Pet Rescue plan
In the event of a disaster where you need to evacuate your home, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND! Your pets cannot survive on their own. If for some odd reason your animals do survive a disaster, you may not be able to find them when you return. Plan for the worst case scenario and prepare a pet emergency action plan. Plan ahead, be prepared, and practice an evacuation to see how long it will take, and what you can do better.
Make a pet emergency response plan checklist. Your plan might include:
Identify An Emergency Shelter. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters cannot accept pets. Find pet friendly motels and hotels in the area you plan to evacuate to, in advance of needing them. There are also a number of guides that list hotels/motels that permit pets and could serve as a starting point.
Emergency phone list. Include your local animal shelter’s number in your list of emergency numbers — they might be able to provide information concerning pets during a disaster. Don’t forget to add the local numbers for police and fire in your mobile phone.
Pet Supplies. Take enough pet food, bottled water, medications, veterinary records, cat litter/pan, can opener, food dishes, first aid kit, enough for 3 to 5 days. Your pet rescue plan might include packing a “pet survival” kit well in advance. It’s much easier to grab your pet’s bug out bag than it is to search for everything under the pressure of an evacuation.
I.D. Your Pets. Are your pets identification tags are up to date and securely fastened to your their collar? Does is include an address or phone number of your evacuation site? In event your pet gets lost, this ID tag is one sure way to reunite. Make sure you have a current photo of your and your pet for identification purposes in your pet rescue plan.
Medical Records. Make copies of your pet’s medical records that include all up to date vaccinations. Place copies in your “pet survival kit”. An electronic copy (PDF) can be stored on your cell phone too.
Easy Transport. Your pet disaster plan should include a secure pet carrier (with contact information on it), and a leash or harness for your pet.
Take Your Pet To An Emergency Shelter. If you are unable to return home quickly, you may need to board your pet. Your pet emergency action plan will include pet boarding facilities outside your local area in case your local animal shelter is unavailable. Some animal shelters will provide temporary foster care for owned pets in times of disaster, however don’t count on this option in your pet rescue plan.
