In Part 1, we discussed planning for disasters while staying at home. But what if you have to leave to stay safe?
Who? Everyone, even pets leave. No one will come to your house in a disaster and take care of Fluffy, or the gerbils, snake & birds. So be ready to transport.
When? Leave as early as possible. I know that is vague, but you have seen the traffic jams when everyone leaves at the same time.
Where? Ideally you have a close relative in a nearby town that is out of the disaster area. Other ideas are booking a room in a pet friendly hotel in a safe city, or a hotel with a nearby pet boarding facility. Campgrounds might be an option for campers or families with RVs. As a last resort, governments will set up “shelters” like Dallas has done for Houston during Hurricane Harvey, or Houston did during Katrina. These facilities may or may not allow pets, and they definitely recommend or require a carrier for each pet. Imagine how scare Fifi would be in a new wire kennel, in a big building, next to dozens of other scared dogs and cats, with you in the next building.
What to pack? This comes straight from FEMA
• Food. At least a three day supply in an airtight, waterproof container.
• Water. At least three days of water specifically for your pets.
• Medicines and medical records.
• Important documents. Registration information, adoption papers and vaccination documents. Talk to your veterinarian about microchipping and enrolling your pet in a recovery database.
• First aid kit. Cotton bandage rolls, bandage tape and scissors; antibiotic ointment; flea and tick prevention; latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol and saline solution. Including a pet first aid reference book is a good idea too.
• Collar or harness with ID tag, rabies tag and a leash.
• Crate or pet carrier. Have a sturdy, safe crate or carrier in case you need to evacuate. The carrier should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down.
• Sanitation. Pet litter and litter box if appropriate, newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags and household chlorine bleach.
• A picture of you and your pet together. If you become separated, a picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow others to assist you. Add species, breed, age, sex, color and distinguishing characteristics.
• Familiar items. Familiar items, such as treats, toys and bedding can help reduce stress for your pet.
(I would add calming pheromones to this list, or a Thundershirt if it helps your dog )
If you have made it this far, I challenge you to discuss this with the family, line to 2 or 3 relatives you could “visit” for a while, plan a few different ways to drive to their houses, gather up carriers, vaccine records, food & water for 3-7 days, and practice getting pets in the car. It will be challenging, but way less to practice now than in the event of an actual emergency.
If you can’t find your vaccine records, give us a call to reprint them. Or they aren’t up to date, let’s fix that.
I have a free red AAHA collapsible water /food dish like in the picture for the first 5 readers who contact me. You must come by to pick it up.
https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/resources/disaster-prep-pet-emergency-checklist.pdf
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/disaster-preparedness
