Weyauwega, WI

Following is a copy of the questionnaire used to study the effects of pet ownership ion household evacuation behavior, pet evacuation failure and pet rescue attempts following a hazardous materials spill (propane) due to a train derailment in March 1996.

SURVEY OF WEYAUWEGA RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY THE TRAIN DERAILMENT OF MARCH 4, 1996

Center for Applied Ethology and Human Animal Interaction

Veterinary Disaster Management Research

1243 Veterinary Pathology Building

West Lafayette, IN 47907-1243

Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions in this questionnaire. We believe your input will help improve our understanding of evacuations and how to make them safer and more efficient.

All questions should be answered by, or on behalf of, the main care provider for the pets in your household, unless stated otherwise.

As you answer the questions, please always select the best answer from the choices you are given, unless stated otherwise.

For clarification throughout the questionnaire, we have used the following dates:

March 4, 1996: day of the train derailment,

March 8, 1996: the day of the pet rescue, i.e., the day when owners were escorted into the town to collect their pets, and

March 20, 1996: the day officials declared it to be safe to return to your home in Weyauwega.

All responses will be kept in strict confidence. None of the data generated from this study will be used to identify individual person’s responses. A summary of the results will be made available to you through the Waupaca County Humane Society, your local newspaper and the Weyauwega public library.

SECTION ONE:

1. At the time of the derailment (on March 4) , which pets did you own and where were they? Please indicate how many of each type of pet.

Pets	Number of pets in Weyauwega	Number of pets at home
Dogs	___	___
Cats	___	___
Birds	___	___
Reptiles	___	___
Fish tanks	___	___
Other (please list types)	___	___

If you did not own pets at the time of the derailment, please stop here and return this questionnaire in the pre stamped envelope. Thank you.

2. Who is the primary care provider for your pet(s): ______________

3. What is the sex of the primary care provider for your pets?

male

female

4. How old is the main care provider for your pets?

____ years old.

5. At the time of the train derailment (March 4) how many of your family members were affected and where were they? (Please indicate all members).

Family members	In Weyauwega	At home	Out of town
Primary care provider for the pet(s)	___	___	___
Other family members	___	___	___

6. How dangerous did you think the propane fire was at the time of the derailment (March 4)?

Not serious

Moderately serious

Very serious

No opinion

7. How many days did you think you would be evacuated at the time of the derailment (March 4)?

___ days

8. How dangerous did you think the propane fire was on the day of the pet rescue (March 8)?

Not serious

Moderately serious

Very serious

No opinion

9. What was the single most important source of information that made you decide to evacuate? (check one only)

None

Another family member

An official (e.g., police, fire dept., emergency management)

Neighbor

Friend

Television or radio

Other

If other, describe briefly ________________

10. Approximately how far away from your home in Weyauwega did you stay during the evacuation?

___ miles.

11. Did you take any of the following items/valuables with you when you evacuated? (check all that apply)

purse or wallet

bank statements

mortgage documents

birth certificate

medications

passports

jewelry

will

insurance policies

work (e.g., for the office or tools)

favorite photos

favorite clothing

other objects (please list) _________________________

12. Did you return to your home in the secured area before the days of the official safety inspection on March 20 to collect any valuables?

Yes

If “yes”, please list which items these were ____________________

13. What was the most recent disaster you experienced before the train derailment?

I have not experienced any major disasters before the train derailment

The disaster I experienced was: (please describe briefly) ____________

_____________________________________________________________

14. Have you had a prior experience that prepared you to deal with the train derailment?

Yes

If yes, please describe briefly __________________________________

15. Did you have a disaster preparedness plan at the time of the train derailment?

Yes

16. Have you made a disaster preparedness plan since the train derailment?

Yes

17. Which of the following do you consider important in planning for disasters (check all that apply):

myself

children

pets

valuables (e.g. jewelry)

medications

food and water

first aid equipment

a place to stay

other (please list) _____________________

SECTION TWO: INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PETS

18. At the time of the evacuation on March 4, what instructions were you given about your pets?

No instructions

Take your pets with you

Do not take your pets with you

19. Do you think you were prepared to provide appropriate level of care for your pet(s) when the train derailed?

Yes

Somewhat

20. How many new pets have you acquired since the train derailment?

None: ___

Number of dogs: ___

Number of cats: ___

Number of birds: ___

Number of fish: ___

Number of fish tanks: ___

Number of reptiles: ___

Other (please list what species) ________

21. Have you made preparations for your pets in the event of another disaster?

Yes

The following sections are about what happened to your pet during the train derailment. Please answer all questions that apply by circling either yes or no. If a question or answer does not apply to your type of pet, leave it blank. Listing your pets will help you organize your responses.

