Missouri Flood Rescue Diary

See Rescue Photos

Monday, May 21, 2007 Mound City, MO

Debbie Hill reported that the animals being temporarily housed in the Humane Society’s Animal Rescue Trailer are starting to go back home to their families as of yesterday. In total, forty-four animals were assisted in and around Big Lake.

Since May 10th, the Rescue Team has been in the area caring for animals affected by the flood. They are expected to head back to St. Louis within the next few days.

The animals on board the Humane Society's Rescue Trailer have the chance to stretch their legs several times a day by the Humane Society of Missouri's Rescue Team and area volunteers. Above is Debbie Hill, Vice President of Operations for the Humane Society of Missouri, as well as part of the Rescue Team. See More Photos.

Thursday, May 17, 2007 Mound City, MO

Twenty-six animals are currently being housed at Griffith Park in the Humane Society’s Animal Rescue Trailer, which can hold up to one-hundred animals. These animals have the chance  to stretch their legs and walk outside several times a day thanks to the Rescue Team and area volunteers.

Water rescues faced a minor set-back when a boat motor was fouled up by floating debris in the flood waters. Tim Rickey, Director of Rescues and Investigations, and Carmen Skelly, Statewide Investigator, were on board at the time and had to improvise by rowing back to land. Debbie Hill hopes they will have the motor operational quickly so they can continue to sweep the area looking for animals in need.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007 Mound City, MO

A meeting was held yesterday for the citizens of Big Lake to discuss the current flood situation. Debbie Hill was on hand from the Rescue Team as well as members from American Red Cross and AmeriCorp. When Debbie addressed the crowd, she assured them that the Humane Society Disaster Rescue Team was committed to staying in the area until May 21st and would discuss staying longer when the time came.

The temporary shelter set up in Griffith Park is now housing ten dogs and six cats with another woman bringing in four more dogs and one mother cat with four kittens later today. Many people in the area are looking to find alternative housing for their pets because the costs of boarding their pets and paying for their own accommodations is becoming quite costly.

Linda Campbell, Director of Programs for the Humane Society and also part of the Rescue Team said, “Words cannot convey the overwhelming emotional response from the people of the Big Lake area to our presence in the community.  All of the residents are most grateful for our efforts. They never imagined that any organization would provide support like this for pets.  Some of these people are basically wiped out and will need to rebuild.  Many are paying for their own hotels plus boarding for their pets.  One resident was boarding her two dogs up at a kennel forty miles away at twenty-five dollars a day per dog, plus she had her two cats with her at the hotel where she was paying an extra twenty dollars per day for each of them.  Because the Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Rescue Team is temporarily housing her pets, she can decrease her expenses, plus she was able to visit her dogs two to three times a day, which she could not do previously. This has also given her time to locate to another temporary residence where she can move with her animals.”

Statewide Investigator, Carmen Skelly and Humane Officer, Lacey Baethke calm a rescued dog caught in the rising flood waters near Mound City, MO. See More Photos.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007 Mound City, MO

Rain continues to linger over the Big River area with light rain and strong winds that came through last night. The HSMO Disaster Rescue Team will continue to go in the field with the water patrol today to check humane traps that were set for cats that have previously eluded rescue as well as search for other pets in need.

A meeting will be held today for the citizens of Big Lake to update them on the status of the flood waters. Residents and their pets are still unable to return to their homes until further notice causing some to rely on housing their animals at the HSMO temporary shelter set-up in Griffith Park in nearby Mound City. As a result, Debbie Hill expects the HSMO Disaster Rescue Team will need to stay for at least another week to staff the temporary shelter and assist with field rescues. As some members of the Rescue Team have been in the area since last Thursday, a shift change is needed. Five members will come home while three new staff will arrive in Mound City today.

Monday, May 14, 2007 Oregon and Mound City, MO

Three black labs were brought to the temporary shelter set up in Griffith Park by their owner who cannot afford to keep them in the motel where he is staying. See More Photos.

