With a new Preface by the author

When disasters strike, people are not the only victims. Hurricane Katrina raised public attention about how disasters affect dogs, cats, and other animals considered members of the human family. In this short but powerful book, now available in paperback, noted sociologist Leslie Irvine goes beyond Katrina to examine how oil spills, fires, and other calamities affect various animal populations-on factory farms, in research facilities, and in the wild.

In a new preface, Irvine surveys the state of animal welfare in disasters since the first edition. Filling the Ark argues that humans cause most of the risks faced by animals and urges for better decisions about the treatment of animals in disasters. Furthermore, it makes a broad appeal for the ethical necessity of better planning to keep animals out of jeopardy. Irvine not only offers policy recommendations and practical advice for evacuating animals, she also makes a strong case for rethinking our use of animals, suggesting ways to create more secure conditions.

The fate of animals in disasters depends on practical solutions informed by compassion and common sense

About the Author

Leslie Irvine is Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Colorado at Boulder and the author of two previous books, including If you Tame Me: Understanding Our Connection with Animals (Temple).

Reviews
"Filling the Ark is a fascinating combination of scholarship, public policy, and animal advocacy. Leslie Irvine examines the plight of animals in the face of man-made and natural disasters in light of larger issues associated with our society's ambivalence about the moral status of other species The writing is excellent and the author's first hand experiences rescuing companion animals during Hurricane Katrina are compelling."-Harold Herzog, Department of Psychology, Western Carolina University

"As Irvine argues, we have a responsibility to minimize the vulnerability of animals within our care and those that can be affected by our actions....Aimed at general readers and those interested in animal-human interaction, this book serves as a reminder that disasters put more than human life at stake."-Contemporary Sociology

"Rather than merely planning for the future of what to do when a nightmare unfolds, [Irvine] encourages us to make animals less vulnerable here and now.... This is a book that should be read by many throughout fields as diverse as veterinary medicine, social science and public policy."-Anthrozoos

Book Information
ISBN 9781592138340
Author Leslie Irvine
Format Hardback
Page Count 176
Imprint Temple University Press,U.S.
Publisher Temple University Press,U.S.
Dimensions(mm) 210mm * 140mm * 18mm