PET DISASTER PLAN

Pet Disaster Plan: How to Protect Your Pet in a Flood

All too often when planning for our families in the case of a flood, we forget to have a plan for our pets. Unfortunately, if we don’t plan ahead for our pets, they may get left behind in case of a flood evacuation. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when putting together your pet disaster plan.

Having a suitable carrier on hand is one of the most basic, yet most important, steps you can take for protecting your pet in case of a flood. Often, families are forced to leave their pets behind because they do not have a carrier to transport them in. A carrier can be picked up at almost any pet supply store, as well as large retailers like WalMart or Target. They are relatively affordable and an incredibly important part of any pet disaster plan.

In addition to a pet carrier, have a pet care kit ready if you think a flood evacuation may take place. Be sure to include a bowl, pet food and extra water, as well as any medications your pet may be dependent on. If necessary, have a leash and collar on hand as well. Keep in mind pets that may not normally run away could react differently under the stress and may need to be leashed.

If water rises quickly, keep in mind flood safety tips. Flood water that is shallow enough for an adult to walk in may carry away children and pets. It is not safe to drive a car through deep water. If your area floods, get to higher ground as quickly as possible and try to get in touch with a local rescue service. Depending on the area you live in, there may be a pet rescue service that can help keep your pet safe. Additionally, there are stickers you can put near the entrance of your home to inform rescue workers of how many and what types of pets you have. If for some reason you and your family are forced to leave your pets behind, something like this could help save their lives.

Since our pets can become such a special part of our families, having a pet disaster plan in place in case of a flood is important and can save your pet’s life. Always keep in mind the importance of keeping your family safe and complying with local authorities in any disaster situation.

Protecting Your Pet After An Earthquake

Anyone living in an area that is prone to earthquakes should be prepared in advance to safeguard and take care of all family members – including your pets. This requires a thought out pet disaster plan. This plan should include necessary advance preparations as well as possible needed procedures for after an actual earthquake.

A necessary preparation is making sure that you have a reasonable emergency supply of food and water for your pet. If the quake is bad enough, the normal availability of food and water could be disrupted for a length of time. This could especially be true for pet food, which would probably not be considered an urgent item to distribute by emergency workers. Canned and well sealed pet food, properly stored, should stay usable for a long time. The same is true of bottled water. Having a supply of water is crucial, because it is common after an earthquake to lose your potable water supply from your home taps.

Your pet disaster plan should also take into account any medicines your pet takes. Thus, like food and water, you should have an emergency supply of these medicines if possible. It is also a good idea to stock pet “first aid” items to treat you pet if it gets injured during the earthquake, as getting to your vet will be difficult if not impossible.

For pets that are kept outdoors, such as an “outside” cat, you should think in advance of the need for pet rescue. If the cat gets stuck in a tree or in some basement, will you know how and be able to rescue it? Also, if your home becomes uninhabitable after the quake, do you have a place you can send your pet to? In most cases, emergency shelters will not allow pets.

If you are able or have to stay in your home after the quake, there are precautions to take to ensure your pet’s safety that should be part of your pet disaster plan. Make sure your pet can not get into any dangerous areas of your home where there is damage or debris, such as broken glass, exposed wires, damaged walls and ceilings and the like. Also, when walking your dog after an earthquake, be very careful about downed power lines and dangerous damage and debris.

Remember, it pays to plan and prepare in advance, for your whole family – including your precious pets.

Taking your pets along is the most important thing individuals or families can do for their animals during a hurricane evacuation. Pets left behind can be injured, lost or killed during a storm, or in its aftermath. Pet owners should include their animals in their family hurricane planning, before a storm threatens.

When you go, they go!
Ordinarily, only service animals are allowed inside public mass care shelters, although some emergency shelters may be able to assist at these facilities with animal sheltering accommodations.

• Make plans ahead of time to take your pet to stay at relatives, friends or a kennel outside the affected area.
• Know the locations of pet-friendly hotels and motels.
• Prepare a list of boarding facilities and veterinarians who could shelter animals in an emergency; include 24-hour phone numbers.
• Consult with your local animal control officer and Emergency Management Office about possible temporary shelter facilities in your community.
• Ask local animal shelters if they provide emergency shelter or foster care for pets in a disaster. Animal shelters may be overburdened caring for the animals they already have, as well as those displaced by a disaster, so this should be your last resort.
• Prepare an emergency kit for your pets; include collars and leashes, a three- to five-day supply of food and water, a manual can opener, bowls, litter boxes, photographs (you with your pet), and a week’s supply of medications that your pet may be taking, including instructions (in case you and your pet are separated).
• Have copies of your pets’ vaccinations, medical records and prescriptions in a clean plastic bag or waterproof container.
• Make sure your pets wear collars with current license and rabies tags, and identification tags that include information on where you will be staying during the emergency.
• Use a pet carrier for each of your pets to make transportation easier.
• Birds should be transported in a secure travel cage or carrier. During warm weather, carry a plant mister to spray the birds’ feathers periodically.
• Provide a few slices of fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content.
• Have a photograph for identification and leg bands.
• If the carrier does not have a perch, line it with paper towels and change them frequently. Try to keep the carrier in a quiet area. Do not let the birds out of the cage or carrier.
• Exotic or dangerous pets are generally dealt with on a case-by-case basis, to ensure that they are handled, transported and cared for by trained personnel at appropriate facilities. To insure the safety of their animals, owners of this type of pet should have advanced planning preparations ready for their pet’s special needs.