With Tropical Storm Barry threatening Louisiana, the Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team has developed a comprehensive disaster preparedness checklist to help keep pets safe.
Some items that should be included:
- Food and water for at least five days for each pet. Also bring bowls and a manual can opener if you are packing canned pet food.
- Medications for at least five days and all medical records, including vaccination history. Keep these stored in a waterproof container. You may also consider storing them digitally on a flash drive or online.
- Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with tags for identification. Ensuring your pet is microchipped is ideal as collars can be easily removed.
- Pack a pet first aid kit.
- Litter box with extra liter and a scoop.
- Sturdy leashes, harnesses and carriers to transport pets safely.
- Current photos of you with your pets and descriptions of your animals.
- Comfort items, which may include a pet bed or a special toy, to reduce stress.
- Written information about your pets feeding schedules, medical conditions and behavior issues along with the name and number of your veterinarian. Keep both a hard copy and email version as internet access is often limited during times of disaster.
Other useful items:
- Newspapers
- Paper towels
- Plastic trash bags
- Grooming items
- Household bleach
Some helpful tips for the safety of your furry family members:
- If it isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for your pet. Never assume that you will be allowed to bring your pet to an emergency shelter. Before a disaster hits, call your local office of emergency management to verify that there will be shelters in your area that take people and their pets. Have a list of hotels and motels that accept pets in a 100-mile radius of your home. Keeping in mind that in a catastrophic event, local hotels will fill quickly and may not be available. Make arrangements with friends or relatives in advance to ensure that you and your pets are able to seek shelter in their home, if needed. If housing together is not an option, know the requirements of your kennel or veterinarian's office for pet boarding. And as a last resort, connect with your local animal shelter to determine if they will offer temporary boarding during the time of crisis. Keeping in mind that they may too be impacted by the disaster and unavailable to house animals.
- Have a plan in place for when you are out of town or cannot get home to your pet when a disaster strikes. Find a trusted neighbor, friend or family member and give them a spare key. Ensure that they know your pets feeding and medication schedule, and if using a pet sitting service, find out ahead of time if they will be able to help in the event of an emergency.
- If you stay home, do it safely. If your family and pets must wait out the hurricane at home, identify a safe area of your home where you can all stay together. Close off or eliminate unsafe nooks and crannies where frightened cats may try to hide. Move dangerous items such as tools or toxic products that have been stored in the area. Bring your pets indoors as soon as local authorities say trouble is on the way. Keep dogs on leashes and cats in carriers, and make sure they are wearing identification. If you have a room you can designate as a "safe room," put your emergency supplies in that room in advance, including your pet's crate and supplies. Have any medications and a supply of pet food and water inside watertight containers, along with your other emergency supplies. If there is an open fireplace, vent, pet door or similar opening in the house, close it off with plastic sheeting and strong tape. Listen to the radio periodically, and do not come out until you know it's safe.
- If the electricity goes out. If you're forced to leave your home because you've lost electricity, take your pets with you to a pet-friendly hotel or pet-friendly emergency shelter. Your local emergency manager [link.email.dynect.net] will have information on emergency shelters.
Hurricanes can strike quickly and can leave families devastated. We hope that our suggested kit and tips above will give families in impacted areas confidence that their furry family members are covered should disaster strike. To learn more about keeping your pet safe in the event of a disaster, please visit our website www.humanesociety.org [link.email.dynect.net].
HSUS also offers tips on disaster preparedness for horses and livestock here [link.email.dynect.net] andhere [link.email.dynect.net] and a guide to protecting outdoor community cats here [link.email.dynect.net].
