Emergency Preparedness with Pets

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, natural disasters are on the rise   they happen three times as often as they did in the 1970's/80's. Do you have an emergency plan for what to do if disaster strikes? Have you thought about how to incorporate your pet(s) into this plan?

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What is an emergency preparedness plan?

An emergency preparedness plan, or a disaster plan, is a plan for what to do in case of emergency   be it a natural disaster or a more directly human-caused disaster like terrorism or war. What sorts of disasters you may be at risk for depends on where you live. For example, the Pacific Northwest of the United States experiences wildfires. Coastal regions experience rising sea levels are more at risk for events like hurricanes and tsunamis. Danger doesn't have to be catastrophic and global to be worth preparing for, either   maybe you live in the wilderness, and need to know what to do if there's a bull moose in your driveway, a grizzly in your yard, or a wild hog in your vegetable patch. Preparation for each of these events can be very different, so it's important to know the risks of living in your particular part of the world.

An emergency preparedness plan looks like something different to different people   it might look like making an evacuation plan and having somewhere out of town to go hunker down. It might look like having three months' worth of canned goods, water, etc. stashed away in a basement or cupboard. It might look like owning a generator and keeping a large stock of chopped wood for burning. It might look like doing fire drills with your family to practice what you would do as a family unit in case your house caught fire. Emergency preparedness plans can be as simple or complicated as folks want them to be. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, save for the fact that it's prudent to have a plan in the first place.

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Preparation for an emergency

Where you're going

In preparation for an emergency, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that you have a plan in place for where you're going to go if you need to evacuate. This could be a friend or family member's home out of town, or it could be at a disaster evacuation center, or a hotel. It is necessary to know whether or not where you're going allows pets.

Shelters and evacuation centers are not required to accept animals, and often don't for health and safety concerns (except for service animals). American Red Cross centers, for example, only allow service animals. It's imperative that you find somewhere for your animal to be should you not be able to take them with you where you're evacuating to. You can call shelters, boarding facilities, and animal hospitals near your local evacuation center and see if they can house your animal in case of an emergency. Some hotels are pet-friendly, and others might waive their no-pet policy in case of a disaster   but make sure to ask first.

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Evacuation plan

If you're not home

You can also talk with a neighbor and ask them if they would be willing to check in on and evacuate your pet(s) in case of an emergency if you are not home. Work with them on figuring out the details, like where they should bring your pet(s) and/or where you should meet up. Make sure they know the location of your pet disaster preparedness kit, too (more on that later).

As a back-up measure, it's worthwhile to consider getting a rescue alert sticker from the ASPCA. If you evacuate with your pet (and you have time), cross out the sticker or write "EVACUATED" on it so rescue workers don't spend time searching for an animal that isn't there.

Practice drills

If your household has an evacuation plan, make sure to include your pet in it: who is responsible for making sure your pet is rescued, who is responsible for grabbing the emergency preparedness kit (more on that later), and where is everyone meeting up? If you practice said plan, make sure to include your pet in the practice to get them familiar with how everything goes down. Training your pet to understand that a carrier is a safe, comfortable place to be can go a long way in an emergency and help speed up the evacuation process. If your pet has some usual hiding spots when they're frightened, be sure you know where those are and how to get them out of those hiding spots.

Emergency transport

It can also be helpful to make sure your pet is calm when being transported in a vehicle. If their first time being in the car is during an emergency (or if they hate car rides in general), that can make everything a lot more chaotic. If you don't have a car, you can ask friends or neighbors if you can borrow theirs for practice. Your local government might also have information about disaster transport options.

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Pet disaster preparedness kit

The CDC recommends that people put together "pet disaster preparedness kits" to have on hand in case of emergency. This ensures that should you need to evacuate quickly, you don't have to worry about forgetting or losing something important, because everything you need is already ready to go.

Documents

Having documents for your pet can be very useful in case of emergency. If you're fleeing a natural disaster and need to relocate somewhere, not having your pet's papers can make things trickier. It's much more convenient to be able to have all of their information available so any vets your pet might need to see while you are in this new location can know if your pets are vaccinated and up to date on things with concrete proof. It can also be useful to have all of this information in case your pet gets lost or if you need to leave your pet with someone in an emergency situation. Additionally, it is feasible that pets may or may not be allowed into shelters without proof of certain vaccinations, as people often want to eliminate as many health risks as possible during an emergency.

