Florida is known as a hotspot for hurricane activity, and our area can experience all sorts of disasters caused by inclement weather. Man-made incidents, such as housefires, can also pose a threat, and require a disaster plan for your family’s evacuation and safety. When you’re planning the best way to keep your family safe from harm during a natural or man-made disaster, don’t forget to include your four-legged family members in your plan. Follow these steps, to ensure your pet is part of your family’s disaster plan, no matter the situation that arises.
Step 1: Make your pet easily identifiable in case you’re separated
Double check your pet’s collar ID tags to ensure they’re legible and the information is correct. Many people change their phone number or address, but forget to update their pet’s ID tags to the most current contact information. Or, your pet’s tags may become worn and difficult to read, so check them regularly, to ensure you can easily make out each letter and number. On your pet’s ID tags, consider listing the following information:
- Your address
- Your phone number
- The phone number of a relative or friend who lives out of town
- Narcoossee Oaks Animal Hospital’s phone number
In addition to legible collar ID tags, ensure your pet is microchipped. A microchip is the only permanent identification form that lasts the life of your pet, so you can guarantee you and your furry pal will always be reunited. However, the key to microchips is ensuring your registration information remains current with the microchip company. Similar to keeping collar ID tag details updated, your pet’s microchip registration information must also be current to help provide a happy reunion if you become separated from your pet during a disaster.
Step 2: Create an emergency kit for your pet
You may have prepared an emergency kit for your family that includes your necessities, but don’t forget to do the same for your pet. Gather your pet’s essentials, and store them in a grab-and-go waterproof tote. Include the following items in your pet’s emergency kit:
- Food and water for two weeks
- Can opener, if needed
- Bowls
- Medication, if needed
- Plastic waste bags
- Disposable litter boxes, such as foil pans
- Litter
- Treats
- Toys
- Leash and harness
- Carrier or cage
- Bedding
- Medical records, including vaccination certificates, microchip number, and medication prescriptions
- Recent photo of your pet
- First aid kit
Swap out your pet’s medication, food, and water every three months, to ensure they don’t expire. Don’t forget to add flea, tick, and heartworm preventives to your pet’s medication list, because you may have to evacuate your home when their preventive is next due.
Step 3: Identify pet-friendly shelters along your evacuation route
Not all emergency shelters will accommodate pets, so plan your evacuation route carefully. Include a backup route or two to ensure your evacuation goes smoothly, and your pet has a place to stay. Whether you need to move further inland, or to simply find shelter in town because of a house fire or other disaster, you must find lodging for your furry pal. Instead of scrolling through hotel websites to check their pet policies, use a website like BringFido. Put in your destination, and pet-friendly accommodations will pop up, making finding and booking lodging simple.
Step 4: Practice your evacuation plan with your pet
Practice makes perfect, and you will be less panicked in a true emergency. Run through your complete evacuation plan with your pet multiple times, and ensure your entire family knows their roles. For example, decide who should grab the pet supplies, and who should take the pet. By performing your evacuation plan, you’ll be able to maintain a level head during a disaster, and avoid making costly errors. Plus, your pet will feel more comfortable with being quickly loaded into a carrier, and your strange behaviors while evacuating.
Prepare for potential emergency situations by keeping your pet up to date on vaccinations. Current vaccinations are necessary not only when boarding your pet during an evacuation, but also to help keep them safe from infectious diseases that can crop up during natural disasters.
Contact our Narcoossee Oaks Animal Hospital team to schedule your furry pal’s wellness appointment, or if you need help putting together your pet’s emergency kit.
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