Emergency Planning for Pets
Everyone knows you should have an emergency plan for your family – be sure it includes your pets!
Does your emergency plan include a hotel that accepts pets? Proper ID for your pets in case they get lost? What about food and water for him in the event of a power outage? These are just the first steps of emergency planning for pets. Think about the type of emergency you are planning for: hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides, chemical spills, and fires each occur in different locations and regions and each type has its own set of challenges to endure. Think about the answers to the following questions and you’ll be prepared for anything! As far as being prepared goes, consider having your pet micro-chipped for easy identification no matter where he turns up.
Where Will You Go
Many times, evacuations are necessary in an emergency and most shelters do not accept pets. You’ll need to find boarding facilities, veterinarians, hotels and animal shelters that will accept pets in case of an emergency and register with them. Or, you can make a plan that includes staying at someone’s house along the evacuation route that is far enough away from the emergency. Make a list of possible places your pet can go for safety during an emergency. Remember, it’s a myth that animals can just follow their instincts and survive an emergency. If there’s no drinking water for you, there won’t be any for him either.
What’s in the Pet Emergency Kit
- Copies of his registration papers and vaccination history in a waterproof container. Boarding facilities and shelters may not accept pets without these appropriate papers.
- Enough food and water for approximately 1-2 weeks.
- Canned foods that have self-opening pop tops or tear-open pouches. Bagged foods can get wet and ruined.
- A small, plastic food and water bowl. Many animals cannot learn to drink out of a bottle, although some can.
- Any medications that he needs.
- A collar and a leash and a collapsible carrier with an id tag that includes your cell phone number.
- An extra set of ID tags that include your cell phone number.
- A recent picture of your pet.
- A first–aid kit including, gauze, band-aids, anti-biotic ointment, tweezers and hydrogen peroxide because pets can get easily injured in an emergency. Also, these can double as the family first-aid kit, too.