How to Safeguard Your Pets During a Natural Disaster

No matter where in the country you live, natural disasters are a possibility. In some areas, they are increasingly common. When you are faced with having to evacuate and make split-second decisions, being prepared helps you move quickly and get everyone—including your pets—to safety.

We hope you never need it, but it’s so important to make an emergency plan. You can keep so much calmer in a crisis, act faster, and feel confident you have what you need and know where to go. That means you can also keep calmer for your family, pets, and neighbours who might also need help. Here are some easy steps to take.

For general preparedness

Make sure your pet’s ID is up-to-date

Your dog’s tags and chip will only bring them back to you if the information is correct. Make sure they contain current contact details—including a cell phone number, which is particularly important during an evacuation.

If you haven’t already, consider microchipping your pet as a more permanent form of identification, since tags can sometimes get stuck on things and lost, or can be removed. In the dreaded case of separation, the combination of tags and microchips greatly increase your chances of being reunited.

Pack a pet emergency kit

One of the most important tools you can use to get out the door quickly is an already-packed emergency bag specifically for your pets. This should include essentials like food, water, a collapsible bowl, a small blanket, poop bags, a leash, and any necessary medications. This could also include hard copies of veterinary records and recent photos, although it’s also useful to have these in the cloud. All together, these items are vital for quick departures and will ensure your pet’s needs are met during a relocation. Make sure everyone in the household knows where this is stored.

Know where you’re going to go

Of course, in a best-case scenario, you always plan to evacuate with your pet. Take the time to research and maintain a list of pet-friendly accommodations, and emergency shelters if they already exist, that will accept animals. This will eliminate confusion and save precious time during actual emergencies. Or perhaps you have friends or family whom you know could take you in, but regardless of where you’ll be going, make sure you know how to get there without relying on GPS, in case you don’t have signal.

Help first responders find them

If for some reason you are unable to bring your pets with you, be sure to leave adequate food and water out for them in an accessible spot.

Put a decal or sign on your property alerting rescuers to the presence of pets, including how many, and of what species. If you HAVE been able to take your pets with you, write EVACUATED across the decal so the first responders won’t waste time searching for them.

Practice your dog’s recall skills, and know where your cat likes to nap. This can be crucial for getting them to safety.

Depending on the type of weather event, here are some additional tips:

Floods

Keep your pets away from any rising water, and never leave them chained outdoors.
Plan an evacuation route that avoids low-lying areas.
Store a floatation device in your pet emergency kit, especially for smaller animals that might struggle in deep water.

Hurricanes and tornadoes

Create a shelter plan for your pets, away from windows, and train dogs to go to that location on command.
Bring your pet emergency kit with you to the shelter, or else keep some additional supplies there, ready to go.
Have a plan for a prolonged absence from home in case of severe damage, ensuring you have enough supplies for your pet for at least a week.

Earthquakes

Practice your dog’s recall skills, and know where your cat likes to nap. This can be crucial for getting them to safety.
Be ready to crate your pets.
Watch out for live power lines and other hazards!

Fire

Develop a fire plan that includes safe routes of escape, and a designated meeting point outside your home. Practice with the whole family!
As hard as it is, don’t go back into the burning building. If your dog doesn’t come to you immediately, leave an exterior door open and call for your dog safely from outside. The firefighters will do the rest.

Again, we hope you will never need to use any of these tools, but the last thing you want to be doing in an emergency is searching for your pet’s vet records, or running around gathering supplies. Make a preparedness kit for the humans in your house too, and you will have that much more peace of mind!