Preparing Your Pet for an Emergency

Are You Prepared to Care for Your Pet in an Emergency?

Fire or flood, tornado or icy roads, gas leaks or power outages, unexpected or well-anticipated weather events, emergencies come in many forms and may last as little as an hour or for many months. Everyone needs to have a three day plan to care for themselves and everyone in their family in the event of an emergency situation. Disasters can leave individuals and neighborhoods cut off from outside help, which can severely restrict and overwhelm emergency resources and communications in the time surrounding the event. YOU become your own "first responder"!

Pets are important members of the family. They are dependent on us like children and it is our responsibility to care for them at all time. A little planning can reduce anxiety for all involved and help make a situation more manageable. The way you and your family survives an emergency depends a lot on the supplies and plans you have in place BEFORE the unexpected happens.

Plan ahead by preparing an emergency pet supply kit that includes pet food and water for three days, medications, vaccine records, leashes ID tags and other appropriate supplies to keep with your family's emergency supplies. Remember that different types of pets will have different needs for food, water, bedding and temperature. Be sure to have secure carriers for each pet you own. Create a list of places your pet(s) will be welcome if you need to leave your home including friends, family members, or "pet-friendly" hotels. Include locations locally as well as some along your area's evacuation route. After a disaster, it's important to watch and guard your animals closely. Their behavior may change, they may become disoriented and new safety hazards may exist. Pet owners can download a free brochure from the Ready website at: www.ready.gov, or request a copy by calling: 1-800-BE-READY, TTY: 1-800-462-7585.

Don't have an emergency supply kit for your household? Spend a family night making one together by going to www.ready.gov and follow the steps listed to be prepared. You need to be able to care for yourself before you can help anyone else!

Prepared by Sonia Estroff, member of the Cary CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and a valued client of Gentle Care Animal Hospital where she brings her dog Ginger.

**** CERT is a citizen volunteer group trained to take care of themselves, then others in their communities following a disaster. For more information about CERT or to find a team in your area, visit: www.citizencorps.gov/cert/.