It’s tornado season in the South and hurricane season in other parts of the country. Many of us have an emergency preparedness plan for our family, but what about our pets? Because most people, don’t have a plan for their family pet, thousands of pets end up as casualties of natural disasters. Did you know Hurricane Katrina affected at least 600,000 animals? June is National Pet Preparedness Month and Dr. Kurt Venator from Purina has shared tips for making a pet emergency kit as well as tips to help keep pets calm during an emergency.
Tips To Prepare For An Emergency
1. Be sure Pets have collars with ID.
Sometimes chip readers do not work on all chips or the chip can move. Be sure your pet has contact information on their collar so they can be returned safely.
2. Prepare pets with a safe place in advance.
Have a room or spot in the house pets can go to to calm down and relax. Introduce this spot in advance. When pets are taken to this spot during emergencies, it will not be as stressful.
3. Introduce Pets to Carriers or Crates in advance.
Often the only time pets use crates or carriers is when they have to go to the vet or for emergencies, invoking unpleasant memories of the carriers. By introducing pets to the crates or carriers at home, during non stressful situations, pets will feel familiar with the crates and be less likely to resist.
4. Try to Remain Calm.
It’s difficult to be calm during an emergency situation, but pets (and children!) pick up on our moods and become stressed as well. By remaining calm, it’s easier to remember plans and keep everyone else from panicking.
5. Have a Place to Go.
Find a list of pet friendly hotels within 50 miles of your home. Check and see if local vets or shelters will allow you to bring your pets during times of crisis.
Tip: If you are separated from your pet during an emergency, call the local animal shelter several times a day. It’s easy for a shelter to be overwhelmed with pets during an emergency. Also, be sure to leverage the power of social media, like twitter and Facebook, to help find lost pets.
How to Make a Pet Emergency Survival Pack
Supplies You Need:
Blanket
7 days Worth of Food (wet food is best, but also pack small packets of dry food. Be sure to write the date on the food so it can be changed every six months)
Flashlight
Bottled Water (be sure to write the date on the water and change every six months)
Paw Protectors for dogs or cat
Pet Carrier or Crate
Vaccine Updates
Papers with any medications needed along with doses
Pet Medication
Do you have a pet emergency preparedness plan?
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This is a great post. I think the tip of having a list of pet friendly hotels is the best. I need to do that.
When tragedies like hurricanes happen, we only think of the people affected and forget to think about what pets could have been affected. Thanks for the reminder.
I don’t have pets but you have to care for them just as you would care for a family member!
I dont have pets but you have to care for them just as you would any member of your family! Great tips and definitely gives furbaby owners the heads up of an emergency!
These are great tips. Thanks for sharing them. I have been wanting to have a pet so these are very handy tips.
This is a very interesting point you raise here.
I think it is easy to overlook or postpone having a plan for your pet in an emergency.
We don’t have a pet ourselves, but having lived through a tornado, I know firsthand how important making preparations for them is! They need a plan too!
These are some great tips. In times of emergencies, pet owners need to remember their furry friends.
I never thought about having an emergency plan for the family pet. Great tips for pet owners!
Fabulous tips for being prepared. You just don’t know how much you need it until you read this!
There are certainly situations in which our fur babies could use some help. There is currently some flooding in West Virginia that would warrant helping some pets. I agree that an emergency kit for pets would be a great idea.
I lived in Tornado Alley (Oklahoma) for the majority of my life so I can understand the importance of an ER kit for my pets. I know it is something a lot people don’t take time to think about.
We really can’t be too prepared for any type of emergency situation and this post really helps. I like the importance of ID tagging your pet, it makes it easier for everyone to know that they belong to you.
These are such wonderful tips. I really think it’s important if your dog is not used to a crate that they are introduced.
I need to share this with my Sister. She has two fur babies. I will have to make a kit for my cats.
These are great tips for getting your pet ready for an emergency! I never thought of some of those!
Some great tips… always great to prepared and on the proactive side of things rather than reactive when the event and emergency is here.
These are great tips! Staying calm is probably one of the best things that you can do because your pets will react to your emotions.
I love these tips! Nothing scares me more than the thought of my animals out there lost or scared! It is great to have a plan for everyone and every animal in the family!
This is absolutely an awesome tips, It’s so important to be prepared on any kind of emergency
These are indeed awesome tips for a preparation kit for our pets. A lot of people don’t even thing of making an emergency kit for their pets. Thanks for sharing this awesome post and spreading awareness.
This is nice, I will share this to one of my friends. She is a real pet lover, she will be thrilled to read this post.
I think dog tags and labels can really help a lot in identifying pets. Having supplies would also be critical.
These are all wonderful tips. We have a dog and a cat that we have to look out for.
These are really great tips! Pets are family and surely need their own plan to ensure their safety during an emergency situation.
Love this! Once we went away as a family and left our little shih tzu with my brother in law. Well soon as my husband dropped her off she found a way out of his yard and went to follow him….. it was a rough 24 hours while I was away trying to find her from 3 hours away. They finally found her in a pound and my BIL had to pay $100 to get her out…. I wish I would have had something like this
Great tips for sure! So important to have an emergency plan for your pet!
This is so smart. I have never really thought about a plan for our dog, but I should! It is important!
These are all important tips for pet owners to remember. Our dog is on two different medications and we always try to not let our supply dwindle too low, just in case.
This is some really good advice. We should probably prepare a basic kit just in case. We don’t have a plan right now!
These are all great tips for being prepared with pets for an emergency! Love this!
We all need to be prepared, pets included. I have an emergency supply cupboard, but should check expiration dates for dog food and probably double up on the water.
These are great tips for dog owners. We don’t have a pet yet, but I’ll send this post to a friend who recently got a puppy.
These are great tips. I am always concerned for the safety of my pets as well as kids. I need to make sure I have a kit for them too.
These are great tips to prepare for an emergency with pets. Very good conversation to have!
These are excellent tips. We actually have both of our dogs microchipped in addition to their tags to be double safe.
Ever since Hurricane Katrina I have realized how much pets are affected too. Kind of woke me up to it, and you’re right you need a plan for your pet too.
These are amazing tips for being prepared! It is always sad to see the pets displaced due to a disaster!
Great tips! I have a kit prepared for hubby and I but never even thought about our dog. Geez! Going to start fixing his today. TY
Love these tips!! It really is amazing how much disasters and emergencies can affect our pets, I know ours are like a member of the family.
I didn’t realize how many animals were affected during Hurricane Katrina! I’ve never really thought about an emergency plan for Max. I need to make sure I do every single thing you listed. Great tips.