With the recent earthquake in Japan, the fires in Australia last summer followed by the horrific floods, of we are made aware of how devastating natural disasters can be for people, but it has the same effect for our beloved pets. In the event of an emergency, whether something as large as a natural disaster or as focused as a house fire are you prepared to take care of not only yourself and your family, but your pets as well? In this article we will look at some basic precautions and preparations that will help insure the safety of your pet in an emergency.

You must have a plan of action ready in the event of an emergency. When determining your best options for such plans consider your surroundings and what sort of emergencies you may be facing. For example, if you live in the midwestern portion of the country planning for a hurricane would be futile, however planning for a tornado would be quite prudent. Also think about what sort of industries are in your vicinity and whether an accident there could require your evacuation. Being aware of your environment will aid you in reacting quickly if you need too.

Should the need to evacuate your home arise, your pets should go with you. Many people believe that if they leave their pet behind natural instincts will take over and they will get along just fine. Remember that your pet has been dependent on you for all of their needs for their entire lives. Even if they are capable of reacting instinctually it is important to keep in mind that if it is not safe for you to be there it certainly isn’t safe for your pet to be there. Therefore, an important part of your plan should be where to take your pets in the event of an emergency. As much as the Red Cross does in such situations to help those in need they cannot accept pets at their evacuation shelters. You may want to take the time to locate and make a list of places within a 50 to 100 mile radius of your location that you can take your pet. Places to consider for this list would be, other family members homes, animal boarding services, veterinarians with animal boarding facilities, hotels that allow pets and as a last resort animal shelters. Also with today’s efficient communications we are often warned well ahead of time of the possibility of an emergency, if this is the case it would be a good idea to keep all of your pets together so that you can round them up quickly should you need to. When you do leave make sure you have solid control of your pets, even the most docile or well-behaved pets actions can become erratic and unpredictable when they are frightened as may be the case during an emergency.

The wisdom of an emergency kit has been highly touted and rightfully so. Your own kit may contain things such as a change of clothes, prescriptions and medications, travelers checks or even food and water. Your pet’s emergency kit isn’t much different by comparison. It should contain enough food and water to last a week in airtight containers to insure it stays fresh. You should replace this food and water every six months. If you opt to include canned food don’t forget to add a hand operated can opener. A bowl for food and water will be needed, a simple plastic bowl will suffice or you may wish to look into some of the innovative space saving travel bowls available. Because you are going into an unsettling set of circumstances and extra collar and leash as well as a portable kennel for each of your pets is advisable. It would also be wise to have a first aid kit specifically for your pet that includes items such as tweezers, gauze bandages, antibiotic crème, antiseptic spray or hydrogen peroxide. You should also include any special medications your pet may require in the first aid kit. Be sure to ask your veterinarian about storage requirements as well as how often this medication should be rotated.

It is a good idea to review your pets’ emergency kit every 6 months or so to make sure that the items included are appropriate to any changes that may have occurred with your pet i.e. growth or weight gain.

Even with the most thorough of plans in an emergency situation things can go wrong. You must be prepared for the possibility of you and your pet being separated for this reason paperwork and identification are must have items for your pets. The most obvious form of I.D. is a collar tag with your name and phone number. Many dogs carry this sort of identification but a large number of cat owners don’t have tags for their pet. If you are a cat owner please give serious consideration to some sort of I.D tag for your cat. When deciding what information to place on a collar I.D. tag you may want to consider a second number separate from your own such as a family member or friend who lives outside of your area. This way if the communications in your area are disrupted there is still a way for someone to reach you if they have found your lost pet. One of the most effective forms of identification are microchips, they are relatively inexpensive, there is no risk of they’re being lost and can be easily updated should you move. It is a fairly common practice for all shelters and Veterinarians to scan for microchips when a lost pet is brought to them. Finally, make sure you have your pets’ paperwork and vaccination information at hand. Most boarding facilities will not accept an animal whose vaccinations are not up to date and many shelters require that animals be vaccinated before releasing them

With a bit of careful thought and pre-planning and emergency situation does not have to become a life disaster for you or your pet.