You will notice that each section asks for information on your pet’s name and type. If you keep the same pet in the same column you will not have to repeat this information each time.

QUESTION SET A

This section applies to ALL pets that you had at the time of the train derailment (March 4).

Question Set A	Pet 1	Pet 2	Pet 3	Pet 4
Names
What type of animal is this pet
At the time of the train derailment (March 4):
22. How many years had you owned this pet?	yr.	yr.	yr.	yr.
23. Did this pet usually live in the house?	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
24. Did this pet have its own crate or carrier for transport?	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
25. Was this pet vaccinated in the year before the train derailment?	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
26. Was this pet licensed in Waupaca County?	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
27. Did this pet require medication regularly or special feed?	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no

28. Did you take ALL of your pets with you when you evacuated on March 4, the day of the train derailment?

Yes

If you answered yes to question 28 (you evacuated ALL of your pets on March 4), please go to question 45, page 9.

If NONE of your pets were evacuated or no attempt to rescue was made them at any time after the train derailment please go to question 54, page 10.

QUESTION SET B

Please answer the following set of questions for ALL pets that you did NOT take with you on March 4, the day to the train derailment.

Question Set B	Pet 1	Pet 2	Pet 3	Pet 4
Names
What type of animal is this pet
My reasons for NOT taking my pet with me on the day of the train derailment (March 4) were:
29. I was too concerned about my own and my family’s safety	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
30. I thought this pet would be safe	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
31. I thought I would not be gone for long	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
32. I could not catch this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
33. I did not know where this pet could stay	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
34. I could not transport this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
35. I was impaired and could not take this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
36. I had other reasons	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no

If you had other reasons, please describe briefly _____________________________

QUESTION SET C

Please answer the following set of questions for only those pets for which a rescue was attempted after March 4 (the day of the train derailment) but before March 8 (the day of the pet rescue). If no attempt was made to rescue your pets during this time, please skip to question set D.

Question Set C	Pet 1	Pet 2	Pet 3	Pet 4
Names
What type of animal is this pet
This pet was evacuated after March 4 but before March 8, at which time
37. I rescued this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
38. Another family member rescued this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
39. Someone outside the family rescued this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
40. The attempt to rescue this pet was unsuccessful	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no

QUESTION SET D

Please answer the following set of questions for only those pets for which a rescue was attempted after March 8 (the day of the pet rescue), and before March 20 (the day it was officially declared safe to return). If no attempt was made to rescue your pets during this time period, skip to question set E.

Question Set D	Pet 1	Pet 2	Pet 3	Pet 4
Names
What type of animal is this pet
This pet was rescued after March 8 and before March 20, and
41. I rescued this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
42. Another family member rescued this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
43. Someone outside the family rescued this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
44. The attempt to rescue this pet was unsuccessful	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no

QUESTION SET E

Please answer the following set of questions for all pets that were evacuated or successfully rescued at any time. If this does to apply to any of your pets, skip to question set F.

Question Set E	Pet 1	Pet 2	Pet 3	Pet 4
Names
What type of animal is this pet
45. This pet stayed with me in a residence	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
46. This pet stayed with me at a hotel/motel	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
47. This pet stayed with me at a friend’s or other family member’s house	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
48. This pet stayed without me at a friend’s or other family member’s house	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
49. This pet stayed at an animal shelter, kennel or boarding facility	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
50. This pet was welcome where it stayed	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
51. When I was reunited with my pet I had it examined by a veterinarian	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
52. This pet has had more medical or behavioral problems since the train derailment	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
53. This pet stayed somewhere other than options listed	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no

If you answered yes to question 53 (your pet stayed somewhere other than the place listed), please describe briefly where your pet stayed __________________________

QUESTION SET F

Please answer the following set of questions for only those pets that were NOT evacuated or were not rescued for any reason. If this does apply to any of your pets, skip to question 57.

Question Set F	Pet 1	Pet 2	Pet 3	Pet 4
Names
What type of animal is this pet
54. I tried to rescue this pet, but could not catch it	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no
55. I was impaired and could not rescue this pet	yes no	yes no	yes no	yes no

56. What were your greatest concerns for your pets staying at home during the derailment (list all that you think were important):

________________

57. Which ONE of the following statements most closely expresses your feelings about the train derailment and your pets (Please indicate only one best answer)?

