Hurricane season isn’t over yet. In the wake of Hurricane Ike’s
wrath, we are again reminded of the stress and chaos that can come from
evacuations. Though a difficult time for everyone, pet owners have the
added responsibility of making sure their furry (or scaly) friends are
safe.
First and foremost, do not leave your pets behind. If the situation is
not safe for you, it is not safe for them. There is no way of knowing
how long the evacuation will last, or what damage your home might
experience.
“Saving the Whole Family,” a brochure in the American Veterinary
Medical Association’s disaster preparedness series, recommends
planning ahead. Create a disaster kit that you can grab on your way out.
Of course making sure your pet has food and water is the most important
necessity for their survival, but there are a few very important, less
obvious things you need as well.
The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends having these
essentials in your disaster kit:
Identification- Make sure your pet has on ID. Whether it is a collar
tag, microchip, temporary neckband, or tattoo, your animal’s
identification needs to be visible to others in case they get lost. If
they do not wear identification on a daily basis, have a form of ID in
your disaster kit that is ready to be placed on your pet.
Transportation/Housing- Have carriers for all your animals. It is
important to have a place to keep your animals in case you are not able
to let them roam free once you get to your destination.
“Even if you are taking your pets to a friend or family member’s
house,” says Dr. Debra Zoran, a veterinarian at Texas A&M University,
“having a crate to keep your pet in is important to give them a sense
of security as well as a place of refuge in the event there are problems
between pets on the premises.”
When dealing with cats Zoran recommends having a crate large enough to
hold their bed and litter box.
“The bigger the crate the better, the more the cat can move around
the more comfortable it will be,” Zoran adds.
Veterinary records-Make photocopies of vaccination records and medical
history and take them along. Keep the list of vaccinations your pet has
received and the dates on which they were given. Also make sure to have
a copy of their rabies certificate. In their medical history the AVMA
suggests having important test results on file as well as a list of
medical conditions.
Emergency contact list-This list should be prepared before an
evacuation situation. Some basic numbers to include are your personal
phone numbers, the number of someone that can be contacted in case you
are not available, your veterinarian’s name, address, and phone
number, a the information of a veterinarian where you will be evacuating
to.
If you are evacuating to a shelter, proof of ownerships is essential.
Get photocopies of registration information, adoption papers, proof of
purchase and microchip information to keep with you. Have a list of each
animal’s species, breed, age, sex, color and distinguishable
characteristics. It is also important to have current photos of your
pets and pictures of you and your pet in case there is a dispute of
ownership.
For more detailed information on these essentials, as well as extensive
lists for pet disaster kits view the “Saving the Whole Family”
brochure found at the American Veterinary Medical Association’s
disaster relief website www.avma.org/disaster.
Having a disaster kit ready can help you be prepared for an evacuation,
but the evacuation itself can be incredibly stressful on our pets.
If you get stuck in traffic Dr. Zoran recommends letting your pets out
frequently, but have them on a leash at all times. Put the leash on your
pet before you open the door.
“It is best to keep cats in their crates, but if you plan to let the
cat out, make sure you have a harness for it to wear,” suggests Zoran,
“If a cat is stressed and not in its crate, when you open the car door
it can easily escape.”
Evacuation can be just as stressful for your pet as it is for you. Dr.
Zoran suggests having their favorite toys and comfort items on hand can
give them a sense of normalcy in the situation.
Prepare ahead of time for evacuations. Having a pet disaster kit ready
to go at a moment’s notice can help make a stressful situation a
little less traumatizing for you and your.
Pet Talk is a service of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine &
Biomedical Sciences. Suggestions for future topics may be sent to
editor@cvm.tamu.edu.