How to keep your pets safe during a natural disaster or emergency

During an emergency or natural disaster, there are a lot of things that come up. Most importantly, you need to make sure that everyone in your household is safe, including your pets.

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According to the American Red Cross, there are few tips for keeping your cat or dog safe during a disaster:

1. Remember, if it is unsafe in the house for humans that it is also unsafe for them so make arrangements to get your pets out safely. Make sure to build out an evacuation plan for you and your pets. One way to do this is to create an emergency plan. This should include places where you can take your pets if you have to evacuate, which may include hotels, shelters, relatives, friends, and boarding facilities. According to the Red Cross, you will want to make sure that your pets’ vaccinations are up to date and that they are wearing their collars with current and up-to-date information.
2. Create an emergency kit or have one ready to go. This should include food, bowls, water, cat litter/pan, medications, baggies, blankets, towels, leashes, harnesses, carriers, crates, current photos of your cat or dog, information about your pet, and any toys or pet beds that are easy to transport. The Best Friends Animal Society has a more in-depth list on their website.
3. The Red Cross suggests for livestock and other animals is to move them to higher grounds, give yourself time, and if you can bring them indoors, do so. You will want to plan ahead as they will need to be evacuated too.

According to the Best Friends Animal Society, one of the best ways to get through an emergency situation is to remain calm. This way, you can plan out the next steps clearly and it will also help your pets stay calm.

“If local officials indicate that a major threat will impact your area and evacuation is likely, you’ll want to ensure that you have plenty of time to find and secure your pets, so don’t wait until the last minute to start the evacuation process. Be aware that your pets’ behavior during and after an emergency evacuation may be different from their behavior during the normal daily routine. Pets may become highly stressed as the danger nears, so be extra cautious when handling them because they may be scared, try to escape or bite,” Best Friends Animal Society said in a news release.

The Best Friends Animal Society suggests making sure to have a five-day plan after the emergency for your pets whether it includes shelter support or temporary placement with family members. Local rescue groups may also be able to help.

“Emergencies can happen at any time, so it’s crucial for people with pets to be as prepared as possible for a potential evacuation or shelter-in-place situation that could last for hours, days, weeks or even longer. A good first step is knowing which hazards are most likely to impact your community, whether it’s wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, or extreme heat or cold. Then, plan accordingly with a response for each scenario,” Best Friends Animal Society said on their website.

More information can be found on the Humane Society of the United States’ website including information for disaster planning for livestock, horses, birds, and more. Ready.gov’s website also has additional information. The Red Cross’ website also has more pet safety information on their website as well.

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While it is strongly discouraged, in the event that you have to leave your pets behind during a hurricane, make sure to have a window decal that alerts emergency authorities to how many pets are inside the home. The ASPCA offers such a decal free of charge.

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