established a small area
command in the Austin headquarters, and is one 30+ agencies in the
Governor’s Division of Emergency Management. The
TAHC’s Area Command can be reached at 800-550-8242, ext 296.
+ At the request of the TAHC, members of a National Veterinary Response
Team (NVRT) are now being deployed by the federal government to assist in
Texas recovery operations. Animal response teams from both Florida
and New Mexico have volunteered to provide assistance to Texas via the
Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) system and are awaiting
final authorization.
+ A joint TAHC and USDA Veterinary Services team is working in the
Beaumont area, assessing large animal issues from the air and
ground. The scope of livestock death loss is not yet known.
Another team will be assessing the western side of the storm area, when
re-entry is allowed.
+ The Texas State Animal Resource Team (TXSART), supported by the Texas
Veterinary Medical Association, is working in the area with credentialed
animal care groups. A TXSART hotline for
Orange and Jefferson County has been set up at: 409-980-7280 and
409-838-2510.
+ In several storm-ravaged counties, large numbers of cattle and horses
caught in the storm surge either died or fences are down, and animals are
loose or stranded. The TAHC is coordinating carcass disposal with
the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the National
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Reports of dead livestock should be made to the
TAHC’s Area Command Center at 800-550-8242, ext 296. Callers
will be asked to provide the location, species of animal, approximate
number, and if, possible, the GPS coordinates of the site.
+ The Texas Agrilife Extension, Texas Department of Agriculture and
livestock industry groups which have established “Operation No Fences:
Hurricane Ike Horse and Cattle Relief” to collect feed, hay and
water troughs to provide the livestock with safe feed and water.
For more information or to make a donation, call
the Texas 4H Foundation at 979-845-1213.
+ Producers who wish to donate hay or are in need of hay are encouraged
to call the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Hay
Hotline at 1-877-429-1998.
Visit
www.tda.state.tx.us/hayhotline for more information.
+ Many of the emergency animal shelters for large and small animals
remain operational, and livestock producers continue to generously
volunteer their pastures and barns for evacuees.
Early information from shelters providing reports indicate that more 550
livestock and about 1,200 small animals were provided refuge. This
does not include persons sheltering their pets in their temporary
housing, or individuals providing sheltering space. The TAHC has
sourced pet cages from Louisiana to augment the local sheltering
capacity. Evacuees who need to locate
sheltering space should call 2-1-1.
|
Carla Everett <carla.everett@...>
carla.everett@...
 Send Email
|
Having problems with message search?
Fill out this form to ensure your group is one of the first to be migrated to the new message search system.
