Pet Preparedness

In an emergency, every second counts and that includes keeping your pets safe. Whether it's a storm, fire, flood, or unexpected evaluation, having a plan in place for your animals can make all the difference. 

Pets are family, and just like the rest of your household, they need food, water, shelter, and care during a crisis. Below are resources to help make a plan, prepare a pet emergency kit, create an evaluation plan, and make sure your pets are safe no matter what happens. 

Follow some of these tips to help your pets be cared for and found during emergencies.

Make Plans for Where Your Pet Can Stay – Know where your animals can stay if you are suddenly unable to take care of them, and what requirements may need to be met.  For example, many commercial facilities may require Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccination for dogs to be eligible to stay.  Having these types of vaccination records in any pet emergency file can be very useful.

Create and Use a Pet Care Buddy System – Another option is to create a small network or partner system to help you care for your animals in an emergency.  If appropriate, it can be a mutual arrangement, meaning you also agree to help them when necessary.  This system works best when those helping are already familiar with your animals and their needs.  Regardless, creating relevant emergency files is still useful.

Microchip Registration – many people make the effort to ensure pets receive microchips for identification.  However, if microchips are not properly registered, they can not be used as effectively to connect lost pets to their owners.  Speak with your vet to ensure your microchip is properly registered.