With all of the suffering that has gone on during this year’s hurricane season, it should be a wakeup call to anyone who doesn’t have an emergency plan for themselves, their children, and their pets.
One thing that has been apparent in witnessing the past several year’s tragedies (hurricane Katrina, 9/11 attacks, even lightning house fires), is that if an emergency plan were already in place, suffering of both humans and animals could have been reduced. Following are some things you can do to prevent your pets from becoming lost, injured, or worse.
- Make sure your pet always has identification. Microchipping is simple and effective. At the very least, your pets should always wear I.D. tags, ideally with both your home and cell phone numbers.
- If your local authorities recommend evacuation, take your pets with you! Don’t assume that by tomorrow everything will be fine and you’ll be back at home. Be sure to bring leashes for dogs and carriers for cats. Plan in advance where you might stay in this situation.
- Have a designated person that has a key to your home who could look in on your pets if ever an emergency prevented you from getting home. Offer to reciprocate for a friend or neighbor too.
- Find out where lost pets are taken in your area so you’d know who to contact should your pets ever become displaced. Also, keep current photos of your pets so they could be more easily identified.
- Do you have a family fire emergency plan? In addition to having a fire ladder for homes with a second floor, and a plan for your family to get out, don’t forget a strategy for your pets. Along with your fire extinguisher and ladder, keep a harness for each pet, and a rope to lower them down with should you ever need to evacuate from an upstairs window. (Always get the humans out first.)
- Make a list of pertinent phone numbers including: your regular vet, an emergency vet, a boarding kennel, pet friendly hotels in nearby states, family and friends’ phone numbers and addresses, the animal shelter, and your neighbors. Keep the list in your wallet, or e-mail it to yourself or a family member so you could access it if you ever needed to.
- The News & Observer in Raleigh, NC, recently published a detailed list of things you should prepare in advance for your family in case of emergency. The article can be accessed in their archives at this terribly long, but worthwhile web address: . In addition to the items they recommend for humans, you should also add leashes, carriers, pet food and water, blankets, pet’s medication, and vaccination records.
No one likes to think about something terrible happening to their home, family, or pets, and hopefully it never will. But it’s better to be prepared in advance and never need it, than to wish you had planned better if it did!
Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been an author, speaker, small business consultant, and Certified Master Trainer for 18+ years. Her novel, “Momnesia,” (contemporary women’s fiction) has been designated a National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist, and her nonfiction book, “Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs,” has been widely acclaimed in its genre. To learn more, please visit www.LoriTheAuthor.com and join Lori on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LoriTheAuthor.
