In the context of weather warnings of torrential rains and hydrological warnings regarding the risk of floods, all animals in the affected areas must be untied, so that they can be saved, the National Veterinary Sanitary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) reported on Sunday.
ANSVSA has developed a set of animal welfare and protection rules that must be respected before, during and after the flood intervention.
The County Veterinary and Food Safety Directorates (DSVSA), respectively for the municipality of Bucharest, were sent instructions regarding the implementation of general and specific prophylaxis measures, ecarization and public health, in order to prevent and limit the effects of floods on the health and well-being of animals.
The instructions provided are intended for both official veterinarians and animal keepers, be they commercial or companion animals.
In these it was specified that, in any intervention in a non-epidemic disaster, such as in the case of floods, the identification of areas that could be affected and the relocation of animals to safer areas must be taken into account.
“Also, animals must not be kept tied, all animals must be untied so they can save themselves. In addition, access to animal shelters or paddocks must be easy so that animals can be moved easily,” shows ANSVSA.
“The Chain Means Death”
Animal Protection CJ Ilfov sent a similar message on Sunday:
“Unleash your dogs. Only in this way can they be saved, in case of floods. The chain means death. We ask that you be aware of the danger of weather warnings and take care of your animals. As they also had and guarded the houses. If you can, shelter them somewhere. Put your cats inside too, don’t let them walk alone in this weather. It is completely normal and human to care about all beings“.
The sanitary-veterinary authority specified that, when planning the intervention to save farm and pet animals from the flood, the following stages must be taken into account: “providing a shelter for rescued animals; providing water and feed to hungry and thirsty animals; providing veterinary treatment or means of prophylaxis for sick animals or those at high risk of disease; the elimination by humane methods of animals that are suffering and for which therapeutic intervention can no longer be done”.
Animal handling recommendations
During the stages of rescuing and transporting animals to areas safe from flooding, the following types of handling of animals should be avoided as much as possible: hitting animals with hand or foot; applying pressure to a sensitive area of the animals’ body, causing them unnecessary pain or suffering; suspending animals by mechanical means, lifting or dragging animals by the head, ears, horns, legs, tail or fur, or handling them in a way that causes them unnecessary pain or suffering, and the use of rods or other sharp instruments.
“The means of transport and containers used in rescue operations and the transport of animals to safe areas must also be designed, constructed, maintained and used in such a way as to avoid injury and suffering to animals and to ensure their safety.” shows ANSVSA.
As regards the transport of rescued animals, it must be carried out without delay to the place of destination. If animals are moved to a temporary shelter, they should be inspected at least once a day for possible morbidity and mortality.
Risk of serious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans
Emergency shelters or other improvised structures, intended to temporarily shelter animals rescued from floods, must comply with a minimum of safety conditions for animals and ensure their protection.
“We specify that the heavy rainfall and recent floods lead us to warn animal owners in the affected areas, but also in the rest of the country, about the risk of the appearance and evolution of serious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. The importance of veterinary sanitary actions, especially vaccinations, lies in the fact that the incidence of some diseases, which are normally controlled, could increase”, stated DSVSA.
ANSVSA recommends all animal owners to cooperate with veterinarians to carry out the necessary veterinary sanitary actions:
“The activity carried out by the veterinary sanitary services has a double purpose: to maintain the health of the animal herds and to protect the citizens from the danger of diseases transmissible from animals to humans.”
