Back in sochol, I'm doing so much learning.

If I were a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, now I'd say “Koawbngua, dude!”

I hope all the pest and animals caught in this disaster get through it and of course their owners and they find safety,because animals are usually the last ones thought of in situations like this

Annie. You should be ashamed of yourself. I pity the poor animal that has to endure you as their forever home...or forever until a storm hits.

What can you do if see an injured animal due to the hurraine.

I am sending this to all of you pet ownwers, thanking you for such knowledgeable information. I am a student at Ridley Lowell Businees Institute, and am giving a speech on animal cruelty. Your comments about this situation has helped me tremendiously in the outline of my speech. I too am a pet owner ,Oscar and Felix ,my cats,I live in an area of New York State that is safe for now , so my heartfelt prayers go to all of you who are struggling with Irene.Again thank you for your help and good luck.

Anyone who does not care enough to do everything they possibly can to make sure their pets are safe and taken care of should not have pets. When people have pets, we are responsible for loving and providing for our pets. This includes protecting these furry family members along with the rest of our family members. Pets are not expendable. They are living beings who feel pain, loneliness and terror just as much as we do. Since they have no choice, they look to us to take care of them - in all situations.

I am glad to have recently joined the ASPCA with these tremendous storms coming.Thanks for being there. Good luck to all.

Annie, you should NOT be ALLOWED TO HAVE PETS. Despicable.

Has anyone heard about coastal Connecticut? My Mom lives there and has evacuated to a friend's house. She took her cat with her.

@Annie. What kind of a pet owner are you? Pets become a part of your family and deserves safety just as much as you do. Bringing your pets to safety is not a "luxury" as you put it. If you cannot properly care for your pets, you should quit being a NEGLECTFUL owner and re-home them to someone who will give them the proper care and safety they deserve.

To Annie. If you have pets, they should be a PART of your family. Be a good pet owner and make sure they go with you if you need to evacuate.

I think the ASPCA needs to chill. Telling people that at all costs no pets are to be left behind. Some of us don't have the luxury to be able to do that. And most importantly a lot of us are too busy trying to plans to get their own family to safety. My point being don't stress over the pets and keep yourself safe. #priorities

Can anyone tell me how to find out if you are going to be evacuated on Long Island and where the pet friendly shelters are located (NASSAU Cnty-western)

A question for Helen Ross and the post made on Aug. 26 at 10:06 PM. You left your cats behind??????

I hope all the shelters let people bring their pets with them when Irene strikes. I was disgusted when Katrina struck and the shelters would not let the pets in. I no longer donate to the Red Cross and several charities that are cruel to animals. I accept no excuses for their actions. My prayers are for both humans and animals. May God keep them all safe.

In the aftermath of Katrina, President Bush signed into law the Pets Evacuation and Transporation Standards Act (PETS) on 10/6/06, public law 109-308. This is to make it possible for residents to take their pets with them when they evacuate. I learned of this law in an American Red Cross Pet First Aid and CPR course I took this past spring. Unfortunately, due to health reasons the American Red Cross cannot accept animals in their shelters so you must have a plan for your pet. One major tip: take a photo of you and your pet together. This helps prove ownership (guardianship) should you become separated. I pray all will be safe.

Have the media not learned anything from Katrina? I am disgusted and angry that the media lacks the compassion to add one sentence to their reports and the same goes for the Mayors and Govenors of the effected areas. It should be against the law to leave your pets behind! Kudos to the guy from FEMA that did mention pets on FOX and to Brian raising awareness by discussing the evacuation of his big dog on the Friday morning news! Residents of the affected areas shouldn't have to get on this site to discover that the shelters will take in pets. I believe laws were passed after Katrina reguarding both evacuations and shelters reguarding mandatory pet care. Its a shame that so many pets have to suffered because of human idiots!

My thoughts are with you all. I live in the Uk but have friends in the affected areas who i know have many cats to look after. Stay safe.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people and the pets that will be affected by Irene. I am glad to hear this storm has an evacuation plan that includes such a pet-friendly attitude unlike Katrina's response to the animals. And please keep your pets inside with you out of the storm and out of danger. Those animals are going to be counting on their owners so please keep them safe. God Bless everyone.

to sara (responded to mary): While the ASPCA is NY based they do provide assistance to other, smaller shelters and rescues. They have knowledge and experience that they share to help smaller organizations. They have also been able to support legislation to help abused, neglected and abandoned animals. That is why I continue to support them as well as supporting a local shelter here in South Florida.

I live in NC and donate to a local shelter and also to the ASPCA. I was moved by the ASPCA work during the Joplin tornado and other disasters around the country and that is one of the reasons I will continue to contribute. We are having storm strength winds but nothing compared with what the coast is experiencing. Take care of yourselves and your furry friends!