I took some or all my pet(s) with me when I evacuated and I am glad I did

I regretted not taking my pet(s) with me when I left, but I do not feel it was worth risking human lives to rescue or care for them

I regretted not taking my pet(s) with me and I believe it was worth risking human lives to rescue them

I was glad I left my pet(s) behind. I think they were better off at home

I took all my pet(s) with me when I evacuated and I am sorry that I did

None of the above

SECTION THREE: INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU RELATE TO YOUR PET

For this section, please think only of your favorite pet. You might find that some questions are not appropriate for the type of pet you choose, e.g., fish, birds or reptiles. If so, please ignore these questions and leave the response blank.

Please indicate the favorite pet you are thinking about before you start to answer the questions.

Name of pet ___________

Type of pet (e.g., cat, dog, bird) __________

58. When this pet was obtained, what were your expectations about the role it would play in the household (Please indicate all that answers that apply)?

Companion to adults

Companion to children

Companion to another pet

Teach children responsibility

Working (hunting, catching mice)

Show or breeding

Leisure (e.g., walking, hiking)

Protection

No expectations

Other (please describe) ______________

59. Overall, how often would you say that this pet lives up to these expectations?

Always

Most of the time

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

Don’t know

Please complete the following questions by selecting the response that most accurately reflects how you feel about your favorite pet. Check the appropriate box.

Question	Strongly agree	Somewhat agree	Somewhat disagree	Strongly disagree
60. I feel that my pet is part of my family
61. I play with my pet quite often.
62. I love my pet because it never judges me.
63. Quite often, I confide in my pet.
64. I believe my pet is my best friend.
65. Quite often, my feelings towards people are affected by the way they react to my pet.
66. I think my pet is just a pet.
67. I am not very attached to my pet.
68. Owning a pet adds to my happiness.
69. I would do almost anything to take care of my pet.
70. Pets deserve as much respect as humans do.
71. I believe that loving my pet helps me stay healthy.

The following questions are about how you relate to pets in general. You do not have to think of a particular pet when answering these questions.

Question

Strongly

agree

Somewhat

agree

Somewhat

disagree

Strongly

disagree

72. If a young pet required extensive veterinary care, I would get rid of it

73. If an old pet required extensive veterinary care, I would get rid of it.

74. If a three-month-old puppy or kitten were having problems with housebreaking, I would get rid of it

75. If a six-month-old puppy or kitten were having problems with housebreaking, I would get rid of it.

76. If an adult dog or cat were having problems with housebreaking, I would get rid of it.

77. If a three-month-old puppy or kitten were having problems with destructiveness, I would get rid of it.

78. If a six-month-old puppy or kitten were having problems with destructiveness, I would get rid of it.

79. If adult dog or cat were having problems with destructiveness, I would get rid of it.

SECTION FOUR: SOME INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND THE HEAD OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD

Please answer the remaining questions on behalf of your family or the head of your household.

80. How many persons were living in your household on March 4, at the time of the evacuation (indicate how many persons of each age group)?

Male adults over 64 years old ___

Female adults over 64 years old ___

Male adults 19 to 65 years old ___

Female adults 19 to 65 years old ___

Children 5 to 18 years old ___

Children 1 to 4 years old ___

Infants less than 1 year old ___

81. Which best describes where you live in Weyauwega?

a mobile home or trailer

one family house detached from any other house

one family house attached to one or more houses

a building with 2 apartments

a building with 3 or 4 apartments

a building with 5 - 9 apartments

a building with 10 - 19 apartments

a building with 20 - 49 apartments

a building with 50 or more apartments

other

82. Is this house or apartment:

owned by you or someone in this household with an outstanding mortgage or loan

owned by you or someone in this household without a mortgage

rented

occupied without payment of cash rent

83. How long have you lived in this house or apartment? _______ years

84. How long have you lived in Weyauwega? _______ years

85. Please indicate which of the following categories best describes your total annual household income.

less then $15,000

$15,000 to $24,999

$25,000 to $34,999

$35,000 to $49,999

$50,000 to $74,999

$75,000 to $99,999

$100,000 to $149,999

over $150,000

other

86. What is the highest grade (or year) of school completed by the head of your household?

less than high school

some high school

high school graduate

trade or vocational school

some college or an associate’s degree

college graduate

post graduate or professional

Do you have any other comments about the train derailment and your pets? Please feel free to express them in the remaining space or on additional sheets. We guarantee that your responses will be kept confidential. Thank you very much for your time.

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The information on the Animal Management in Disasters web site is proprietary.
For problems or questions regarding this web contact heath@animaldisasters.com.
Last updated: June 11, 2000.

The information on the Animal Management in Disasters web site is proprietary. For problems or questions regarding this web contact heath@animaldisasters.com. Last updated: June 11, 2000.

The information on the Animal Management in Disasters web site is proprietary.
For problems or questions regarding this web contact heath@animaldisasters.com.
Last updated: June 11, 2000.