By Kristin Goodwillie

Disaster strikes in an instant. For Traci Smith, that instant happened last week in the middle of rising floodwater in Snohomish County. One moment she was evacuating; the next, her van was stuck, and the cold water was rushing in.

“I was terrified,” Traci said.

As the water rose past the seats and reached her lap, Traci wasn’t thinking about her belongings. She was thinking about Shiloh and Cayenne, her two dogs who were trapped in the van with her.

When the 911 emergency responders arrived in a boat, they found a woman who refused to move until her "family" was safe. One by one, Traci carefully lifted Shiloh and Cayenne up and through the van window, handing them into the waiting arms of the rescue crew.

Only after she saw both dogs safely aboard the boat did Traci finally climb out of her van and leave the rising water behind.

Today, the trio is safe and warm at the Red Cross shelter at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. For many people in crisis, the fear of being separated from their pets is a major barrier to seeking help. At the Red Cross, we believe that "family" includes our four-legged friends.

Traci said if she wasn’t at the shelter, “I’d be out in the cold.” As she watched Shiloh and Cayenne settle into their new surroundings, she said the dogs are doing remarkably well, despite the trauma of the rescue. “They are my family.”

Traci’s story is a powerful reminder of why the Red Cross works so closely with local partners to ensure shelters can accommodate pets. In a disaster, the comfort of a pet can be one of the best forms of "disaster mental health" for a survivor.

For Traci, Shiloh, and Cayenne, the road to recovery is just beginning, but at least they are beginning it together.

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