“Is Your Animal Prepared for Disaster?”

Make Plans Now to Protect Animals in Emergencies

With threats of terrorism looming large in the nation’s consciousness, worried animal guardians wonder how best to protect their best friends. No, you don’t need to go out and buy a gas mask for Fido. You couldn’t even if you wanted to, since they don’t exist! During WWI, human gas masks were modified to fit war horses and dogs, but today’s terrorist threats are more likely to take a form that gas masks (for humans or animals) offer little protection against.

But there are effective ways to prepare for disasters, the most important being to make arrangements ahead of time to ensure animals’ safety in the event of evacuation. Fortunately, there are helpful resources to help you plan. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers excellent tips, a worksheet, even on-line courses about disaster preparation for animal guardians. Whether the emergency is a flood, fire, or human-made, evacuees should never assume that they will be able to return home soon, despite any assurances to the contrary.

Take a moment now to make the following preparations, so you’ll be ready for the worst.

Disaster Preparedness Checklist:

If at all possible, DO NOT LEAVE ANIMALS BEHIND. There is no way of knowing what may happen to your home while you are away and you may not be able to return for days or even weeks. Companion animals left behind may become malnourished and dehydrated, or may escape in fear and become lost.

All animals should have collars with ID. Make sure you have a current photo of your companion animal for identification purposes.

Hotels often lift “no pets” policies during emergencies, but keep a list of hotels that accept companion animals just in case. (Most Motel Sixes accept animals.) Include your local animal shelter's number in your list of emergency numbers—they might be able to provide information during a disaster.

If you are unable to return to your home right away, you may need to board your companion animal. Most boarding kennels, veterinarians and animal shelters require medical records to make sure all vaccinations are current, so keep copies of these records with your emergency kit.

If you must leave your animal behind:

Never turn animals loose. Do not tie animals outside or keep them in a vehicle unattended. Leave them in a secure area inside your home.
Leave out at least ten days’ supply of water. Fill every sink, bowl, pan, and Tupperware container with water, then set them on the floor; do not leave just one container—it may spill. If your toilet bowl is free of chemical disinfectants, leave the toilet seat up to provide animals with one more source of water, but do not let that be the only source.
Leave out at least ten days’ supply of dry food. Canned food will go rancid quickly.
If you can’t get to your home, contact a reliable neighbor or friend to check on the animals and get them out, if possible. Provide specific instructions on care.

You can improve the lives of dogs and cats suffering from cruelty and neglect.

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