Disaster Planning For Pets: Do You Know What To Pack?
As residents of the southeast coast of Texas wait for Hurricane Ike's floodwaters to recede, and citizens of Louisiana and Florida continue to sort through storm wreckage, the message couldn't be clearer—now is the time to create emergency evacuation plans that include pets.
The ASPCA would like to offer the following list of essential items to pack for your animal companions in advance, should you be faced with evacuation:
As residents of the southeast coast of Texas wait for Hurricane Ike's floodwaters to recede, and citizens of Louisiana and Florida continue to sort through storm wreckage, the message couldn't be clearer—now is the time to create emergency evacuation plans that include pets.
The ASPCA would like to offer the following list of essential items to pack for your animal companions in advance, should you be faced with evacuation:
*Pet first-aid kit and guide book
*3 to 7 days' worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food
*Disposable litter trays (aluminum roasting pans are perfect)
*Litter or paper toweling
*Liquid dish soap and disinfectant
*Disposable garbage bags for clean-up
*Dishes for food and water
*Extra harness and leash
*Photocopies of medical records
*Waterproof container with a two-week supply of any medicine your pet requires
* Bottled water—at least seven days' worth for each person and pet
* Traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet
*Flashlight
*Blanket
*Recent photos of your pet(s)
*Pet Grab ‘N Go Bag (can be crucial to protecting your pet’s paperwork)
*Especially for cats: Pillowcase or EvackSack, toys, scoopable litter
*Especially for dogs: Long leash and yard stake, toys and chew toys, a week's worth of cage liner
*For a more complete list of emergency planning tips and the Ready Pets brochure on pet-friendly evacuation, visit the Disaster Preparedness section of our website.
Until we meet again ~ Blessings
6 comments:
Wow! that was a great tutorial!
I am going to link you to the DoT page! I am going to make a kit now for my pets.
I love preparedness!
Without disaster preparedness planning, your dog — and you — could end up injured, permanently maimed, or killed.
THis is a great post. I understand most people would say 'people' are the ones to worry about, but I figure people are warned and can decide things for themselves. Its very troubling to me to know people leave their animals behind and some set them free so they can fend for themselves. I wonder if there's places people can park their pets till the storm and danger are over?
I know if I had a few days to prepare, I most certainly would take my cats and dog if I could-There's no doubt! ANd the thought of them drowning because I left them behind is very sad.
A person never knows when nature will strike. You don't have to live near the coast to be in danger. I have seen ice storms and flash floods bring a city to its knees, with people having no way to get supplies for themselves or their pets. I hope everyone with a pet will heed this wonderful post and make kits for their companion animals!!!
What a great post!! We have evacuated in the past with two large dogs (who have since passed) and a small child and it isn't always smooth traveling ... it took us 12 plus hours to travel what would normally be a 6 hour trip. Now 6 years later, we have a one 1/2 year old dog and two children, we are in the Florida Panhandle and were recently faced with the possiblity of evacuating again, and getting everything together. I think kits are the best way it helps alleviate some of the guess and stress work out of it ...you can always add to it ...in Northwest Washington State they have earthquake kits available for the students ... as a military family it is just one more thing you can check off the list of things that you have taken care of!
I have found that Puppy pads make a good disposable cushion in the bottom of my cat's carrier as she does not travel well. I keep a stash of them ready in her taxi at all times.
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