Natural Disasters

​Flood, fire, hurricane, blizzard, tornado; all of these are natural disasters that can change our lives in a matter of minutes. We are always told to have a disaster plan for ourselves, but are you remembering to include your four-legged family members in your plans? Your disaster plan should include a list of emergency phone numbers including: your veterinarian’s office, the local animal shelter, the local agricultural school, county extension service, and the local Red Cross chapter. Keep these numbers in a secure but easily accessible place. 

​It’s important to have a plan for your pets should a disaster occur. Have your pets wear a collar and with updated identification tags and contact information. Having your pet’s microchipped with current contact information is also a good way of making sure your pets are reunited with you if you are separated. Purchase a pet carrier for each pet and have your pet’s name, your name and contact information on each carrier. In order for your pets to be cooperative in the event of an emergency, help familiarize them with their individual carrier and practice catching and transporting them. Keep a leash and their carrier near an exit for a quick and easy get away. 

Have both a plan if you need to stay in place and one if you and your pets are evacuated. For in place shelter you should select a safe room in the interior of the home with few to no windows. If you need to leave your pets at home never leave them chained up, placing them in a safe area inside your home, without toxic chemicals or plants in the area. Close off any small areas where a cat could potentially get stuck, such as vents or beneath heavy furniture. When sheltering during an evacuation your local emergency management office to see if there are accommodations for you and your pets. If there are no accommodations for pets you should contact local veterinary clinics, boarding facilities, and local animal shelters. If none of these are available try contacting pet-friendly hotels along your evacuation route. Another great source would be contacting family and friends outside of the evacuation area. 

In case of a disaster, include items for your pets in your preparedness kit. Items recommended by the Weber-Morgan Health Department in the Family Emergency Preparedness guide are pet food and water, any medications with clearly labeled directions your pet may be on, your pet’s medical records, litter box, food and water dish, first aid kit, and information sheet with your pets name, feeding schedule, and any medical care or behavior problems. 

If you have livestock have a prearranged evacuation destination with transportation. The evacuation site should have food, water, veterinary care, handling equipment, and facilities for the animals. If evacuation is not possible, you must make the decision whether to move large animals to available shelters or to release them. 
The same rules apply for pets as they do for people in the event of a natural disaster-preparation can make all the difference in safety measures.

***The information gathered for this post is from the Weber-Morgan Health Department in the Family Emergency Preparedness guide; Disaster Preparedness for Your Pet from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention