Disaster Planning for Humans and Pets #NatlPrep #PlanAhead

Watching the scenes  of devastation that are coming out of Texas is heartbreaking. We feel helpless, we want to give and somewhere deep within us, we are grateful that what we are watching is not happening to us. There are MANY types of disasters than can occur. Some are weather related some are not. As much as we do not want to think about it, a DISASTER CAN HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT. YOUR LIFE CAN CHANGE IN A SECOND. ARE YOU PREPARED? If you are like me, you probably are not, but we CAN BE.

September is National Preparedness Month. On the heels of Harvey,  and with another storm (Irma), threatening, with the terror situation and the lunacy taking place in Korea, preparing for a disaster, ANY type of a disaster is something we all need to take seriously. The National Preparedness Month website has information divided by categories for each week of the month. of September.

WEEK ONE-SEPTEMBER 1-9
Make A Plan for Yourself, Family and Friends

Make a plan today. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area.  Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.

Build a kit. Include enough food, water and medical supplies for your needs in your emergency kit to last for at least 72 hours. Ready.gov/myplan.

PLAN FOR HUMANS

Make an Emergency Plan.

Sign up for alerts and warnings in your area.

Learn your evacuation zone and have an evacuation plan.

Check your insurance coverage and review the Document and Insure Property guide.
Plan financially for the possibility of disaster

How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?

What is my shelter plan?

What is my evacuation route?

What is my family/household communication plan?

Purchase I.C.E. Wristbands (In Case of Emergency) for your entire family. ($1 of each sale will go to organizations helping with the Hurricane Harvey Relief Effort).  Bracelets will start shipping late September.

It is far too often while watching scenes of devastation on television, that we see and learn of large numbers of pets who were not planned for in the event of a disaster. It is our duty as responsible pet owners to

PLAN FOR OUR PETS

Our pets depend on us. Late last year we had what thankfully was a small fire in one of the units of our apartment/condo building. The entire downstairs filled with smoke. Was I prepared? Barely. I became full of anxiety. The ONLY things I managed to do was to grab Cody and Dakota, put Cody in his carrier, grab my cell phone (and my husband) and GET OUT.  All turned out fine, but what if it hadn't been?

PREPARING MAKES SENSE!!!
Be sure you have:

Important documents. Registration information, adoption papers and vaccination documents. Talk to your veterinarian about microchipping and enrolling your pet in a recovery database.

First aid kit. Our dear friend Denise Fleck features pet first aid kits for dogs and cats. (Dakota has blogged about them in the past)  Denise also has a book on Disaster preparedness  and a Disaster Preparedness Kit . Her First Aid Kits are featured below:

CAT FIRST AID KIT
Photo used with permission from www.petsafetycrusader.com

DOG FIRST AID KIT

Photo used with permission from petsafetycrusader.com

Cotton bandage rolls, bandage tape and scissors; antibiotic ointment; flea and tick prevention; latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol and saline solution are musts! Including a pet first aid reference book for cats and dogs is a good idea too.

Collar or harness with ID tag, rabies tag and a leash.

Crate or pet carrier. Have a sturdy, safe crate or carrier in case you need to evacuate. The carrier should be large enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down.

Sanitation. Pet litter and litter box if appropriate, newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags and household chlorine bleach.

A picture of you and your pet(s) together. If you become separated, a picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow others to assist you. Add species, breed, age, sex, color and distinguishing characteristics.

Familiar items. Familiar items, such as treats, toys and bedding can help reduce stress for your pet.

 MORE TO PLAN FOR

Remember, during a disaster what’s good for you is good for your pet, so get them ready today.

If you leave your pets behind, they may be lost, injured – or worse. Never leave a pet chained outdoors. 

Create a buddy system in case you’re not home. Ask a trusted neighbor to check on your animals.

Identify shelters. For public health reasons, many emergency shelters cannot accept pets.

Find pet friendly hotels along your evacuation route and keep a list in your pet’s emergency kit. Our friend Paris at Cat Tipper lives in Austin, Texas, and due to the possibility of her creek flooding, they chose to be pro-active and evacuated. Paris shared her experience in a fabulous blog post (Evacuating With Your Cat) that if you haven't read, it is a MUST read. 

If you are like me, you probably only consider taking your pet to your current Veterinarian or animal hospital. During a disaster, you may not be able to do so. It is important that you locate a veterinarian or animal hospital in the area where you may be seeking temporary shelter, in case your pet needs medical care. Add the contact information to your emergency kit.

Microchip your pet! Dakota  is microchipped (Cody is not and I must change that!), and make sure that you not only keep your address and phone number up-to-date, but that you also include contact info for an emergency contact outside of your immediate area.

Call your local emergency management office, animal shelter or animal control office to get advice and information.

If you are unable to return to your home right away, you may need to board your pet. Find out where pet boarding facilities are located.

Most boarding kennels, veterinarians and animal shelters will need your pet's medical records to make sure all vaccinations are current.

If you have no alternative but to leave your pet at home, there are some precautions you must take, but remember that leaving your pet at home alone can place your animal in great danger!

Download the FEMA app for disaster resources, weather alerts, and safety tips

ONE LAST POINT

We can't live our lives in fear, but we can't bury our heads in the sand either. Disasters CAN and WILL continue to happen, even in the most unlikely places. The advice offered in this post could save YOUR life and the lives of your pets.  It is our deepest prayer that NONE of us will ever have to use this information, but in the event that we DO need it. We will be READY!!

We were not compensated for any products/info shared in this post.
Acknowledgements:Pet video courtesy of fema.gov
Graphics, logos and other videos from ready.gov
Information is encouraged to be used from the ready.gov website