Should We Leave Our Pets During Disaster

Caring for our pets is a  long term job.  If you are concerned about your pets overall well-being, then you should also take the necessary precautions to ensure his survival during disaster.  Disasters are no fun, and preparing for them is a lot of work. Our family members will require supplies to sustain us.  And our dog , is entitled to the same amount of preparation.

Natural disaster is a pervasive problem.  While the key to survival is planning before it happens, it is best to first identify what disaster you’re at risk for.  Hurricanes affect the southern coast line from texas to carolinas.  California is not the only one at risk of earth quakes, West Coast,  Alaska and Hawaii are  high rish areas. Tornados are quite common not only in Oklahoma and Kansa but in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and the North East. California is also a big area for landslides.  Accross the rocky mountains to the west and into California is at risk of wild fire and the list goes on, winter storms, severe thunderstorms and heatwaves, and flooding.

I already made some early preparations for impending disasters.   I started a  buddy system with someone in my neighborhood, so that she will check on my dog during a disaster in case I’m not home. I agreed to do the same for her as well.  We exchange information on veterinarians and have a permission slip put in our file at the vet, authorizing her to get necessary emergency treatment for my dog if I cannot be reached.  I talked to her about  my disaster plans to be used to evacuate and care for my dog in my absence or if I’m on vacation.

I have considered emergency shelters where we could bug out like hotels/motels that accept animal so we can make arrangements beforehand. Traffic jam will be horrendous during evacuation so I focused on a few possible locations few miles from home.  I wrote all the numbers of each destination. I also thought of relatives who won’t mind us staying for an extended period. I already communicated with our local animal shelter which  include boarding kennels, veterinary clinics with boarding space, grooming facilities, dog and cat clubs, and training clubs, to find out if there will be animal shelters I can take my dog should I have to evacuate.  Another reason to act early is that dogs often have instincts about severe weather changes and will often isolate themselves if they become afraid. So, I always keep sniper in the house to prevent him from running away.  I also took into serious consideration the fact that, I may have to evacuate without my dog, so I always leave a month’s supply of food and water in the safest area of the house. 

I am thinking of tattooing or microchipping my dog as a more permanent form of identification.  Still, I made a copy of his identification tag with his photo in it and put an ID on his carrier itself so that it will be easy to identify him if we get separated.   It contains my name, address, phone number, cell phone number and  a phone number of a close relative. I also keep proof of rabies and distemper vaccinations as most kennels require it. I bought him a good carrier one that will  allow him to stand up and turn around inside. All his favorite toys and blankets and even a piece of your clothing with my scent in it are there as well. 

I have a leash ready for when my dog is out of the carrier.   I also have a medicine kit ready for emergency and take along extras because I don’t know how long we will be away.  I also have bowls, dry food and a water dispenser. We have plenty of plastic bags in the kit to hold my dog’s feces if there is no place for your dog to relieve himself outside.

If you do have your pets with you, separate your dog from your cat. I only have a dog so this is not a problem.  Even though your pets may get along famously during normal times, the stress of unfamiliar surroundings, lots of strange people and even other animals may cause your dog to experience extreme anxiety. He may react aggressively, child so supervision is important under these circumstances.