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Fire, flood, earthquake … Are you ready to pick-up and go?
By Gina Spadafori
August 30, 2009
Four years ago Hurricane Katrina decimated the Gulf Coast. Today fires have driven thousands from their homes north of Los Angeles.
Are you ready?
From last year, this article from our archives:
Disaster preparedness is so easy to let slide. We get all worked up after a major disaster is in the news, and certainly after we’re lucky enough to be reminded of the potential — a thick layer of smoke, in my case, with the nearest fire two counties away.
We read up, we stock up, we move on. And then, we forget. In a pinch, we take the can opener out of the emergency kit and don’t replace it. We rotate the food and water into our kitchen cupboards, but we don’t buy anything new to rotate into the supplies in the garage.
It’s human nature, of course, to react to immediate threats and to put off preparing for something that might never happen.
If you’re one of those people who not only have a disaster plan but have also included your animals in it, now is the time to review those plans.
If you’ve never done any disaster planning, for you or your pets, this is as good a time as any to start.
But no matter where you live, there could be a crisis heading your way, and your pets are counting on you.
Start your preparations with something you’ve probably already taken care of, by making sure your pets have ID.
Most animals will survive a disaster, but many never see their families again because there’s no way to determine which pet belongs to which family if the animals go missing, a common occurrence even under normal circumstances. That’s why dogs and cats should always wear a collar and identification tags. Add a microchip, too.
Once your pet has up-to-date ID, it’s time to collect some equipment to help you cope in case of an emergency. A big storage bin with a lid and handles is an ideal place to keep everything you need together and on hand.
Keep several days’ worth of drinking water and pet food, as well as any necessary medicines, rotating the stock regularly. For canned goods, don’t forget to pack a can opener and a spoon. Lay in a supply of empty plastic bags, along with paper towels, both for cleaning up messes and for sealing them away until they can be safely tossed.
For cats, pack a bag of litter and some disposable litter trays.
Even normally docile pets can behave in uncharacteristic ways when stressed by an emergency, which makes restraints essential for the safety of pets and people alike. For dogs, leashes should always be
available.Shipping crates are probably the least-thought-of pieces of emergency equipment for pets but are among the most important. Sturdy crates keep pets of all kinds safe while increasing their housing options.
Crated pets may be allowed in hotel rooms that are normally off-limits to pets, or can be left in a pinch with veterinarians or shelters that are already full, since the animals come with rooms of their own.
The final item of restraint for dogs and cats: a soft muzzle, because frightened or injured pets are more likely to bite. And don’t forget to put first-aid supplies in your disaster kit, along with a book on how to treat pet injuries.
You may never have to pull out your disaster kit, but it’s always good to be prepared.
For more information or a free emergency preparedness brochure for pet lovers, visit www.ready.gov or call 1-800-BE-READY.
It’s not you this time, but it could be, next time. Are you ready?
And if you are, are you ready to help others?
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I just ordered a new crate last night - I figure I should have one for each cat, just in case.
I hope I never have to use them, though!
Comment by mikken — August 30, 2009 @ 7:22 am
Having been military all my life (my Dad, my husband and myself) we’ve been through hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires and who knows what all else; and I always have a stocked pet/human first aid kit, crates, emergency supplies and camping gear ready to go. I can have all our pets and stuff into my van in less than ten minutes.
Make sure your emergency supplies are easy to reach. Putting them out of the way in a hard to reach spot doesn’t work!
I also store my emergency supplies with our camping equipment. Then when we have to evacuate, all of it goes with us.
Some poeple have laughed at me - but I don’t care. We’ve been evacuated before and will be again someday and my pets and family will be taken care of.
One last note: Have a rendevous place already planned. Or a family member that everyone will check in with. That way if family members get separated, everyone can check in there. For example, all of our California family members know to call in to an aunt who lives in Arizona; she won’t be affected by the same emergency so will be available via phone. If we’re displaced because of fires or earthquakes, as soon as phone lines are open - we call her and let her know where we are and that we’re safe. She can then pass the word on to anyone else who calls. Not knowing where someone is during an emergency is horrible!
Comment by Liz Palika — August 30, 2009 @ 10:28 am
I used to do HAZMAT response work and emergency preparedness planning. I have multiple kits. As a leftover from these days, a large general kit is always in my van and I switch out warm and cold weather gear seasonally.
Another thing to keep in handy at all times is the name and number of a helpful neighbor who will pick up your pets if something happens when you’re away.
