Your animals need you even more when disaster strikes
When disaster strikes a community, essential services like water are often unavailable. So what can you do to ensure your pet is cared for during and, especially after, a disaster?
Preparation for pets
- Keep your pets’ vaccinations up-to-date.
- Know where your pets can go whether it’s a friend or family member, pet-friendly hotel, animal shelter, or boarding facility.
- Place your contact information, including the name of an out-of-state contact on your pets’ ID tags, microchip registrations, and licenses.
- Prepare an emergency kit of leashes, collars, extra ID tags, water, food, medications, health records, and photos to prove ownership.
- Have on hand portable carriers large enough for your pets to stand and turn around in.
- Prepare a first-aid kit, including your vet contact information and an authorization to treat your pets.
- Gather any relief plans developed by your local Red Cross chapter; emergency management office; or police, fire, health, wildlife and agriculture departments so you know where to turn for specific resources.
Preparation for livestock
- Post emergency contact numbers at your barn or on your pasture fence.
- Have sufficient transportation available for all your livestock or know where to obtain it. Train your livestock how to board the vehicles.
- Create a list of neighbors within a 100-mile radius of your home who would be willing to board your livestock if you are forced to evacuate.
- Form agreements with neighboring ranches and farms to help each other with disaster preparation and evacuations.
- Know organizations in your area that are prepared to rescue and house displaced livestock.
- Involve your family and neighbors in establishing an evacuation plan for animals in barns and outlying buildings.
- Have a supply of feed at a separate location, which could be air-dropped if the animals become stranded.
- Make up a kit with leads, halters, equine and bovine first aid kits, quieting hoods for easy transport, and water.
- Keep photos and a copy of your ownership papers or brands with you at all times in case you are separated from your livestock.
More info: https://www.ready.gov/pets
https://www.americanhumane.org/blog/are-you-prepared-to-protect-your-pet-in-a-disaster-or-emergency