This morning Debbie Hill participated in a meeting in Oregon, MO with the Holt County Sheriff Department, the Big Lake Fire Department and Holt County Commissioners to discuss the situation in the Big Lake area. Area roads continue to be under water and residents will not be allowed to return to their homes for several more days. Today residents will be ordered to evacuate all pets that have not already been removed from their homes.

Hill and Tim Rickey commended the Big River community for heeding instructions from the Holt County Sheriff Department to take all pets with them when they first evacuated their homes. Most residents did so, but some are now having trouble continuing to house pets in the temporary arrangements they had made. Therefore, the Humane Society of Missouri has been asked to continue to provide temporary shelter services in Mound City until further notice.

Members of the HSMO Disaster Rescue Team will go in the field today with the water patrol to search for pets in need and to provide food and water for those that cannot be evacuated.

Sunday, May 13 Mound City, MO

One of three outdoor cats who are being fed and watered at their residence by the Rescue Team. See More Photos.

After assessing the situation in the Big Lake area, the HSMO Disaster Rescue Team set up a temporary animal shelter in Griffith Park in nearby Mound City. The mobile shelter can house and support up to 100 animals and has computer recording keeping capabilities. It also serves as the home base for the Rescue Team as they survey the area to determine animal welfare needs and offer the shelter to evacuees having trouble housing pets.

Shortly after the shelter was opened, three black labs were brought in by their owner who could not afford to continue to keep them at the motel where he is staying. Another two labs were later brought to the shelter. Two cats were reunited with their owner Sunday afternoon.

The team also is providing food and water to several outdoor cats and a dog that were still at their residences.

1p.m. Saturday, May 12, near St. Louis, MO

Statewide investigator, Carmen Skelly, on board the Humane Society's ATV allowing the team to perform rescues in a variety of situations. See More Photos.

This morning the HSMO Disaster Rescue Team headed back to St. Louis with 21 dogs from the temporary shelter in Chillicothe. The shelter manager agreed to turn these animals over to the Humane Society of Missouri to open space in anticipation of an influx of animals when the Tripplett shelter reopens. The dogs will be taken to the Humane Society's St. Louis City Adoption Center.

About an hour from St. Louis, the Team received a call from SEMA (State Emergency Management Agency) asking them to respond to a call for animal rescue assistance in Holt County near Big Lake. Although most residents were able to evacuate successfully with their pets, it may be several days before they will be able to return to their homes. Apparently, continuing shelter for pets is becoming a problem for some evacuees. The Holt County Emergency Management director has suggested that a local church being used by the Red Cross might be an appropriate site for a temporary

animal shelter.

Seven members of the team are now headed to Holt County to assess the situation and are prepared to provide temporary shelter in the Humane Society of Missouri's climate-controlled Animal Rescue trailer which can house and support up to 100 animals. The team also will be available to follow up on reports of missing pets or animals in peril.

10 a.m. Friday, May 11, 2007 Chillicothe, MO

May 11, 2007 U.S. Senator Kit Bond held a press conference regarding the flood-ravaged areas in Cole and Chariton counties. Bond told landowners in the effected counties that he and his staff have been in constant contact with the Governor's office, Army Corps of Engineers, SEMA and the federal Missouri delegation on recovery efforts.

The HSMO Disaster Rescue Team continues to assist with temporary shelter operations at the Litton Agri-Science Education Center fairgrounds for the dogs evacuated from the Tripplett Animal Shelter. All of the dogs are doing well. The team is working with the shelter manager to match shelter capacity with community needs as the flood waters recede and the move is made back to their permanent building.  

