In an emergency, if you think it’s okay to leave your pet behind and he’ll be perfectly able to fend for himself just fine, you’re crazy.  Don’t fall into that dangerous, misguided thought.  Truth is they wouldn’t have a clue what to do — they’ve been a house pet with a family looking after them and keeping them safe. Living on the streets alone is NOT going to come naturally for them, especially in the middle of a disaster.  Your abandoned pet would be totally at the mercy of the hurricane, or earthquake, or floods that drove you from your home.  And you know it’s true — you see the ASPCA commercials every day showing rescuers pulling animals to safety that were left behind in all kinds of horrible situations.

For your pets’ sake, this post will help you look down the road and anticipate how to make certain you’re prepared to easily take him/her along should an emergency or disaster force you out of your home.  There aren’t a lot of complicated details or work involved.  It’s really pretty simple.

Think Ahead, Prepare Ahead.

1. Collect and have ready to go a supply of dry and/or canned food (with binder clips, lids, and a spoon), clean water, bowls, halters/leashes/seatbelt lead, crate/pen, pet bed, blankets, comb/brush, pee pads, booties, and a favorite toy or two; and
2. Make very sure your pet ALWAYS has identification on him – tags with name and phone, AND implanted micro-chip.

There, that’s it.  Those are your instructions, just these two bullet points.  There are more detailed tips below if you want to read on, but these two points above pretty much cover the big stuff that’s truly critical.

More Tips.

Most shelters and hotels allow pets nowadays, so don’t abandon your pet because you think you’ll be turned away for refuge.  If one facility should happen to say no, drive on to the next one. Your pet is family and worth any extra effort.

When you’re setting aside dry or canned food for emergencies, be sure to rotate it periodically.  Replace what you’ve stockpiled with a fresh supply and use the more outdated items for current everyday living. That way, your stored emergency supply is always fresh.  Same with the bottled water.  Keep rotating it.

Check the fit of your crates/pens ahead of time to be certain they fit comfortably into your vehicle so that if/when an emergency does come, you’ll already know they’ll fit and there will be no surprises.

If/when the time comes you must evacuate, put your pet’s harness and collar on him before loading him into his crate.  That way, if he should bolt in a panic when you open the crate for pottie break, cleaning, or feeding, he can still be identified by his tags and be more quickly and happily reunited with you.  Also keep photos of your pet on your cell phone for added identification help.

You And Your Pet Are In This Together.

Remember – this will be a frightening time for your pets as much as for you, so don’t be surprised if they display any different-than-normal behavior.  Be patient and gentle with your pets.  And, with a little responsible planning ahead on your part, you’ll get through it … together.

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God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008. Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.

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