National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day

In an emergency, your pet will rely on you to stay safe. Ensuring that your pet is also prepared for a disaster is one vital step in your disaster preparedness plan. Below are a few tips to help prepare your pet for the next disaster or emergency.

Make A Plan

Disasters come in many forms and can occur anytime, sometimes with little to no notice. If you have a plan in place for you and your pets, you will likely encounter less difficulty, stress and worry when you need to make a decision during an emergency.

Things to consider in your pet plan:

Have an evacuation plan for your pet. Some hotels or public shelters don’t allow pets inside. Make sure you know of a safe place that will accommodate your pets if an emergency occurs. Plan with family, friends, or neighbors to make sure someone can evacuate and care for your pets if you are unable to.

Prepare your pet identification documentation. If you have microchipped your pet, make sure your contact information is up to date and you have included an emergency contact outside of your immediate area. Keep copies of your pet’s registration information and other relevant documents, ID tags, veterinarian information, and a picture of you and your pet in case you are separated.

Build A Kit For Your Pet

Just as you do with your family’s emergency supply kit, think first about the basics for survival, such as food and water. Have two kits, one larger kit if you are sheltering in place and one lightweight version for if you need to evacuate.  Review your kits regularly to ensure that their contents are fresh and to confirm you have everything you may need.

Some items to include:

• Food. Keep a weeks’ supply of non-refrigerated food in an airtight, waterproof container.
• Water. Store a water bowl and several days’ supply of water.
• Medicine. Keep an extra supply of the medicine your pet takes in a waterproof container with clear instructions
• First aid kit. Talk to your veterinarian about what is most appropriate for your pet’s emergency medical needs.
• Collar with ID tag and a harness or leash. Include a backup leash, collar and ID tag.
• Traveling bag, crate or carrier. Ideally have one for each pet.
• Sanitation needs. Include pet litter and litter box (if appropriate), newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags, and household chlorine bleach to provide for your pet’s sanitation needs.
• Familiar items. Put favorite toys, treats and bedding in your kit.

Stay Informed

The sooner you can respond to an emergency the better. Stay attuned to disasters that are likely to affect your region – that way you are not caught off guard. Listen to local officials when told to evacuate or shelter in place to ensure both you and your pets’ safety.