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Sep 29 2016
Home » News » Natural Disaster Prep
We see them on the news frequently: tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, blizzards, and more. They might even have affected your life in a scary and meaningful way. Natural disasters are dangerous events that happen throughout the world, probably more frequently than we would like, and impact animals as well as humans. Sometimes the effect these natural disasters can have on animals are overlooked, but it is important to remember that their lives can be devastated as easily and thoroughly as human lives can be in the event of a natural disaster. September is Natural Disaster Preparedness Month, which serves as a reminder that we should all prepare, now, for emergencies that could affect our families and pets, and not be caught unprepared in the face of a disaster.
It is important to be prepared for natural and any other type of disaster or emergency situation, and that includes taking your pets and their needs into account when creating emergency plans and supplies. Be prepared for the loss of services such as power, gas, and water, and make sure you have alternate sources of basic necessities like water and fuel for heat for everyone in your family.
Put together emergency supply kits for everyone in your family, pets included. Animal emergency kits should be stored in easy to access places, with the rest of the emergency supplies and kits for the family. Some things you should include in a pet emergency supply kit are:
In a waterproof bag, be sure to have the following as well:
Make sure all your pets are wearing identification tags that are up to date, and consider having them microchipped and registered, to give you the best chance of being reunited with your pets, should you be separated during an emergency.
Have a disaster plan in place and consider developing an emergency contact list- in the event that you are away from home when an emergency occurs, a trusted neighbor, nearby family member or friend should have a key to your home, know your pets well, and know where to find their emergency kit. A plan should be made to safely evacuate your pets in the event of an emergency. You can also place stickers on doors and windows to notify rescue crews like fire and police that animals are in the house and need to be evacuated.
Always, always take your animals with you. If a situation if unsafe for you, it is unsafe for your pets. Sometimes when people are told to leave their homes, thinking it will only be for a short time, they neglect to bring their animals, believing they will be safer at home. However, in the event of a natural disaster, conditions can quickly worsen and prevent you from getting back home to your animals, putting your animals in greater danger or leaving them without care and necessities for long periods of time.
LifeLearn News
Note: This article, written by LifeLearn Animal Health (LifeLearn Inc.) is licensed to this practice for the personal use of our clients. Any copying, printing or further distribution is prohibited without the express written permission of Lifelearn. Please note that the news information presented here is NOT a substitute for a proper consultation and/or clinical examination of your pet by a veterinarian.
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