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Business & Tech

Local Kennels Help Ensure Pets' Safety in Hurricane

Residents take steps to care for the furry members of their families.

With the approach of Hurricane Irene, residents took steps to ensure the safety of their homes and their families—including their pets.

Local kennels reported a variety of experiences before, during and after Irene’s arrival in the township.

Diane O’Donnell at Long Hill Kennel on Long Hill Road noted “an exodus” on Friday and Saturday before Irene’s arrival, as owners who had been told to evacuate the Jersey Shore picked up their pets earlier than scheduled. Once the storm hit, several people whose homes were flooded sought accommodations rather than leave their pets home alone.

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Long Hill Kennel was also notified by township officials to anticipate calls to take in some animals if Hillsborough residents were forced to evacuate.

Vince De Masi at Pioneer Pet Care on East Mountain Road said that, at first, the facility had several cancellations from people who had planned to be away and then decided to stay home.

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Then the facility heard from the owners of Bed & Biscuit Inn on Millstone River Road. Bed & Biscuit Inn had been flooded during Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999. In preparation for Hurricane Irene, officials told the owners to evacuate their tenants, and the owners asked Pioneer Pet Care to take in about 10 of their animals.

Bed & Biscuit Inn did not return calls but their phone message indicates they are “temporarily closed” due to damage from Hurricane Irene and expect to re-open Oct. 1.

Pioneer Pet Care also reported taking in a few pets before the storm from residents of the Lost Valley in Manville, an area prone to flooding. Since the storm, the kennel has received several calls from pet owners who had planned to board their pets at Hay Hill Kennels in Green Brook, which was forced to evacuate and also is currently closed.

For Leslie Picone at Roycefield Kennels on Roycefield Road, the situation took yet another turn.

“What was surprising was that a lot of people came earlier so they could get to their vacations. They dropped off their pets on Friday so they could get out of town,” she said.

While they did have one or two dogs come in as a result of the hurricane, Picone said, “I think more people are trying to manage their pets in their homes. With the cooler weather, even if there is no electricity, they could handle it.”

Picone and her husband Charles Macaluso are members of the County Animal Response Team (CART) and encourage kennel owners to learn how to prepare for emergencies through contact with other kennels and by taking FEMA and CART animal preparedness classes.

“People’s pets are members of our family,” said Picone. “We have to take precautions for them and provide them a safe haven.”

Dog Days Day Care on Roycefield Road received several phone calls from people “scurrying to find accommodations,” said owner Robin Blair. She noted that a few guests were delayed in starting their stay while some owners were delayed in picking up their pets.

Other than Bed & Biscuit, the local kennels are not in flood-prone locations; however, all of the local kennels reported being well prepared for any emergencies, with back-up generators, water and food. As Picone said, “We prepared for the worst.”

“It’s a big responsibility to be taking care of people’s pets,” said De Masi. He and his wife Patricia took turns sleeping, making sure someone would be available to open the doors for circulation if the power went off.

“It seemed to me that people were more prepared this time than for Floyd. I think people learned a lot from Floyd and learned to consider how their pet was going to manage,” he observed.

Blair recommended that pet owners have a back-up plan, specifically someone who can take their animals where they can be safe should they (or even the kennel) need to evacuate. In addition to stocking up on food and water, she suggested having a non-electric can opener for animals who eat canned food.

“People need to understand that their dogs are a little freaked out, too. People are stressed and the animals sense the stress. Owners need not to make them feel isolated,” she said. “The animals feel the effects, too.”

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