Missouri County Will Use Mobile Shelter to House Pets After Disasters

Boone County has become the first in Missouri to have a special trailer to house pets displaced by disasters.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the American Kennel Club Pet Disaster Relief trailer was delivered recently to Boone County’s Office of Emergency Management. The club’s lost pet recovery service and the Columbia-based Orthopedic Foundation for Animals provided $22,000 for the vehicle.

The trailer can accommodate around 65 animals, depending on their size, and contains crates, collars, a generator and other supplies.

Officials said the trailer will serve as an emergency shelter where people can find lost pets after a disaster.

A faculty member from the University of Missouri’s veterinary college noted that it’s easy for people and pets to become separated in the chaos of floods, tornadoes and other disasters.