What if it's a ferret, or a hamster, or cat or bird or smaller dog? Smaller animals can be tucked in shirts, sat on laps, put under seats, etc. As to the Mother and Great Dane I'd find a way to take both. Sit the Great Dane on one of the rescuers lap. Or if I'm one of the rescuers, leave me and come back for me later. In the meantime I'll be searching the area for more lives that need rescued. If it's a situation where there isn't a way to rescue both lives at that moment, I'll stay behind with the dog, with food and water, and WE can be picked up later or I'll swim with the dog to safety. We aren't talking about more than a few miles of water and in some places no water at all. The very least that can be done is to leave food and water for the stranded animals and report their location to the animal rescuers that in the area. This disaster shouldn't be about who gets rescued. All beings should. Rescue to me means saving lives, not choosing who's life is to be saved. Ms. Troy Lynn Eckart, F.B.S. Ferret Family Services http://www.ferretfamilyservices.org http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~sprite/ffs.html http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Haven/5481/ Please sign up to support our efforts http://www.iGive.com/FFS [Posted in FML issue 4996]