Pet Safety in an Emergency
August 15th
🎉 Hey East Bay 🎉
Emergencies come in many forms: fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, violent storms, and even terrorism. Be prepared: make an evacuation plan and prepare a disaster kit for your pet.
Disasters can happen without warning, so it is best to be prepared:
Make sure your pet(s) wear collars and tags with up-to-date contact information and other identification.
Microchip your pet(s) – this is one of the best ways to ensure that you and your pet are reunited if you are separated. Always be sure to register the microchip with the manufacturer and keep your contact information up to date with the microchip company.
Keep a leash and/or carrier near the exit.
Make sure you have the proper equipment for pets to ride in the car (carriers, harnesses, pet seat belts).
Prepare a Pet Disaster Kit so evacuation will go smoothly for your entire family. Ask your veterinarian for help in putting together your pet’s veterinary records.
Make a Plan
Plan where you and your pet will stay in case you need to evacuate your home. Pets may not be allowed in local shelters unless they are service animals. Many disaster evacuation centers (such as Red Cross evacuation centers) do not accept pets and other animals.
Identify shelters or out-of-town friends or relatives where your pets and other animals can stay.
Locate boarding facilities or animal hospitals near your evacuation shelter in case you are 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 can evacuate your animals if necessary.
Find a veterinarian or animal hospital in the area where you may be seeking temporary shelter and add the veterinarian’s contact information to your emergency kit.
Prepare an emergency kit for your pet ahead of time. Kits should include:
A pet carrier for each of your pets (write your pet’s name, your name, and contact information on each carrier).
Food and water for at least 2 weeks for each pet
For cats: litter box and litter
For dogs: plastic bags for poop
Medications for at least 2 weeks
Medical records, including records of vaccination for rabies and other diseases, prescription medications, and medical history.
Sturdy leashes or harnesses
Microchip number
Contact information (cell phone, work phone, home phone) of the owner and close relatives or friends
Practice evacuating your pet
Train your pets to get in and stay in their carriers by making it a comfortable place.
Practice transporting your pet by taking them for rides in a car similar to the one you would be evacuating in. If you do not have a car, make arrangements with neighbors, family, and friends. You can also contact your local government to learn about transportation options during a disaster.
Know where your pet might hide when stressed or scared. Practice catching your pet, if needed.
For cats, you can practice removing your cat from its hiding spot and using your cat’s carrier, a pillowcase, or a sturdy box — anything to get your cat quickly out of harm’s way.
Have your entire family practice evacuating with your pets so everyone knows what to take, where to find the pets, and where to meet.
Relief Organizations
RedRover shelters and cares for animals displaced by natural disasters and other crises in the United States and Canada. If you need sheltering assistance, please call RedRover at (800) 440-3277 or visit RedRover.org
Sheltering during an evacuation
Remember, during a disaster, what is good for you is good for your pet. If you leave your pets behind, they may be lost, injured – or worse. Never leave a pet chained outdoors.
Contact your local emergency management office and ask if they offer accommodations for owners and their pets. If accommodations are needed for your pet(s):
Contact local veterinary clinics, boarding facilities, local animal shelters, family or friends outside the evacuation area, or a pet-friendly hotel, particularly along evacuation routes.
Visit the Humane Society to find a shelter in your area.
Remember to take your pet’s emergency kit with you.
Sheltering in place
When sheltering at home with your pet, make sure the room chosen is pet-friendly:
Select a safe room, preferably an interior room with no (or few) windows.
Remove any toxic chemicals or plants.
Close off small areas where frightened cats could get stuck in (such as vents or beneath heavy furniture).
Exposure to bad weather conditions, stagnant water, wildlife or unfamiliar animals, and overcrowding in shelters can put your pet at risk of getting sick. Some of these illnesses can be spread between pets and people (also known as zoonotic diseases). Some common disaster-related diseases that pets can pass to people are the following: rabies, leptospirosis, and diseases spread by mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks.
How to Keep Yourself and Your Pets Healthy During a Disaster
Wash your hands after handling your pet, its food, or its waste (poop and pee).
Do not let your pet lick your face or hands.
Keep your pet up to date on all vaccinations and heartworm, flea, and tick preventives.
Practice safe handling of your pet because your pet may behave differently during a stressful situation.
Keep your pet in a carrier or on a leash.
Do not allow your pet to interact with other animals, especially wildlife and stray animals.
Report any bite wounds to medical personnel immediately.
Properly clean and disinfect cages and litter boxes. Wash your pet’s bedding regularly.
Avoid stagnant water, especially after flooding occurs after natural disasters.
Don’t allow pets to play in or drink contaminated water.
After an Emergency
Note: After an emergency, familiar scents and landmarks may have changed. Pets can become confused and lost, so it’s important to keep pets on a leash or in a carrier when they’re being transported or when you go outside.
Returning home
Check your home for sharp objects, spilled chemicals, and exposed wiring to protect your family and your pets from injury.
The behavior of animals may change dramatically after a flood, flash flood, thunderstorm, or hurricane. Normally quiet and friendly animals may become irritable.
Monitor animals closely and only release them in a safe and secure environment.
Contact a veterinarian if you notice any signs of stress, discomfort, or illness in your pets.
Finding a lost pet
Make sure that your family is in a safe location before you begin your search.
If you are in a shelter that houses pets, inform one of the pet caretakers. Give the pet caretaker a missing pet flyer.
Many shelters and organizations will house pets lost during disasters. Contact your local humane society, animal welfare organization, or county or state animal response team to find the shelters or organizations near you.
In addition to shelters and rescue organizations, you can contact local animal control about your lost pet and post missing pet flyers in the area once conditions are safe.
If your pet has a microchip, call the microchip company to let them know your pet is missing and make sure all the information about your pet is updated and current.
Pet first aid
Emergency treatment and first aid for pets should never be used as a substitute for veterinary care. But, it may save your pet’s life before you can get your pet to a veterinarian.
offers specific advice for basic first aid in the case of poisoning, seizures, fractures, external and internal bleeding, burns, choking, heatstroke, and what to do if your pet has no heartbeat or is not breathing.
Tips for handling injured pets
Even the gentlest pet can bite or scratch if injured.
Pain and fear can make animals unpredictable or even dangerous.
Don’t attempt to hug an injured pet, and always keep your face away from its mouth, which might scare the animal more or cause them pain.
Perform any contact with your pet slowly and gently.
Stop if your animal becomes more agitated or stressed.
Try to get your pet to a veterinarian as quickly as possible without risking injury or illness to yourself or your family.