Is your pet ready for an emergency?

Being prepared for an emergency is common sense. Most of us have a first-aid kit tucked away somewhere, as well as emergency food, bottled water, and blankets. Although it’s possible we may never use these items, being prepared is how we make ourselves safer in the event of an emergency.

Unfortunately, many pet owners discover that preparing a pet for an emergency is a little bit trickier. Fires, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters can spook pets and cause them to run away, or be forgotten in a fire because emergency responders didn’t know they were there.

If you want to make sure your pets are as prepared for an emergency as you are, here are a few tips to help get you started.

Have an emergency plan in place for your pet

If you need to evacuate, where will you go? Many hotels and evacuation centers don’t accept pets. A few minutes of research today could save you hours of frantic searching later, if you already know what hotels in the area are pet friendly.

It’s helpful to research 2 or more. In the event of a housefire, a close by hotel will be fine, but availability may be scare for large scale disasters such as floods. Having multiple options can help make it easier to locate pet friendly housing in an emergency.

Microchip your pet

During an emergency, it’s all too easy for your pet to run away. Many pets lost during disasters are never found, or are evacuated and adopted to someone else due to not being able to find the original family.

It’s also all too easy for a dog to slip off a collar or lose identification in some other way. Microchips however, can’t be slipped off. There are heartwarming stories of pets being reunited against impossible odds and across vast distances thanks to microchips, it’s well worth the investment.

Build a pet emergency kit

Is there any pet food in your emergency kit? How quickly could you get a leash and collar for your dog if you need it? Do you have kennels available to transport your pet quickly if needed? All of these things are best found out before an emergency, and not while you’re scrambling.

Another helpful thing to do is put stickers on your window letting firefighters know what animals are inside the building, and how many. This can help them at least know to look for a pet in an emergency.

Practice recall

One of the final things you can do to keep your pet safe is to practice recall, and proof it in as many different ways as possible. Will your dog come in the house? Will they come with distractions? Will they come at the park?

Recall can save your pet’s life. A good recall can help you call a pet out of a fire, guide them to safety in an emergency situation, and keep them from getting lost. The more time you spend on recall, the more likely your pet will respond in a high pressure situation such as an emergency.