Download Preparing Your Pets for a Disaster

Preparing Your Pets for a Disaster
In a disaster, it's just as important to have a plan for your pets as it is for your other
family members. There are many types of disasters that can affect your family and pets
including: fire, flood, tornado, earthquake or evacuation of premises. No one is exempt
from the possibility of being personally affected. You need to prepare for yourself and
your pets in the event of a disaster.
Make sure to microchip
Make sure your pets are implanted with a microchip and the microchip company has
your current contact information. These tiny devices, the size of a grain of rice, contain a
unique code that can be scanned at most veterinary clinics and shelters. The code is used
to retrieve the contact information you provided to the microchip company's database.
Having a microchip with your current contact information is one of the easiest ways to
get your pet back home.
Medical records and photos
Keep your pets current on their rabies and other vaccinations. And keep copies of your
pets' medical records and prescriptions in a waterproof container. You cannot depend
on being able to get copies of your pets' medical records after a disaster.
Also, keep in mind that many shelters don't allow unvaccinated pets, while other
facilities may vaccinate as a preventative measure. Providing proof of vaccinations will
enable your pets to be accepted at a shelter or avoid being over-vaccinated.
You should always have a photo or proof of ownership so that you can be reunited with
your pets. This may prove invaluable if you're trying to distinguish your pets among
dozens of others in an emergency pet shelter and prove that you're the owner. A photo of
you and your pets together can be invaluable.
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If you need to leave your home, always take your pets with you, especially if you don't
know when you might be coming back. Since not every shelter allows pets, locate pet-
friendly hotels and boarding facilities in your area or have a back-up plan where your
pets can stay.
Just to be safe, you can affix window decals which will alert rescue workers to look out
for your pets.
Other essential items
Your pet's survival kit should include three to seven days' worth of pet food and bottled
water.
If your pet is on any medication, pack at least a two weeks' supply (and anything you
need to administer it, like syringes), because medicine can be much more difficult to
secure than food or water.
Don't forget waste bags, litter boxes, and – this is important – a way to transport your
pet, such as a leash, harness or carrier. Toss in blankets, treats and toys to keep your pet
comfy during the journey.
Cats, which are notoriously challenging to catch, can also be transported in a pillowcase
or open-ended stuff sack, suggests Mohammad-Zadeh.
Another item she suggests packing is liquid dish soap to clean food dishes, which will
keep humans and pets healthier.
"If there's no sanitation, or if the sewage is not working because of lack of power or lack
of running water, then [pets] are at the same risk of contracting diseases as humans are,"
she says. "Sanitation is one of those important things we don't always think about in
disaster situations."
If you want to be truly prepared, you also have a pet first-aid kit (along with one for your
family).
Basic items should include supplies to cleanse or dress a wound, bandage an injured
limb and a muzzle to prevent it from biting you, Mohammad-Zadeh says.
Dogs in Nepal a sad example
Hillary Kloetzli, founder and director of Portland-based Nepal Street Animal
Rescue, knows only too well what can happen to animals when a major earthquake hits.
An estimated 30,000 dogs already struggling to survive before the quake are now
suffering even more from injury, starvation or disease.
Kloetzli's partner organization in Nepal is the Bhaktapur Animal Welfare Society,
founded by Nepalese veterinarian Dr. Pranav Joshi.
After focusing first on finding human survivors, Joshi and his team have provided
emergency care for the dogs, conducting amputations and treating those with crushed or
infected limbs.
Unlike people in Nepal, we "have no excuse" for not having basic emergency supplies on
hand if our pets get lost, says Kloetzli, who created a gofundme.com campaign to
help Joshi provide care for the dogs.
"The Nepali pet owners don't have access to many of the items that we do, and they don't
have a DoveLewis for emergency care, a humane society if the pet is lost, or even a
private boarding facility for their pets in case of an emergency," Kloetzli says.
"We do, and as a pet owner it is our duty and responsibility to be prepared and have a
plan, not only for our human family members, but for our four-legged family members."
To help dogs affected by the earthquake in Nepal: gofundme.com/nepalstreetdogs.
What to pack in a pet disaster preparedness kit:
Three to seven days' worth of pet food and water.
Feeding dishes.
Liquid dish soap to clean them.
Two-week supply of medications and items needed to administer them.
Litter box or waste bags.
Copies of your pet's medical records, prescriptions, vaccination history, and your
veterinarians' contact information in a waterproof container.
Recent photos of your pets, including some with you.
Leash and crate labeled with your cell phone number or pillowcase to secure cats.
Blanket or toys.
Flashlight.
Also remember to make sure your pet has a microchip and the company has your current
contact information.