Comment by Janeen — August 30, 2009 @ 11:01 am
I had to buy a two-way radio for field training. They come in pairs, but all the folks I train with have one, so I only needed one. I gave the other to my brother, with a charger. The units have an eight-mile range and a wide range of channels, so we picked one channel and if anything happens, we (in theory) can stay in contact.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — August 30, 2009 @ 11:31 am
Living in the hurricane belt (and with a house in a 100 year flood zone), I think about this every year. I even bought my current car with potential evac in mind, since my previous two-seater would have made for a rather creative 4-cat evacuation.
This will be my first hurricane season with a diabetic cat, and that’s my biggest worry, since I have never had to worry about refrigerated prescriptions before. I’m not convinced that there’s anything that can be done that won’t mean that the medication will ultimately need to be discarded at the end of the adventure.
Comment by Feline — August 30, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
You can find coolers that plug into your car’s power through the cigarette lighter. Here’s one page with examples, but you can get them other places as well:
http://www.compactappliance.co.....5QodXymPJw
Comment by The OTHER Pat — August 30, 2009 @ 3:22 pm
Good thinking, Pat! I hadn’t thought of those. (I am so not an outdoorsy or traveling type.) Thanks for the link!
Comment by Feline — August 30, 2009 @ 4:09 pm
Some misc. ideas:
Do a loading sequence. Example:
1) open garage (in case electricity might go out)
2) Load animals in crates
3) collect the following items and put in car (your choice of items)
etc.
Rehearse sequence in your mind w/ priorities.
Have the sequence some place you can see it easily. Could be on a sticky note. Visualize how you will load everyone, including animals.
keep a spare change jar that can be used for gas emergency money. (In case ATMS go out)
Keep stuff in your car that can be used for emergencies. Crate, phone charger, road repair equipment, dog bowl, etc.
Comment by glock — August 30, 2009 @ 8:32 pm
What a great post and comments! It’s heartening to see a thoughtful approach to pet preparedness. There are always so many stories after disasters about pets left behind and in need of rescue. It’s good to see this kind of info, which I hope more will take to heart.
Comment by John — August 31, 2009 @ 5:14 am
Also available on the Papillon Club of America website is an Emergency Contact Form that can be filled out and attached to the crate of each animal so that you’ll know your wishes will be followed in the event you become separated (or worse) after an accident or other event:
http://www.papillonclub.org/forms/Emergency.PDF
Comment by The OTHER Pat — August 31, 2009 @ 6:31 am
Gina - you posted yesterday that the fire is 2 counties away from you. What is the situation today for you and your pets?
Comment by VJ — August 31, 2009 @ 8:14 am
We recently learned a really valuable lesson - don’t EVER assume you live someplace where a natural disaster can’t happen.
I live in Southern Ontario, Canada, and trust me, tornadoes were not something I had ever thought about - until one took out the entire south end of our town, and missed us by two kilometers. Anything can happen anywhere is the lesson I’ve taken from this tragedy.
Comment by FrogDogz — August 31, 2009 @ 9:31 am
Having been active at the forefront of the animal disaster rescue in the early years, I am still amazed at how people still fail to prepare.
I’ve giving away my Animal Disaster Preparedness Guide to my subscribers if anyone wants a copy.
It was edited down from a larger manuscript and will be redone and then no longer available for free.
In it are step by step instructions on how to prepare, kit suggestions, special needs sections (according to species) and resources all gleaned from my experiences.
I’ve been affiliated with most of the state and national rescue groups in the formative years and since nothing had been written (1992) I put the guide together and UAN actually funded one of my brochures on the topic before there were any.
The Animal Disaster Guide also has a listing of animal behavior changes pre and post disaster that most people find of interest.
Thanks for revisiting this topic—it isn’t one that is likely to be overdone.
Comment by Ark Lady — August 31, 2009 @ 9:34 am
VJ … I think that was someone else. Maybe Liz? I live in Northern California. Although, we have our own fires here, in the county next to mine. More than 60 homes were lost yesterday.
Where I live, on the Sacramento Valley floor, the most likely disaster will be flooding. Sacramento is at the confluence of two great rivers, and the whole area is protected by aged levees in various states of disrepair.
I’m getting pretty close to needing a newish car, and I’ve been thinking about a subcompact. But, I will keep the van anyway, with some repairs to it, and keep it fueled up and ready. I need something I can get all the pets into if we ever need to evacuate.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — August 31, 2009 @ 9:38 am
Hello and thank you for the nice and informative article! Take a look at PetsReady.com - they have a lot of info on pet disaster preparedness.
They also sell pre-made disaster kits for cats and dogs and recently launched a disaster preparedness online community (http://PetsReady.com/preparedness-community) where members can set up their own preparedness groups joining the effort for this important matter
Comment by Donna S. — December 2, 2009 @ 3:31 pm