By Katie Curley
AMESBURY — The devastation along the Gulf Coast of Texas after Hurricane Ike paralleled the damage done by Hurricane Katrina for local animal control officer Becky Taylor.
Taylor, along with several others from the Northeast, made the trip to help rescue those who often get left by the wayside — the animals.
"The damage was so intense," Taylor said. "There were sick alligators and poisonous snakes, and a lot of animals didn't make it."
Taylor was deployed to Austin, Texas, on Sept. 13 through the State Animal Response Team to help the International Fund for Animal Welfare before moving to Anahauc, Texas, a rural part along the Galveston Coast where there is just one animal control officer for several hundred miles.
Taylor, along with other volunteers, stayed in the area the week after the hurricane rounding up missing animals found wandering among the devastation.
"These people thought the storm wouldn't happen, but it did," Taylor said. "It's a rural area so there are thousands of cattle. You drive around and you just smell death. Dogs are chained up behind houses waiting for their owners to come home."
Since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the way animals are helped during disasters has changed. Under the Federal Government's new "pet law," volunteers must have basic accreditation to be able to volunteer and work in search and rescue missions, shelter operations or office work.
"We found cows stuck in trees, still alive," Taylor said of the days after the storm passed.
Setting up a shelter at a fairground, Taylor and other volunteers found 51 dogs in the days after the storm. Of those dogs, 22 were reunited with their owners.
"I was left with the understanding that we need to know what we are going to do" in the event of a hurricane, Taylor said, noting as New Englanders we are brought up to believe we can weather any storm. "You never know how a storm is going to turn out. Because of the high tides and full moon, the storm surge during Ike was incredible."
Taylor stayed for a week after Hurricane Ike hit coastal Texas trying to place pets back into the hands of their owners.
"It's so hard because a lot of these dogs were not spayed or neutered to begin with so there was a large stray population," Taylor said. She has already helped place several dogs with foster parents.
Under Texas law, residents can reclaim property up to two years, while in many states it's just 30 days.
A pit bull is on its way to stay with Taylor with the understanding that if someone comes forward to claim the dog, she will have to go back to Texas.
"It's amazing some of these dogs weathered the storm," Taylor said. "For some, this storm was the best thing that could have happened to them."
Taylor's time in Texas has also given her a renewed sense of her responsibility to animals and residents locally. She is currently working to devise a plan for all local animals. As part of the Federal Pet Law since Hurricane Katrina, all cities and town must be creating a plan for animals.
"I'm working with the Red Cross to create a shelter for pets near where the people will be sheltered," Taylor said. "The best situation is to have the shelters close by."
Currently working with Don Swenson of Amesbury Emergency Management, Taylor hopes to have plans set up with the Amesbury School Department as early as December. She is currently looking for help and someone to manage the Newburyport section of the plan.
"Everyone needs a plan that works," Taylor said. "What happens when a storm hits but also what happens when a storm hits and you're at work in Boston? Will that neighbor who walks the dog be able to care for your dog or will they be evacuating?"
The two-tier plan will start with pets and eventually deal with farm animals and a plan to evacuate them to Western Massachusetts if a coastal storm or nuclear event were to happen locally.
"These things never happen at a convenient time," Taylor said. "It's just a huge trickle-down effect though; every single person needs a plan."
Those interested in helping Rebecca Taylor and staying in the area in a time of disaster can contact her at 978-463-0659.
