Disaster can strike with little to no warning, and we’re not talking about the trash can which ripened overnight. Every geographic location in the country is prone to various natural disasters, such as tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfire. When making plans and kits for yourself and your family in case of a natural disaster, remember to include your furry, feathered, and scaled friends.
Even without taking natural disasters into consideration, it’s a good idea to make sure your pet’s identification tags are up-to-date and securely fastened to his collar. If he has one, make sure the contact information associated with your pet’s microchip is up-to-date also. A current photo of your pet (in your kit) is also helpful for identification purposes, especially if you get separated.
A few minutes of preparation will pay off many times over in the event of a natural disaster, and creating a “go bag” for your pet takes little more than stocking up on a few extra daily supplies. Make sure to rotate the supplies once or twice a year, or as needed per the expiration dates.
– 7 days’ worth of food and bottled water. If you use canned food, buy cans with a pull-tab top unless you plan on keeping a manual can opener with the “go bag.”
– Medication. Power outages, road blocks and other after-storm hazards during a time of crisis may prevent you and us from being able to refill your pet’s prescriptions.
– Clean-up supplies and plastic bags, to serve double duty as garbage and poop bags.
– Current copies of medical records, including vaccination history.
– Pet carriers, leash or harness, extra collar with identification tags, blanket, toys and chews. In the event of a natural disaster, stress levels for everyone rise immensely, and a few reminders of normalcy will help calm your pet.
– Extra food and water bowls.
Once your pet’s “go bag” is put together, you’re almost ready. But you should make sure your preparations are complete by identifying shelters which allow pets. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters for humans do not accept pets.
Animals instinctively respond to severe weather changes, and will often isolate themselves or become agitated before the storm arrives. Never leave a pet outside or tied up during a storm. If you have an interspecies household and everyone usually gets along, still plan to separate your pets by species as the anxiety of a storm may cause them to act irrationally.
In the event you have to evacuate your home, do not leave your pets behind, as if it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for them. Ask friends and relatives who live outside your immediate area if they would be willing to take in your pet should the need arise.
Emergency situations cause stress for everyone involved. While we hope you never need to use your kit or put your emergency plan into action, you’ll be surprised at the peace of mind having preparations and decisions in place can give.