It is useful to have, in a waterproof container:

• Paper copies of the following:
• Rabies certificate
• Proof of vaccinations
• Medical summary (any health conditions past and present)
• Prescriptions for medications
• Heartworm test result (dogs)
• FeLV/FIV test result (cats)
• Proof of ownership/adoption records/registration information
• Microchip information (make sure your pet's microchip information is up to date with your current address and contact information!)

• Written or typed pet descriptions (breed, sex, color, weight)

• Recent photographs of you with your pets (can help serve as proof of ownership)

• Vet information (contact information, name and address of the veterinary practice, etc.)

• Your contact information (phone number, home address, email address, address of where you are likely to seek shelter)

• Contact information for friends/family you are likely to shelter with

• Contact information for where you expect your pets to be sheltered if this differs from where you expect yourself to be sheltering

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Food/water/medication

How much of these supplies you keep on hand is up to you   the CDC recommends keeping 2 weeks' worth of food, water, and medications on hand for each animal in the household. Some people like to be prepared for longer   do whatever feels right for you, your situation, and the threats you are more likely to face.

• 2 weeks' minimum worth of water per animal

• 2 weeks' minimum worth of food per animal

• 2 weeks' minimum worth of medications (if applicable)

• Waterproof containers for food (and/or a cooler if your pet eats food that needs to be kept frozen, like rats or mice)

• Non-spill food/water dishes

• If your pet eats canned food, a manual can opener
• Feeding them moist/canned food means they will also need less water (this does not mean you should deprive your pet of access to water, however; it can just be useful to know when rationing is a priority)

• Feeding instructions for each animal

• Medication instructions for each animal

• 1-month supply of flea/tick/heartworm preventative

It's also helpful to write down when the backup medications and food expire. This way you can make sure to occasionally use your emergency supplies (so they don't go to waste) and replace the backup supplies with fresher ones.

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Other supplies

• Leash/harness

• Collar with ID tags (including rabies vaccination tag)   make sure the information on the tag is up-to-date with your current contact information

• Litter/litter box/doggie bags

• Toys

• Pet carrier with bedding/blanket/towel and your name/contact info written on it

• Pet first aid book and kit

• Cleaning supplies for accidents (rags, disinfectant, bags for disposal)

• Anything else you think you might need for your pet(s)
• Tank/aquarium/habitat
• Heat lamps

Other considerations

Make sure your pet's ID is all up to date: a collar with ID tags, their microchip information and registration being current, etc. That way, if you get separated, they have a greater chance of being returned to you.

The Red Cross also suggests considering precautionary evacuation if you have large animals and/or livestock, as waiting last minute can be dangerous for all parties involved in that situation. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to disaster preparedness.

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During an emergency

When a situation makes it too dangerous for you to remain in place, then it's also too dangerous for your pets. Enact your emergency plan, if you have one. Make sure to grab your emergency preparedness kit so you'll have everything you need to keep you and your pets as safe and healthy as you can.

If you don't yet know where you're going, try to figure that out as fast as possible. Call your local emergency management office and try to find a humane society shelter, pet-friendly hotels, veterinary clinics, or boarding facilities if you don't think you can bring your pet with you to a human emergency shelter.

Pets in evacuation centers

The CDC has plenty of advice for navigating having pets while staying in an evacuation center.

• Make sure that you keep a close eye on your pets for the duration of your stay in a shelter. When people and animals are housed together under stressful circumstances, illness and injury are more likely to occur. Animals in evacuation centers are more at risk of feeling afraid and/or stressed, which makes them generally more likely to lash out and hurt people.

• The crowded conditions and difficulties with sanitation also increase the likelihood of disease spreading. Take as many precautions as you reasonably can to keep you and your animal companions safe and healthy.

• There will likely be folks with allergies to animals in the shelter, so try to be mindful of this fact and don't let your pets run around willy-nilly.

• If possible, get your pets treated for intestinal parasites, especially any pets under 6 months old. And if your pet seems at all ill, talk to a veterinarian as soon as possible.

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Sheltering in place

If you are sheltering in place with pets, there are some specific considerations to make.