To answer Mary's question: the ASPCA IS only for NY. The "A" is extremely misleading to people. This is why I stopped donating (I no longer live in NY) and instead donate to my local rescues.

One tip from our dog trainer was if you live in a flood prone area write your phone number on your dog's belly in permanent black marker in case you're separated.

I'll will pray for us all....and I'm not going anywhere without my cats!

I worry about all those feral cats who live under the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Please, St. Anthony, watch over them.

MAY GOD BE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR PETS PLEASE - IF YOU SEE A STRAY DOG OR CAT - HELP THEM

I got all my animals from the ASPCA and Me and my cat wish you all a safe return...GOD BLESS EVERYONE and ANIMALS TOO>>.you are in our prayers.. some of you might think that this is stupid but My cat IS MY LIFE...I would do anything for him..

HelenRoss I'd have no problem helping you out but I live in Canada. My home is about 750 miles from the ocean,

My furry friends have not only been there for me, but probably saved my life by predicting tornados several minutes ahead of the National Weather Service! Please, everyone, take the "golden rule" one paw print further and treat your pets as you would have others treat you. Meanwhile, praying EVERYONE two and four footed (and everything in between) is safe and sending a BIG thank you to ALL the rescue organizations and volunteers that work so hard to keep all of us safe. During our Spring storms, many frightened lost animals were helped into a shelter after several mega tornados passed through, then the roof of the arena where they were being sheltered collapsed due to the weight of the flood waters and they had to be evacuated AGAIN. I really admire the effort and tireless work ALL the rescuers do. Thank you so much.

Take care and be safe everyone.

Renaissance Faire jousters - please email me at chichi @ jackiefactory.com with your contact info - would like to post it to a crisis map for you and reach out to rescue contacts if you still need help. Let me know

My thoughts and prayers are with you stay safe.

I have 4 cats I must leave to get to safety..I live on 2nd floor in apt bld..I hope they will be safe...?

Does the ASPCA monitor the comments at all? There are some people looking for help here.

I think that we are very lucky in disasters such as this to be able to communicate all the emergency information that is available thru social media and social networks. It gives more people and their pets a greater chance of evacuating and planning for greater safety. I would not have known about all the pet shelters and resources if it wasn't for Twitter. Thank you.

We have horses and no where to go. We are with the New York renaissance Faire joust team. Please help! Only places we have are south and we cannot have a trailer here until tomorrow. If you have any suggestions please email me with any numbers of nice people. They have all their shots and we have their papers. We just need a place where they can be safe.

Melinda has the same fears that I do...what is being done to evacuate the Chincoteague and Assateague ponies?

I just happened to think about all of the wild horses that live on islands and on the beaches that the hurricane is going to hit pretty hard.Is there anything that can be done to help them? I am so worried abot this!Please reply!

Natural disasters like hurricanes should NEVER be taken lightly, brushed off, ignored, or turned into a joke. Remember that Mother Nature is more powerful than ANY of us, and should always be treated with respect. Remember that material things can always be replaced. LIVES cannot be. Take the time (well in advance of any potential disasters) to study each potential situation and prepare for it, whether it be fires, floods, blizzards, earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, or hurricanes. Have a plan in place for your family (including your pets), and put together an "emergency kit" that you can grab and run with. Remember that disasters can happen at ANY time, and without warning.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on the East Coast. Dear God, please watch over all the people,pets and animals on the East Coast as they are impacted by Hurricane Irene. Please keep them ALL safe and spare their property and life. Amen!

I'm getting a lot of emails from rescues that are desperate for temporary housing for their cats and dogs including the Staten Island ACC. OKSANA AT 347 524 5678 in Brighton Beach really needs help RIGHT NOW in saving 60 cats in her rescue!I hope the ASPCA is helping them. They have room in their new facility to take in a lot of these animals. Get out there ASPCA!

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on the East Coast. Dear God, please watch over all the people,pets and animals on the East Coast as they are impacted by Hurricane Irene. Please keep them ALL safe and spare their property and life. Amen!

my heart goes out to everyone and the wonderful article and help for people facing this disaster. also, the concern for cat colonies, and strays. i am sure aspca can give you advice. i would worry also. I hope you get some advice?

my heart goes out to everyone and the wonderful article and help for people facing this disaster. also, the concern for cat colonies, and strays. i am sure aspca can give you advice. i would worry also. I hope you get some advice?

Does the ASPCA only work in NY? I have been a loyal donor for years, but what about the animals on the rest of the coast?

