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- If your pet is small enough, purchase a travel carrier so that you can easily take him/her with you if an evacuation is ordered.
- Make sure that your pet wears a visible identification tag or is microchipped.
- Keep pertinent contact information handy... it should include phone numbers for your veterinarian, animal shelters, police and fire departments.
- Keep a minimum two-week supply of pet food and water in your residence at all times.
- Keep some of your pet’s favorite treats on hand, too, for those times when he or she gets particularly stressed.
- Always keep a leash in your vehicle, if you have a dog.
- Start a "buddy system"; with a neighbor so they can check on your pet during a disaster, in case you aren't home.
- Remember to comfort and reassure your pet during a disaster, as they become frightened, too.
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Hey, don’t just stock up those important disaster supplies
for yourself, your spouse and children. Your beloved pets need a
survival kit, too. Here’s a list of what that kit should include:
- Pet food (in airtight/waterproof container)
- Water
- Any pertinent medications
- Contact information
- Written instructions for your pet's care
- Photo of your pet
- Small blanket
- Animal toy
- If you have a cat, you should also include a small shoebox and a bag of sand for a makeshift litter box
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There’s a
knock at your door The fire department or some other emergency
professional is telling you it’s time to evacuate. In all the confusion
and excitement, don’t forget to provide a safe exit for your pet,
too…whether it’s something as small as a goldfish, as popular as a dog
or cat, or as big as a horse! Your plans should already have been made…
now all that’s left is to get from Point A to Point B. Remember these
recommendations:
- If you can't actually take your animals with
you to a friend’s house or a hotel, transport them to your
veterinarian’s boarding facilities or to an accredited pet shelter
- Before leaving the house, put your pet in a
carrying case of some kind, if applicable, because animals will often
run off when scared; large animals may have to be transported by trailer
- Remember to put your pet's emergency kit, including important medical papers, in the car
- Talk soothingly to your pets throughout the ordeal, to calm their nerves.
- Remember that government-run human shelters will not allow pets
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The
more knowledge you have about pet care during a disaster, the better the
chance that your pet will survive. Here are some helpful websites that
can provide additional information:
Humane Society of the United States www.humanesociety.org
National Association of Professional Pet Sitters www.petsitters.org
SPCA International www.spcai.org
The National Lost Pet Hotline can offer
valuable assistance as well. To report a missing pet, call the hotline,
at (900) 535-1515. This is a charge call. To report a found animal, call
the toll-free hotline number, at (800) 755-8111. |
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