Debbie Hill has been in almost constant contact with SEMA officials to assess the flood situation throughout Missouri. Several teams of HSMO staff have been deployed to various counties to meet with local emergency officials and assess local needs.  Team members will report back and additional personnel will be deployed as necessary.   
Carmen Skelly and Lacey Baethke -- Carroll, Chariton, and Grundy counties   
Kyle Held, Brian Thomas and Dr. Melinda Fleming - Lafayette and Saline counties   
Allen Miller - Cass, Jackson, Bates and Vernon counties    
Tim Rickey, Patience Scanlon - Holt, Platte, DeKalb, Caldwell and Clinton counties   
Bonnie Dean - Boone, Franklin counties

2:45 p.m. Thursday, May 10, 2007 St. Louis, MO

An additional six members of the Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Rescue Team were deployed this afternoon to join those already in the field in northwestern Missouri. These additional staff will be available to help with animal rescue and evacuation, triage, and temporary sheltering activities as needed in the flooded areas along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Additional team members include a veterinarian, a veterinary technician, two humane officers, and two animal care technicians. To assure their flexibility and mobility, the team is equipped with the Humane Society Animal Rescue Trailer that can hold up to 100 animals, a 4-wheel drive truck with livestock trailer equipped for large or small animals and carrying a 14 foot Jon Boat, a disaster support van (with generators, chain saws, animal food and other supplies), two vans equipped to house additional animals and an RV to serve as living quarters for the rescue team.

The Humane Society of Missouri Animal Rescue trailer is ready to receive cats and dogs evacuated from the Forrest O. Tripplett Memorial Animal Shelter in Chillicothe, Missouri. The shelter (in the back center of the photo) is surrounded by water forcing rescuers to relocate the animals by boat. See More Photos.

The Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Rescue Team is the lead agency for animal welfare in emergency situations in Missouri and works in cooperation with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

2 p.m. Thursday, May 10, 2007 Chillicothe, MO

Debbie Hill, Vice President of Operations for the Humane Society of Missouri, reports that 57 dogs and 11 cats were successfully evacuated from the Forrest O. Tripplett Memorial Animal Shelter. (See news release below.) The dogs have been relocated to a temporary shelter set up by the Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Rescue Team on the fairgrounds of the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center. The cats have been taken to temporary volunteer foster homes.  

"This evacuation went very smoothly today in large part due to the advance planning and preparation that has taken place in Missouri over the past year," said Hill. "This was the first real test of the Missouri Pets in Disaster Response Plan. All of the participants knew their roles and performed according to plan."  

Hill recognized in particular
-- Joe Rhinehart, Chief of the Chillicothe Department of Emergency Services and his staff, who provided boats and manpower and served as liaison with the Chillicothe city officials;
-- the staff of the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center who graciously offered space for the temporary animal shelter and assisted with on site logistics despite graduation ceremonies this weekend; and
--  neighbors of the Tripplett Animal Shelter who supported rescuers on the scene. Hill noted that everyone willingly cooperated resulting in a safe and successful outcome for animals and humans.

Humane Society of Missouri Deploys To Chillicothe, Mo. to Help Animal Shelter Threatened by Flood

May 10, 2007 Chillicothe, MO

Rescue Team relocating more than 60 dogs and cats to local fairgrounds

A five-member Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Rescue Team is assisting in the relocation of about 60 dogs and several cats from a shelter which currently is surrounded by water from recent flooding of the Missouri River. The shelter serves as the Chillicothe humane society and animal control facility.

A temporary shelter set up by the Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Rescue Team on the fairgrounds of the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center. See More Photos.

As the designated lead agency for animal welfare in emergency situations, the Humane Society of Missouri’s help was requested as part of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) efforts in the areas affected by current flooding.

Animals evacuated from Forest O. Tripplett Memorial Animal Shelter on S. Mitchell Road. Animals will be taken to Fairgrounds area at the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center on Highway 190 West outside of Chillicothe, Missouri where temporary shelter facilities are being set up with the assistance of the HSMO rescue team.

The animal transfer will begin about 10:30 a.m. this morning.

The Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Rescue Team has experience working in a variety of situations including flood water, downed trees and building debris. The Humane Society of Missouri has responded to other disasters including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and tornadoes in Oklahoma in 1999, floods in North Dakota in 2000, as well as tornadoes and floods in Missouri.

Volunteers and Donations:

Persons wishing to assist the Tripplett shelter with monetary or other donations or volunteer help should call 660-247-0555.

Persons wishing to donate to the Humane Society of Missouri to aid emergency rescue efforts should call 314-951-1542