Keeping Companion Animals Safe During Disasters
Planning ahead is the key to keeping yourself and your companion
animals safe during a disaster. Listed below are some tips that will
reduce the risk to the animals that you are responsible for. For tips on
how to keep the people in your family safe, contact your local chapter
of the American Red Cross.
Always keep a collar and tag on those animals that should normally
wear collars. This includes cats that never go outdoors. When putting a
collar on a cat be sure it is a break away collar, which is designed to slip
over a cat's head should the collar get caught on something. During a
disaster an animal can escape and a collar and tag increases your
chances of getting the animal back. On the tag, include your phone
number and address. Remember the phones may not be working, so in
order to reunite you with your companion animal an address is
necessary. You may want to consider tattooing or microchipping your
animals as a more permanent form of identification. If you have been
evacuated and are going to be living away from home for an extended
period of time, you should put a temporary tag on your animals with a
phone number, other than your home number. If someone finds your
animal and tries to call your home number, there is a good chance it will
not be working during a disaster.
Identify several possible locations where you can take your animals
should you have to evacuate. These would be places that would not
likely be affected by the same disasters that would hit where you live.
This would include boarding kennels, veterinary clinics with boarding
space, grooming facilities, dog and cat clubs, and training clubs. Don't
forget to consider friends and family members too. Look for
hotels/motels that accept animals. Bookstores sell books that list "pet
friendly" lodging. Some hotels/motels may not normally allow animals,
but they may make an exception during a disaster, so make some
inquiries. It is important to know that Red Cross evacuation shelters will
not allow animals, other than seeing eye dogs and other recognized
service dogs. If you are not sure where to take an animal when you
evacuate, do not leave them behind, as this greatly increases the
chances that an animal will not survive.
Start a buddy system with someone in your neighborhood, so that
they will check on your animals during a disaster in case you aren't
home. Agree to do the same thing for them. Exchange information on
veterinarians and have a permission slip put in your file at the vet,
authorizing your "buddy" to get necessary emergency treatment for your
animal should you not be able to be reached. If someone watches your
animals while you are on vacation, talk with them about a disaster plan
to be used to evacuate and care for your animals in your absence.
In addition to your regular supply of animal food have at least a
weeks supply of food on hand to be used during a disaster. Store the
dry food in an airtight/water proof container. If you use canned food,
buy the flip top cans or have a can opener with your disaster supplies.
Do not use canned food that has been opened and not refrigerated for
an unsafe period of time. You should also include any favorite treats that
your animals like, which can be a comfort to them during the stressful
time that follows a disaster. Chew toys can help entertain a dog that
might have to be chained or confined in a crate for the first time, or for
longer periods of time than they are used to. Continue to feed your
animals the food they are used to and put it out as close to the normal
time as you can. Keeping them on their regular routine, the best you
can, helps minimize the stress they might be feeling. If you feed canned
food to dogs and cats, reduce the normal amount by half (supplement
with dry food) to reduce the possibility of the animal getting diarrhea.
You should have at least a weeks supply of water in storage at all
times for your animals. It can be stored in the gallon containers it is
purchased in, but do not keep it in direct sunlight, as algae will start to
grow. Be sure to rotate the water at least once every other month. It is
important to not let animals drink flood water or any other water
sources that may be contaminated as a result of a disaster. If officials
have issued a "boil water" warning, that means that the water that
comes out of your tap is not healthy for people and animals to drink. If
you are drinking bottled water or purified water during a disaster that is
what your animals should be drinking too.
Take several pictures of all the animals and keep these pictures with
your important insurance papers that you would take with you if you
have to evacuate. Be sure to include in the pictures any distinguishing
marks that would make it easier to identity an animal. These pictures
can help reunite you with a lost animal. Store the pictures in a
resealable plastic bag in case you have to post them in the rain.