Please take care of your 4-legged furry friends as they will be frightened during the storm. Remember that they are always there when we need them, so treat them as they are part of the family because they are. I know I would never leave my animals behind. They are my heart and soul. They depend on me to keep them safe. My prayers are with those and there mates.

My family and I send out our prayers for everyone and their fur babies affected by the impending storm. God bless you and keep you all safe.

A big "THANK YOU" to the ASPCA for being there for our furry friends in their times of need! What a wonderful organization! Good luck to everyone who needs to evacuate because of Hurricane Irene! You and your furry babies are in my thoughts and prayers!

My prayers are with everyone that is having to endure the storm. Be safe & take care of yourselves and your 4 legged children,the small ones AND the large ones!

If pets are very afraid with the storm try putting a T shirt on them. For med & large dogs even a regular human one will work as you want to snug it tight around them. A baby one will work with the little ones. That helps with thunder and lightening I know. Good luck to everyone from Wisconsin!

Is it really all the shelters that listed on the NYC.gov evcuation map during Hurrican Irene situation are pet friendly? Just want to make sure so I don't have to look for alternative.

it's great to see all you are doing for pets in this circumstancies, ther's too much cases in too much countries where pets and all animals are the last thing they care. Always the anthropocentrism place the human overthere animals and nature, thinking they where created for use , pleasure and diversion. Congratulations for this -and others- actions.

Send them to california...we can help them :)...and I would never leave my babies in a storm :(

Thank you for caring the news media mus also advice people about not to abandon their pets during times like this.

ANY IDEAS FOR WILD CAT COLONIES? i FEED ONE DAILY AND i AM CONCERNED..

Hello fellow animal lovers...Any recommendations on protecting strays???

You're all wonderful parents. So nice to see this! My pets are my children and I'll do just as much to keep them safe as myself and my elderly parents. I love them unconditionally. Glad to see so many of you doing the same! Thank goodness these evacuations are changing for the better in terms of pets.

Will send a donation to help the ASPCA with Hurricane Irene animal relief.

Great tips. I listed the ASPCA as a source on our blog entry on pet preparedness. Hope everyone stays safe. http://fivesibes.blogspot.com/2011/08/hurricane-disaster-pet-preparedness.html

Good luck! May God be with be with, and bless all of you.

I'm pleased beyond words hearing from officials NOT to leave their pets behind. The Mayor of Philadephia said this, and added about service animals. And I've just read above about shelters welcoming pets. My family and I are survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and we evacuated with our animals. We were monitoring the progression of Hurricane Irene, and were very pleased that New Orleans dodged the bullet this time. But we offer our prayers and good thoughts to everyone along the east coast, and the northeast...take this storm seriously, it reminds us too much of Katrina. God bless you ALL.

Your pets are your responsibility! They depend on you to keep them safe!!! They should be thought of as family! I feel bad for those who have lesser pet "parents" right now!! :( I would never leave my dogs/pets behind.

Ensure that your pets have ALL rabies and other immunization shots.... also make sure that there is adequate water for them. DO NOT use any tap water, unless you can filter it BEFORE the storm. Finally, cuddle your cuties ALOT! They will probably be more scared than us.

Ensure that your pets have ALL rabies and other immunization shots.... also make sure that there is adequate water for them. DO NOT use any tap water, unless you can filter it BEFORE the storm. Finally, cuddle your cuties ALOT! They will probably be more scared than us.

Bless all of you at the ASPCA for being so proactive as the Hurricane decends on the East Coast. I just hope that pet parents make very effort to stay with their animals. Great tips everyone!!Be safe.

DO NOT LEAVE your pets behind or especially chained up in the back yard like other morons have done in the past. It is inhumane!!!

I think this is a wonderful thing. Too many pet parents have had to leave their beloved pets behind in a disaster because they weren't allowed to take their pets. This has to be a comforting thing for pets and parents alike.

Please..For those who have outdoor Bunnies..Lets Not Forget Them!!!

Stay safe everyone! All of our furry & scaly friends are visiting grandma since we heard this may be scary. Going to get a quick carry cage for our hamster just in case! While we are 20 miles from the coast, better to be safe than sorry with possible flooding!

Wonderful that the evacuation areas will be pet friendly. I'm sure that will encourage people who have pets, if they must leave their homes - knowing there is a safe haven for them and their beloved pets.

Make sure the pets ALL have contact info on their collars ESPECIALLY if your pet is not microchipped. The contact info at the chip agency also must be updated in case the family relocates! Make sure you have the microchip tag numbers. Email them to yourself, along with good photos of all your pets, so you can retrieve the info from anywhere once the storm is over. Emailing scans of rabies vac and other health info is also very helpful so that info will be secure. While you are at it, copy the email to a trusted friend for safe-keeping in case you are not able to get to a computer.