In the event of a natural disaster, it’s important for pet owners to have an emergency plan in place to ensure the safety and well-being of their pets. Emergency shelters generally don’t accept pets, and local animal shelters and boarding facilities will likely be affected by a community crisis. For these reasons, it is important to plan ahead.
Below are some quick tips on disaster preparation and evacuation with your pets.
Plan Ahead:
- Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area to find out if they welcome pets.
- Ask long-distance friends and relatives if you and your pets can stay with them in case of a disaster.
- Keep your pets up-to-date with their vaccinations, and keep their medical records accessible in case you need to quickly evacuate your home.
- If you own multiple pets, be sure you have enough crates or items to transport all of your pets in at the same time.
- A disaster may strike or an order to evacuate may come when you’re away from home. Make arrangements in advance with a trusted neighbor to take them and meet you at a specified location.
Identification:
- Make sure your pets are wearing proper identification at all times, including animals who normally don’t go outside.
- A microchip implanted under the skin can help identify your pet if it were to become lost.
- It’s a good idea to include your cell phone number or the phone number of a friend or relative outside your immediate area in case your pet is lost and you aren’t home.
Leave Early and Take Your Pets:
- If you are evacuating your home, take your pets with you because you may be forced to stay away longer than anticipated.
- Don’t wait for mandatory evacuation orders because if emergency officials have to evacuate you, you might be told to leave your pets behind. Your pets will be less stressed if they are with you when evacuated versus a rescuer they don’t know going in later to get them.
Large Animals or Livestock:
- Be sure to have enough trailers or travel containers available for all of these animals.
- Try to accustom your animals to being loaded and unloaded from their trailers or travel containers.
- If possible, make arrangements with boarding facilities or a friend with a ranch in a different area to take in your large animals in the event of a disaster.
Prepare a Pet Emergency Kit:
- Put the following supplies in a water-proof container:
- Three-plus days’ supply food and water
- Food and water bowls
- Two weeks of your pet’s medications
- Litter boxes with litter, if you have cats
- Extra leashes and collars
- Vaccination and medical records
- Photos and descriptions of each pet
- Pet first aid kit and pet first aid book
- Stickers you can attach to your pet’s tags with the information of your intended destination and outside temporary contact information
Remember, in case of a flood, fire, earthquake, hazardous spill or other disaster, your animals will rely on you to help them escape. Therefore the more prepared you are, the safer you and your pets will be!
