HUMANE SOCIETY OF BAY COUNTY, INC.
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA

About The Humane Society of Bay County About The Humane Society of Bay County The Humane Society of Bay County is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization formed in 1986 for the purpose of sheltering and locating homes for homeless animals through adoptions. We became a no-kill shelter in 2006, providing the only no-kill shelter option for homeless animals in Bay County. Our Mission Our mission is to end the needless destruction of homeless animals in our community by operating a no-kill shelter and providing protection, education, services, and support for companion animals and their families. Our Mission Our mission is to end the needless destruction of homeless animals in our community by operating a no-kill shelter and providing protection, education, services, and support for companion animals and their families. No time to put together a first-aid kit? Order one already stocked with many of the items listed above. Several companies and nonprofit organizations sell canine first-aid kits. Your local Red Cross Chapter sells one containing most of the items for a very reasonable price. Ginger snaps. These cookies sometimes help alleviate upset stomachs. Call ahead to confirm emergency shelter arrangements for you and your pets. You may not be home when the evacuation order comes. Find out if a trusted neighbor would be willing to take your pets and meet you at a prearranged location. This person should be comfortable with your pets, know where your animals are likely to be, know where your pet disaster supplies kit is kept, and have a key to your home. If you use a petsitting service, they may be available to help, but discuss the possibility well in advance. Birds should be transported in a secure travel cage or carrier. In cold weather, wrap a blanket over the carrier and warm up the car before placing birds inside. During warm weather, carry a plant mister to mist the birds’ feathers periodically. Do not put water inside the carrier during transport. Provide a few slices of fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content. Have a photo for identification and leg bands. If the carrier does not have a perch, line it with paper towels and change them frequently. Try to keep the carrier in a quiet area. Do not let the birds out of the cage or carrier. Be advised that birds are not permitted in Bay County Red Cross Emergency Shelters Interim Guidelines for Animal Health and Control of Disease Transmission in Pet Shelters, is intended to provide guidance for volunteer care givers when we have an influx of evacuees from other areas and have assumed responsibility for assisting in the care and feeding of either displaced animals or animals temporarily sheltered at the Bay County Fair Grounds. The Guidelines were extracted verbatim from the web site of the American Veterinary Medical Association and are included without change or comment. These Interim Guidelines have been developed by consultation between the American Veterinary Medical Association and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are advisory in nature. They are intended to provide guidance for the care of animals entering shelters and for persons working with or handling the animals in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The guidance reflects information available as of September 27, 2005 and may be updated as more information becomes available. Animals arriving at shelters as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita need special care. Because they have been exposed to contaminated flood waters and have not had access to safe food and fresh water, many are stressed and dehydrated and some may be injured and/or ill. Stressed animals may or may not show signs of illness and may also exhibit behavioral disorders. Following some simple animal management and disease control guidelines can help improve animal health and reduce the risk of disease transmission and injury between animals and people. While the American Veterinary Medical Association normally recommends that vaccination programs be customized to individual animals, in disaster situations vaccination status may be difficult, if not impossible, to determine. For this reason, administration of “core” vaccines to animals upon admission to shelters when vaccination status is unavailable or not current is considered appropriate. Vaccines take some time to become effective and will not address pre-existing exposures, so personnel are cautioned to be alert for clinical signs of disease. Providing housed animals with fresh food and water on a regular basis and establishing other familiar routines will assist animals in adjusting to their new environment. Food and water should be provided at multiple smaller and dispersed stations, rather than a few large clumped stations, to minimize fear, competition and fighting among unfamiliar animals. Behavioral exercises and behavioral medications may be administered short-or long-term, as required, to help animals recover. Shelters are encouraged to seek assistance from qualified animal and veterinary behaviorists who can assist them in meeting these needs. Animals that have been previously associated with transmission of monkeypox (i.e., prairie dogs, African rodents) are under legal restrictions for movement, except to a veterinarian for care. If one of these high-risk species is presented for veterinary care at a shelter, they must be kept isolated from other animals and housed in individual cages. If this cannot be accomplished, these animals must be humanely euthanized. Veterinarians are responsible for making clinical judgments regarding the health of the animal and the need for medical treatment. Use of prescription drugs may be authorized only by a veterinarian. Drugs and vaccines should be stored under conditions recommended by the manufacturer. Products should be examined periodically to ensure cleanliness and current expiration date. Records of individual animal treatments should be kept, including animal identification, date of treatment, name of product administered, name of the individual administering product, and the name of the supervising veterinarian.