Are you and your pet prepared for an emergency?

Preparing an Emergency Plan for Your Pets

Include a floor plan or diagram of your kennel and/or home that clearly shows the location of all fire extinguishers, escape routes, and designated ‘safe’ places to take dogs during natural disasters (such as a basement or inner room during a tornado). Develop a step-by-step emergency plan for pets that outlines how dogs should be protected and/or evacuated during various types of emergencies. Train all family members and staff on this disaster plan and hold regularly scheduled emergency ‘take cover’ and evacuation drills. Consider taking a course in human and pet CPR and first-aid, or assign a staff member to undergo this training. Keep emergency contact and medical information on file for all staff and dogs. Remember – health and human safety comes first. You cannot help your dogs if you are injured, so call 911 and then put your emergency plan into action.

Know Your Resources

Compile a list of essential groups and their local contact information and post it in your kennel and/or home.

Government Agencies:

- FEMA

- American Red Cross

- State SART Agency

Local Resources:

- Police/Fire Departments

- Nearest Hospital/Urgent Care

- Veterinarian

- Shelters/Pet Boarding Facilities

- AKC Clubs/AKC Pet Disaster Relief

Importance of Dog Records

One of the saddest, but most common occurrences during disasters is that dogs become separated from their owners. Ensure that all of your dogs are identified with a collar and tag, microchip, or tattoo. Maintain a master list of all your dogs at your home or kennel, including their identification numbers, a description, and a recent photograph. Save a copy to your cellular telephone in case you lose your hard copy. Additionally, invest in a microchip scanner. During an evacuation, mark all crates/carriers with the dog’s identification to ensure swift recovery.

Planning for Evacuation

For effective dog emergency preparedness, stock adequate leashes, collars, and crates necessary for transport. Ensure that crates have secure doors and latches, and try to have dog identification on each crate. Make sure you can fit your dogs into your vehicles if necessary; if not, arrange for friends, family, and/or community volunteers who can help you evacuate your dogs. Look for places that could house your dogs for an extended period, if needed, such as family or friends' homes, boarding kennels, or veterinary offices. Keep extra dog food and bottled water on hand.

Suggested Emergency and/or Pet Evacuation Kit Supplies:

- Pet First Aid Kit

- Human First Aid Kit

- Flashlight

- Blankets

- Towels

- Disinfectant (wipes, liquid soap, bleach)

- Baby wipes

- Water and food dishes

- Microchip scanner

- Pet food with a minimum 5-day supply

- Bottled water – 10-gallon minimum for every 5 dogs

- Water filtration tablets

- Leashes, collars, crates

- Crate/carrier identification tags

- Consider installing a generator for use during power outages.

- For cold weather emergencies: portable heaters, space blankets, dog coats

- For hot weather emergencies: battery-powered fans, cool coats, cool pads