BY PEPPER FISHER
Port Angeles – Clallam County is developing a disaster plan for domestic animals, and they’re asking for the public’s help in that effort.
County staff have created a very short survey to get an accurate sense of the number of domestic animals living here and how they’re dispersed throughout the county.
The survey begins with two simple questions.
Where in Clallam County do you live? You’re asked to pick the best answer. City of Port Angeles, City of Sequim, City of Forks, Unincorporated West of Port Angeles, or Unincorporated East of Port Angeles
Question number 2 is, Do you have the following? No Animals, Small Animals only, Large Animals only (horses, cows, sheep etc.), Both Large and Small.
Emergency Management Program Coordinator Justine Chorley says even if you don’t have animals, your response provides valuable data.
“It’s really important. Even those people who don’t have animals, it’s important for them to fill out the survey. And in their case, it’s only two questions, so they can be through with it really quick. Because, we’re going to do a percentage of the total people filling out the survey, knowing that we could never get an accurate count of every animal in the county.”
If you do have animals, especially stock animals, the survey has a few more questions, and gives you a chance to volunteer to help others move their animals out of harm’s way in the event of a fire or other disaster.
“And another important piece of this is that, you know, technically, individuals are responsible for their animals. So, we’re doing a whole education campaign to try to get people to be as prepared for their animals as they can be. And then, we’re also, as part of this plan that’s being written, trying to come up with tools that we could use because, you know, the best prepared person may not be home when the disaster strikes. So, you know, how can we get volunteers to help go in and rescue animals?”
To access the survey, click here.