Hurricane Preparedness for your Pets
This article was published in the Orlando Sentinel.
Taking your animals with you in an evacuation requires some
forethought and planning. Don't wait until it's too late.
By: Dr. Wes Borgman
As hurricane season approaches, pet owners should make sure their pets
are up-to-date on vaccinations. If an evacuation is called and pets
need to be boarded, or owners end up in a pet friendly shelter, most
facilities require proof of vaccination before admitting the pets.
This is for the safety of all the pets staying at the facility.
Typical requirements include vaccinations for rabies and
distemper/parvo as well as a bordetella vaccination. If your pet has
not been to the veterinarian in the past 6 months now is a good time
to call and find out if your pet will be due for any vaccines during
hurricane season.
Last year, 50,000 domesticated pets were stranded throughout the Gulf
Coast by Hurricane Katrina, many people will not evacuate without
their pets. Leaving your home with your family and pets in an
emergency is smart, but takes pre-planning and thought.
You could be told to leave your home for a short time, only to find
the situation keeps you away from your home for weeks. If you do not
take your animals with you, an evacuation of your family could mean
another disaster back at home with your pets.
Because events occur quickly and decisions are made fast, you need to
have a plan for yourself and your animals in case of a hurricane or
other disaster.
First, develop an evacuation plan for your animals. For pets this may
mean putting the small animals in a carrier and into the car for
immediate evacuation. For farm animals, you would need to have an
appropriate trailer handy and know where you can take each animal to
be away from the danger and where they can receive proper care.
In case you are not at home at the time of a disaster, place stickers
on the front and back of your home or barn to notify neighbors or
emergency personnel that animals are on your property and where they
can find your evacuation supplies. Include a list of the number, type
and location of all your animals. Have leashes, carriers and halters
near by and easy to find.
If you have a friend or neighbor that you trust and is willing to
help, let them know where they can find a key to your property and
pre-arrange with them to take care of your animals in case you cannot
get back home for some time. This is another reason to have supplies
ready and easy to find.
Be sure all your animals have proper identification. Rabies and ID
tags are the best form for small animals. Microchipping is another
alternative which is useful especially in disaster situations.
Veterinarians can perform this simple procedure of inserting an
identification chip just under the pets skin.
An animal carrier and an evacuation kit are the two most important
things to have ready in advance. Have your evacuation kit near the
carrier or cage and keep the items in it fresh. This allows for fast
action. For an evacuation all you would need to do is put your pets in
the carrier and grab the kit. An old overnight bag or back pack works
well.
Some of the items to keep in your animal's evacuation bag:
Leashes
Food
Bottle of water
Gloves and muzzles
Paper towels
First aid kit
Veterinary records
List of contact phone numbers including your cell and prearranged
evacuation spot, your veterinarian, local humane society, and friends
Towels for clean up or bedding
Trash bags
A letter signed by you giving others the authority to treat your pets
in your absence.
When an evacuation order is issued, what are the steps you should take?
Bring all pets inside
Make sure they all have ID tags on
Get all pets into their carriers
Grab your evacuation kits
Get everyone into the car
Leave as soon as possible with your pets in the car
Along the way, call your pre-arranged evacuation site.
Let friends know where you are going
When you return, what should you do?
Look around both inside and out for dangerous objects, animals, or
chemicals. Let your pets have access to the indoor areas only until
you can evaluate the outside areas for safety.
Don't let animals engorge themselves with food or water when you get
back. If there has been any injury or exposure to questionable
substances, call your veterinarian for a health exam.
___________
Dr. Wes Borgman is a veterinarian at the Seminole Animal Hospital in
Sanford. Dr. Wes can be reached at 407 330 PETS (7387)