Prepare Fido for Evacuation

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Not Leaving Without Blue Dog!

National Preparedness Month ends Monday, September 30. Please review these tips to make sure you have done the minimum to prepare your pets for an evacuation during an emergency. We also recommend you read up on pet first aid and be sure your first aid kit is complete. Check here for more on this topic.

• Keep your pet 1st aid items together to assure your emergency kit is always ready when needed. Change out food for freshness regularly.
• Plan for worst-case scenario. Pack food and water for a week. 
• Prepare for potty emergencies with pee pads, trash bags, poop bags and umbrella. 
• Tag and microchip all pets in case you are separated. 
• Don’t forget vet and emergency vet phone numbers, rabies ID tag, license, and put cell number on tags. 
• Pack extra water for flushing in case pet is exposed to unsafe flood waters or chemicals.
• Check pet-friendly shelters and keep a list of pet-friendly hotels that are out of harm’s way. 
• Familiarize a friend/neighbor/relative to care for your pets in a sudden absence. You may not be able to get home to them in a disaster.
• If you evacuate, do so early. Natural disasters are frightening to pets. Minimize stress by leaving early.
  
• Leave radio, flashlights and extra batteries with emergency kit at all times. 

Keep in mind, too, that an evacuation is a time when you and Fido can support one another, bond and become closer. Remain confident and keep your cool to give him the best chance at getting through it with less anxiety. 

Join us each week for the Weekly Wag bonding series, held during the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop. The hop is hosted by Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume. You are welcome to link up here, or check any of their sites for their rules of participation. Happy hopping!