Thanks to Eagle Scout Bryce Lourie, the Burbank Animal Shelter now has a Pet Disaster Preparedness Shed to house the many items needed to care for both Shelter animals and Burbank resident animals in the event of an emergency. Superintendant Brenda Castenada, Senior Animal Control Officer Stacie Levin and Volunteer President Denise Fleck, under the guidance of Police Captain Ron Caruso, have worked countless hours creating a Pet Emergency Plan to lay the groundwork and train individuals to help should the Big One (or even the not-so-big one) strike.
Volunteers and Staff have joined with the Emergency Network Los Angeles (ENLA) and have attended trainings through several organizations to assure their skills are up to par, but one thing they have been lacking are extensive emergency supplies and a place to store them.
Bryce Lourie, a Scout in Rose Bowl Troop #502, saw that need and wanted to help. To achieve Eagle Scout status, he needed to complete a Leadership Service Project and chose the Burbank Animal Shelter to be his beneficiary. He constructed a 7’ X 10’ X 8’ weatherproof shed with appropriate
ventilation to house perishable items and disaster supplies in the Shelter’s back parking lot. Says Lourie, “The shed I built will provide a secure location to store emergency equipment in an easily accessible area directly adjacent, but not connected to the main shelter building should it become inaccessible during an earthquake or other disaster.”
By requesting donations from local businesses, community members and friends and holding a Round Table Pizza Night, Bryce was able to raise the needed funds (approximately $750) to complete the project. He oversaw a team of 30 workers and put in more man-hours than you’d believe to see the project through completion. Bryce kept alert to safety hazards and assigned his workers to tasks equal to their skill level. He made sure a first aid kit was available each work day as well as a physician and required proper hand and eye protection be worn at all times.
VBAS President Denise Fleck could not have been more excited. “Since teaching Dog & Cat CPR is something I do in my non-volunteer life, making sure the Shelter and Burbank Community are prepared for animals in need ranked high on my priority list. Thanks to Bryce, we are now on the road to having the means necessary to care for the animals should something happen. We have the shed, so we now need to fill it with much needed items so that we can respond should the worst happen.”
If you are interested in helping the Burbank Animal Shelter fill up their DisasterPreparedness Shed with supplies, items needed include:
40 lbs. bags Natural Balance Chicken Kibble for dogs
Cases (12 – 13 oz cans) of Natural Balance dog food with pop tops
20 lbs. bags Natural Balance Chicken Kibble for cats
Cases (24 – 6 oz cans) Natural Balance for cats with pop tops
5 Gallon Jugs of Drinking Water
55 Gallon Drum to store water & sterilization tablets
Scoopable Cat Litter, Scoops & Disposable shallow litter pans
Pooper Scoopers & Plastic Bags
Blankets, Towel, Pet Bedding
Crates & Carriers (preferably collapsible ones)
Brushes, Pet Toys and Treats
Collars, Leashes, Halters in all sizes
Crank radio w/batteries, Police Scanner, Walkie Talkies
Fire extinguishers
Flashlights, Lamps and Head Lamps with batteries
Hardware Gloves in varying sizes
Hacksaw
Rope/Cord/Yellow Tape to partition areas
Plywood
Collapsible Dollies to move items
Inflatable wading pools
Garbage Bags
Paper Towel
Bleach and Disinfectants
as well as water proof bins to hold these items in.
Thank you so much BurbankNBeyond for always sharing the exciting happenings at the Burbank Animal Shelter. We PAWSitively appreciate you!
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