Before a disaster strikes, talk to your veterinarian to see if he/she
has a disaster plan. Your animal may need medical attention after a
disaster has struck and you need to know where to take your animal. If
your regular veterinarian does not have a plan, locate a veterinarian in
your community who does. Knowing in advance where to take an injured
animal may save that animal's life if it is in critical condition and time can't
be wasted. Keep a first aid kit and first aid book in your disaster kit for
your animals. Assembled kits and books can be bought at pet supply
stores or ask your veterinarian for a list of what should go into a first aid
kit if you want to put one together yourself. If you have a houseful of
animals, putting together a kit yourself is advisable, as the prepackaged
kits will probably not contain enough supplies.
If an animal is on long term medication, always keep a backup supply
on hand, since a veterinary office may not be open for some time
following a disaster. If the medication needs to be refrigerated, keep
an ice chest on hand to store it in, in case the electricity is off and you
are unable to use your refrigerator. If you need ice, you can usually get
it from a Red Cross shelter.
Have assembled and ready to go, a cat carrier to evacuate each cat in
your household. An "Evacsak," is an alternative to a carrier. It is similar
to a pillow case, but is a much safer and more secure way to transport a
small animal. They take up a lot less space than carriers, and if you have
a house full of animals that need to be transported, you can get a lot
more Evacsaks into a car. They can be purchased by contacting Animal
Care Equipment and Services at 1-800-338-ACES. A carrier would then
be used to house a cat if you have to be away from your home for an
extended period of time. Be sure to have a shoe box size litter box and
a food and a water dish to use in the carrier.
Have a harness and leash for all the dogs in your household. If you
have to evacuate, dogs can become frightened and if you only have a
collar around their neck, they may be able to pull away from you and
have the collar slip over their head. A harness will allow you to securely
control your dog. If your dog rides in the car, always have a leash in the
vehicle. A disaster may occur while you are away from home, and if you
should have to abandon your car, you want to be able to keep your dog
safely controlled. You may want to get a harness and a leash for your
cat too, in case you have to keep them confined in a cage while you are
living away from home. If they are not used to being in a cage, a
harness would allow you to safely take them out of the cage and give
them some exercise. Do not leave a cat unattended though while it is on
a leash, otherwise, the cat might end up strangling itself.
Have a stake out chain for all the dogs in your household. Walls and
fences may come down during a disaster and it may be necessary to
keep your dog confined on a chain leash until repairs can be made. Be
sure the chain is long enough for the dog to move around, but not a
length where it might get tangled around something and cause the dog
to choke itself. Shelter from the elements should be within the dog's
reach too. If you do not have something to attach the chain to, you
should get a stake that screws into the ground. Be sure it is secure for
the size dog you have. Pet supply stores sell a variety of sizes.
If your dog is kept in an outdoor run, make sure it's in a location
where falling debris (tree limbs, shingles, power lines, chimney
bricks, etc.) won't fall on the run and possibly injure the dog. If
something were to fall on the run and possibly prevent opening the
door, you should have a heavy duty wire cutter, in case the dog was
trapped inside and had to be freed.
Be sure and comfort your animals during a disaster. They are
frightened too, and having you near to give them a hug will help. It will
probably do a lot to help you too. If an animal is not ready to be
comforted though, do not force it. This is especially true for cats. Let an
animal come to you when it is ready.
Know where the animal shelters or animal rescue organizations are
in your area. You may need to visit them after a disaster to look for a
missing animal. It is important to start looking for a missing animal as
soon as you realize it is gone, as some shelters may not be able to
house for a very long time large numbers of displaced animals that arrive
during a disaster.
For more detailed animal disaster tips, you may want to purchase the
book Out of Harm's Way, written by Terri Crisp, the Director of
United Animal Nation's Emergency Animal Rescue Service program.
The last fifty pages of the book have life saving tips for domesticated
animals, horses, and livestock. Any one who has animals should have
this valuable resource guide.
Article from the EARS website
© 1998 United Animal Nations, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
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