Emergency preparedness for pets

For many of us, our pets are members of the family. That means they need to be part of our family’s emergency preparedness plan for hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and any other type of disaster that can occur where we live.

A few basics:

• Make sure your pet wears a collar and tag with up-to-date contact information.
• Microchip your pet. Then, register the microchip with the manufacturer and keep your contact information up to date.
• Keep a leash and/or carrier near the door to your home.

Now, think about safe shelter in case your family needs to evacuate:

• Identify where you and your pet will stay in case you need to leave your home, such as an evacuation shelter or with out-of-town friends or relatives.
• Research boarding facilities or animal hospitals near your evacuation shelter in case you’re unable to return home right away.
• Create a buddy system in case you’re not home during an emergency. Ask a trusted neighbor who can check on your animals and evacuate them if necessary.
• Locate a veterinarian or animal hospital in the area where you may seek temporary shelter. Add the veterinarian’s contact information to your emergency kit.

You’ll need to create a kit. Items to include:

• A carrier for each of your animals (write your pet’s name, your name and contact information on each carrier)
• Food, water and any medication for at least two weeks for each pet
• For cats: litter box and litter
• For dogs: plastic bags for feces
• Medical records
• Sturdy leashes or harnesses
• Microchip number
• Contact information of owner and close relative or friends