National Pet Preparedness Month

 

June is National Pet Preparedness Month. In April 2013, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)  sent notice (PDF) to its regional offices that public universities are required to comply with the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (FHAA), which includes allowing emotional support animals into college dormitories and residence halls. While people should be prepared for emergencies year-round, this month serves as a reminder of the special considerations that need to be made when encountering service and emotional support animals and is an opportune time for colleges and universities to review and amend policies as they relate to service and emotional support animals on campus.

 

HUD explained the obligations of housing providers under the FHAA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with respect to animals that provide assistance to individuals with disabilities. Both service animals and emotional support animals fall under this description. An emotional support animal is a companion animal that provides therapeutic benefit to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability. The person seeking the emotional support animal must have a verifiable disability; the reason cannot just be a need for companionship. The animal is viewed as a "reasonable accommodation" under the FHAA to those housing communities that have a "no pets" rule. In other words, just as a wheelchair provides a person with a physical limitation the equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, an emotional support animal provides a person with a mental or psychiatric disability the same opportunity to live independently. Most times, an emotional support animal will be seen as a reasonable accommodation for a person with such a disability. Failure to make reasonable accommodations by changing rules or policies can be a violation of the FHAA unless the accommodation would be an undue financial burden on the landlord or cause a fundamental alteration to the premises. In light of these obligations, colleges and universities should evaluate their current housing policies as they relate to service and emotional support animals. Some policies that institutions of higher education have developed include those from Tufts, Michigan State University's Animal Legal and Historical Center, UCONN, and Denison.

 

In addition to evaluating policies, this preparedness month is a good time to share information with the community on how to properly prepare to care for their pets, including service and emotional support animals, during an emergency. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), pet owners can take these five steps to prepare for an emergency:

The ASPCA literature also addresses unique considerations for geography as well as horses, birds, reptiles, and other small animals. Additionally, Ready.gov provides a social media toolkit to assist in communicating preparedness information to the community. The toolkit discusses #petpreparedness tips on evacuation, sheltering, identification, and seasonal concerns.

 

While individual responsibility is critical in caring for animals, safety professionals also need to understand the prevalence of animals in their response areas and identify methods for appropriate and safe interactions with pets. The National Canine Research Council, Safe Humane Chicago, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services created a 5-part video series, " Police & Dog Encounters: Tactical Strategies and Effective Tools to Keep Our Communities Safe and Humane," to assist community and campus safety professionals in preparing for interactions with pets during emergency situations. These roll call videos discuss tools, practices, and procedures that contribute to effective responses to dog-related incidents and encounters where dogs are present. Each video in the series is available in English and Spanish. 

Fireworks and Independence Day Safety

 

Each July 4th, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks - devastating burns, other injuries, fires, and even death.  According to the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Research, Data & Analytics Division , fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires per year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires, and 16,900 outside and other fires. These fires caused an average of three deaths, 40 civilian injuries, and an average of $43 million in direct property damage. In 2015, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 11,900 people for fireworks related injuries; 51% of those injuries were to the extremities and 41% were to the head. The NFPA provides multiple resources surrounding fireworks safety, including:

The National Safety Council, a nonprofit organization with the mission of eliminating preventable deaths, also provides information on sparklers, bottle rockets, firecrackers, roman candles, and M-class fireworks along with safety tips to follow when using legal fireworks.

 

And let's not forget the safety of our pets! In addition to having an emergency plan, here are some specific considerations for pets during July 4th celebrations from the American Veterinary Medical Association:

Additional tips for firework safety can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Five Minutes or Less for Health Weekly Tips web page.

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