By: Paige Randall, American Red Cross Volunteer

The Pacific Division of the American Red Cross has a new champion — a pet champion. Since November 2023, Larry Bleich from the Northwest Region’s South Puget Sound and Olympics Chapter has stepped up to be a positive change agent for household animals in disasters across the western United States.

Larry was already a busy Red Cross volunteer within the Northwest Region, but when he heard there was a need for a pet champion for the entire Division he immediately asked to help out. Being a passionate animal lover his whole life, and formerly professionally involved with animal welfare organizations, it’s no wonder that Larry was given this opportunity.

The role of pet champion is both unique and recently developed. Larry is the first person to fill the role for the Pacific Division, which encompasses Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Hawaii. It also includes the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The position evolved from the aftermath of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, when it become increasingly clear that, for many people, pets are a part of the family
and couldn’t be left behind.

“When you think of disasters, the Red Cross mission is primarily helping people make it through,” said Larry, “but we haven’t had a policy until a few years back about what we do with people’s companion animals.”

This is where Larry comes in. He describes his new role as being the “subject matter expert” for all things animal-related during Pacific Division disasters.The pet champion is responsible for working with the current shelter policies of the Red Cross and suggesting ways to enhance and improve them in order to meet the needs of pets and farm animals, their owners and the Red Cross.

Larry works to put systems in place that help people in disasters have places to go with their pets. This work will also benefit Red Cross shelter volunteers and others working locally to accommodate people needing such help, including Red Cross pet liason volunteers.

Pet liaisons are what Larry describes as the “middle management” between the pet champion and those who are on the receiving end of Red Cross assistance. They work directly with the shelters and other local volunteers to make sure that pet owners are able to care for their pets during emergencies. They also help manage any farm or working animals that may need to be evacuated. Everyone from the volunteers on the ground to the pet champion are working to ensure that animals and people can stay together.

One need toward achieving this goal was to define the models of Red Cross shelters that will clarify what kinds of pets are involved. These now include congregate human shelters, where only service animals are permitted; co-located shelters where pets are in a separate space but still close to their owners; and cohabitated shelters, a new type of accommodation where pets can stay with their owners.

Of course, these different kinds of shelters have a lot of factors to take into account in a disaster. But now, champions like Larry can work within the situations to allow the Red Cross and its partners to help pets and their owners have positive experiences during whatever difficult time they are facing.

You can help too! Before going to a shelter with your pets, or before disaster even strikes, Larry urges animal owners to be prepared.

“Have a checklist of things you might need for your companion animals,” he said. This may include vaccination records, medications, food, water, favorite toys, or anything else that you might need if you were required to leave with your animals for an extended period of time. “Anything your pet would need to be comfortable, you should have.”

While being a pet champion is a big role, it’s one that Larry has happily embraced. Passionate about blending his prior work experience with a good cause, this is the perfect position for him. Larry finds fulfillment in knowing that he is making a difference in how people care for their animals in a disaster scenario.

“Volunteering brings such rewarding feelings and the people that you work with are amazing,” explains Larry. “I hope to extend that even further by our work with companion animals."