emailEmergency Preparedness for Pets
Is your family prepared for a major emergency, evacuation or natural disaster? How about your pets? Making arrangements before the chaos of an emergency can increase your pet's chances of survival and greatly reduce the fear and anxiety your pet will experience.
Create a pet emergency survival kit (Grab n' Go Bag). Keep your pet's kit with your family's emergency survival kit for quick and easy access.
)Some items to include:
- Towel/blanket with your smell on it
- Basic pet first aid kit
- Can opener
- Fresh water and canned food
- Any medication that you pet may need
- Current vaccination records
- Remember to pack poop bags!
Store your Grab n' Go Bag in a pet crate. Check the kit twice a year (an easy way to remember is to do it when you check your smoke alarms bi-annually) to ensure freshness of food, water, and medication, and to restock any supplies you may have "borrowed" from it.
Your pet should be wearing up-to-date identification at all times. This includes adding your cell phone number to your current information with CRD Animal Care Services. It may also be a good idea to include the phone number of a friend or relative outside your immediate area. If your pet is lost, you'll want to provide a number on the tag that will be answered even if you're out of your home.
Remember, you are ultimately responsible for the well being of your pet in an emergency. You now have the tools and resources to assist you in meeting this responsibility. Your pet will thank you for it and one day just might save your life in return!
