Do You Have A Disaster Preparedness Plan For Your Pets?

‘Tis the season! We’ve had a very mild winter, spring is in the air and the severe weather warnings have already begun, which made me wonder….have you ever considered what might happen to your pets in the case of a natural disaster, like a tornado?  

What if you were out of town and your pet sitter was caring for your fur-kid?  Imagine a police officer knocks at your door and tells you/your pet sitter that you have to evacuate your home because of a natural disaster (tornado, flash flood, fire, etc.) and that you only have 30 minutes. Help yourself AND your pet sitter be prepared for any emergency by considering the following:

1. Do you have carriers for all your pets? Cardboard carriers are not a good choice since your pet may need to stay confined for extended periods. A plastic kennel that is large enough for your pet to stand, turn around, and lie comfortably is appropriate. Ideally, you should have a separate carrier for each of your pets.
2. Can you gather all your pets and put them into carriers in time?
3. Are all your pets wearing collars with ID tags as well as rabies tags?
4. Do you have a photo of each pet in case they become lost?
5. If you and your pet are separated, you need a photo of you with your pet in order to claim them at an animal shelter.
6. Do you know where your emergency shelters are? Many shelters will not accept pets, so make sure you know which ones will.
7. Do you have your veterinarian’s information?  To make things easier, in the case of an evacuation, keep all of the records in a large waterproof bag. It will be easiest to remember if you keep it in the carrier that will be used during evacuation.
8. Do you have a copy of your pet’s vaccinations? These should be in the waterproof bag.
9. Do you have a three-week supply of food, water, medications, and sedatives? If you feed your pet canned food, make sure you have a can opener if they do not have flip tops.
10. Do you have disposable litter boxes and cleaning supplies?
11. Have you alerted friends and family where you are going?
12. Do you know the evacuation route(s)?
13. Do you know what hotels in the evacuation area accept pets?
14. If you have a cell phone, is your charger with you?
15. Does your PET SITTER know details about all of the above?  THEY SHOULD!

Download a complete complimentary copy of our Emergency Planning Guide from NAPPS (National Association of Professional Pet Sitters) here and help us help YOU be prepared in case of any disaster that may occur while your pets are in our care.  If you are a client of Paws Pet Care, we will be happy to meet with you to discuss your Disaster Preparedness Plan.  If you have questions, give us a call at 502-802-5052 or email us at info@pawspetcareathome.com.