• Try to be in an area with no windows or few windows (depending on the situation)

• Remove any potentially toxic chemicals or plants

• Close off small areas where your pets could get stuck

• For tips on dealing with wildfire smoke, check out this article by the American Veterinary Medical Association

Staying healthy

Regardless of where you shelter, the following are good to practice in a disaster situation:

Hygiene

• Wash your hands after handling your pet, their food, and pet supplies, and especially after handling their waste
• Encourage children to do the same

• Don't let your pet lick your face/hands

• Clean/disinfect cages/litterboxes regularly and wash bedding consistently
• If possible, pregnant people should avoid cleaning out litterboxes because of the increased risk of infection from toxoplasmosis, which can be found in cat feces

• Avoid stagnant water

• Don't let pets play in/drink contaminated water

• Keep pets away from food preparation and eating areas

• Don't share food with pets

• Report bite wounds to medical professionals immediately

• Be mindful of folks with allergies to dander/fur/feathers

Pet care

• Keep up to date with vaccinations and heartworm/flea/tick preventatives

• Be extra careful in how you handle your pet (animals may behave differently when stressed)

• Keep a close eye on your pet, and consider keeping them in-carrier and/or on-leash at all times (don't leave your pet cooped up all day, of course, just make sure you have control over where they are and can make sure they don't run away)

• Don't let your pet interact with other animals (especially strays/wildlife)

• Walk/exercise your pets (especially dogs and energetic animals) regularly to help get their energy out in a safe way

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Diseases

Many factors make the spread of disease more likely between and amongst humans and other animals.

Bad weather, stagnant water, stress, wildfires, contact with unfamiliar animals, overcrowding, and contaminated provisions can increase the risk of disease. Some particular diseases to look out for are as follows:

• Rabies
• A viral disease spread through bites from an infected animal (dogs, cats, and ferrets are the likeliest carriers in terms of companion animals). It is fatal, but if you get the vaccine quickly enough after being bitten, you can survive.

• Leptospirosis
• This is a bacterial disease spread through contact with infected urine or food, water, or soil that has been contaminated with infected urine.

• Psittacosis
• A bacterial infection that causes pneumonia, psittacosis can be spread through contact with infected birds. Birds should be housed away from the general shelter population if possible.

• Ringworm
• A skin infection caused by fungi that is spread from contact with infected people, animals, or surfaces that infected beings have touched.

• Salmonella
• An infection often caused by eating undercooked food, salmonella can also be gotten through contact with the feces of animals. It is caused by bacteria that live in the intestinal tract of many animals, especially poultry, reptiles, and amphibians. Children under 5 years of age are not advised to make contact with the aforementioned animals.

• Toxoplasmosis
• An infection spread from the handling of cat feces. It can cause birth defects if a pregnant person is infected with it.

• Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus
• Spread through contact with infected rodents. This can also cause birth defects if a pregnant person becomes infected.

• Mosquitoes/fleas/ticks
• These critters spread a variety of diseases through their bites   Lyme disease, malaria, Zika, dengue, West Nile virus, etc. Location affects how at-risk you and your pets may be for these viruses. Doing regular tick checks, making sure you're vaccinated against diseases relevant to your location, using mosquito nets, burning citronella candles, and bathing your pets and yourself regularly can help mitigate risk.

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After an Emergency

Adjusting to life after a natural disaster/emergency situation takes time for both you and your animal companions. Familiar scents and landmarks may have changed. There may be a lot more or less wildlife in the neighborhood than usual, displaced by fires or flooding. Power lines may be down. There could be damage to your home, leaving broken glass, exposed wires, and/or spilled chemicals out in the open. Make sure that you keep your pets in carriers/on-leash until you have cleared the area and made it as safe as you can.

Humans and their pets alike act differently under stress, so be sure to generally monitor your pet's behavior and check in with your vet if something seems particularly off. Be gentle with yourself and your animal companions.

If your pet went missing during the disaster, there are many steps you can take to bring them back home. You can call local shelters, humane societies, and animal welfare organizations, as some house animals after a natural disaster. You can also call animal control and/or animal response teams. Visiting shelters in person is best if at all possible. We have a more comprehensive guide on what to do when a pet goes missing,

If your pet is injured

• Pet first aid is no replacement for visiting a veterinarian, but it can be useful to understand some basic pet first aid to get you through an emergency and to a point where you can bring your pet in to see a veterinarian.

• When you're handling an injured pet, be careful. Temperaments can change when an animal is hurt. It's best not to hug them, to avoid their head/face, and to be slow and gentle. If they start becoming increasingly agitated and distressed, it may be safest stop what you're doing and try to get to a vet ASAP.
  
  

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Conclusion

There's a lot of information you can be aware of! It can seem overwhelming, but you don't have to memorize all of it, or even any of it. Writing yourself a little bullet-point list of steps to take can make all the difference. The key takeaways are to have an emergency plan (how to safely evacuate and where to go) and to build an emergency preparedness kit that fits your location and animal companion(s).

For even more information on specific evacuation techniques, pet first aid kits, and emergency preparedness plans for different types of animals, the American Veterinary Medical Association has a great, detailed guide in English and in Spanish.

Stay safe out there!