Nothing says it better than the horror story from Hurricane Floyd:
A man was leaving his flooded home when he noticed a neighbor’s dogs swimming
in circles around the yard. Wondering why the dogs didn’t simply swim to
safety, the man swam over to investigate. To his horror, he found that the dogs
had been left chained to a stake in the yard and were swimming frantically just
to stay alive. He was able to rescue the dogs, but stories such as this
pointedly demonstrate the need for to you to have a good action plan in place
in case a natural disaster strikes your home. In this case, the dogs’ owner
most likely had been told to leave everything behind and flee as quickly as
possible. Unfortunately, his dogs nearly lost their lives as a result.
In the event of an emergency, your life and your family’s lives
are the first you should be concerned with. You should only look to save your
animals once you are sure you and your family will be safe. But once you are
safe, you most likely will want to ensure the safety of your pets. Are you
prepared?
Consider your location
First things first. You can only be prepared with a plan of action
if you know what you’re planning for, so take some time to think about the area
you live in. Some areas are naturally prone to certain disasters California’s
earthquakes, for example. Find out what types of disasters have previously
struck your area hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, blizzards, etc.
Contacting your local emergency management office or Red Cross will help you to
identify what could affect your particular neighborhood. You should also plan
for non-natural disasters fires, gas leaks, chemical spills, etc. If, for
example, there’s a big chemical processing plant in your area, then you need to
be aware of the possible dangers so that you can react if need be. No matter
where you live, you’ve got your own special brand of disaster just around the
corner, and it may strike at any time.
If You Leave, They Leave
In the event that you have to leave your home, take your pets with
you. If it isn’t safe for you to be there, it isn’t safe for them either. Too
often people rationalize that their pets’ instincts will kick in, and they’ll
be okay. Even if your cat, who has spent the last six years of his life hunting
only the fake mice you pull around on a string for him, does have the instincts
to survive, it doesn’t mean that the conditions are survivable. No drinkable
water for you means no drinkable water for him too. Of course, you have to have
somewhere to take your four-legged friends--Red Cross disaster shelters cannot
accept pets. Make a list of all the places with in a 100-mile radius of your
home where you might be able to take your pet if the need arises, include
boarding facilities, veterinarians with boarding capabilities, hotels that will
accept pets (ask if they’ll allow pets during a disaster situation), and animal
shelters. (Use animal shelters only as a last resort, as they will be
overburdened with other animals whose owners did not plan for them). Also, you
need to gather your critters inside the house as soon as you are aware that you
may have to leave, so that you can easily get them when it’s time to go. Then,
when you do leave, make sure you have your little friends under firm
control--even the best behaved dog can become scared during an emergency,
making his behavior less than predictable.
Be prepared
Like a Boy Scout, you should always be prepared. This means having
a disaster kit in your home as well as a smaller version in the trunk of your
car if your pet routinely rides with you. Make sure that your pet’s kit is
contained in something that is easy to pick up quickly and take out the door
with you. You should replace this food and water every six months and rethink
your pet’s needs for the kit once a year to make sure that the supplies meet
your current needs the same collar that fits your new kitten is not likely to
fit him a year later.
The kit should include a week’s supply of food and water in
nonbreakable, airtight containers to ensure safety and freshness. If you pack
canned food you’ll want to make sure you have a hand-held can opener too. And
don’t forget a plastic dish that can double as a food and water dish. An extra
collar and leash are also important things to have in your kit. You should also
have a portable kennel for each of your critters handy. The San Francisco
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that the official Red
Cross policy is that there are no animals allowed in emergency shelters, but
they have been known to make exceptions if the animal is securely confined.
Pets such as birds will obviously have to have a carrier of some sort as they
cannot be leashed. You will want to make certain that you have a well-stocked
first-aid kit for your pet that includes tweezers, gauze bandages, first aid
cream, antiseptic spray, and hydrogen peroxide. Ask your veterinarian about
storing any medications that your pet may need to take regularly.
All the right papers
Many people have their home telephone numbers on their pets’ ID
tags. You may want to have an extra set of tags made that list the number of a
friend or family member outside the area so that if your phone lines are down,
or you’ve been evacuated, your pets can still make it back to you. Another
option is to simply include an out-of-area number on your pets’ everyday tag,
which can be useful if you’re away on vacation too. And many people don’t have
tags for their cats at all, even though they should. According to the 1996
National Council on Pet Population Study, out of one million dogs and 580,000
cats that were taken in as strays, only 17 percent of the dogs and two percent
of the cats made it back to their owners. The American Humane Association
strongly believes that tags are your pets’ ticket home. You may also want to
consider having your pet microchipped or tattooed. And finally, don’t forget
the paperwork. Have a copy of your pet’s recent vaccination records in your
kit--some boarding facilities may require them before they will take your pet
in. A recent picture of your pet may also come in handy if you should become
separated and need to make "Lost" posters. Hopefully you won’t ever
have to put them up, and hopefully you’ll never have to use your disaster plan.
But if you do ever need it, you’ll be very thankful that you were prepared; it
could make a trying time a bit easier for you and your faithful companion.
