Emergencies come in many forms and they may require anything from a brief absence from your home to permanent evacuation. Each type of disaster requires different measures to keep your pets and/or livestock safe. The best thing you can do for yourself and your animals is to be prepared.
- ID your pet. Make sure your pet’s tags are
up-to-date and securely fastened to your pet's collar. If possible, attach the
address and/or phone number of your evacuation site. If your pet gets lost, his
tag is his ticket home. Also consider microchipping your pets.
- Make sure you have a current photo of your pet for identification purposes.
- Make a pet emergency kit. Here are just a few items you should have in your pet emergency kit:
Pet food Bottled water
Medications Veterinary records
Cat litter/pan Manual can opener
Food dishes First aid kit and other supplies
- Identify shelters. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters cannot accept pets. Find out which motels and hotels in the area you plan to evacuate to allow pets well in advance of needing them. There are also a number of guides that list hotels/motels that permit pets and could serve as a starting point. Include your local animal shelter's number in your list of emergency numbers.
- Make sure you have a secure pet carrier, leash or harness for your pet so that if he panics, he can't escape.
More detailed tips and guidance can be found by clicking the links on the right side of this page.
