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Taking Care of Your Pets During an Emergency
To be sure you can properly take care of your pet during
an emergency, like Hurricane Katrina, or during an evacuation,
you must plan ahead.
If you have to leave your home, take your pet with you if
at all possible. You are the best person to take care of
your pet. Also, as the American Veterinary Medical Association
(AVMA) pointed out in a brochure it issued about preparing
for a disaster, if the situation is dangerous for people,
it is dangerous for animals, too.
But, before you leave, know where you can take your pet.
Find out which motels or hotels are “pet friendly,” or
which ones will accept pets in an emergency. Or plan to go
to the house of a friend or relative who will permit you
to bring your pet.
Before you have to travel, get your pet used to a crate.
Familiar surroundings might help ease a pet’s anxiety.
And getting an animal into a crate for travel will be easier
once the animal is used to it.
Take pet food, medicines, vaccination records, and information
about pet insurance if your have a policy. Assemble all of
this into a disaster kit that you can grab as you leave.
Relying on a neighbor
If you get trapped away from your home due to a disaster
or other emergency, your pet will be better off if you have
already made arrangements with your neighbor or nearby friend
to take care of the animal.
The temporary caretaker should have phone numbers to reach
you (a cell phone number may be the best), and all the instruction
necessary to properly care for the animal. Those instructions
should include a signed authorization for veterinary care,
and financial limits to the veterinary care.
Afterward
Emergencies can make pets display unexpected or uncharacteristic
behaviors. Well-behaved animals may become aggressive and
defensive after a major disruption in their lives. The animal
may not return to more typical behavior for several weeks.
Be careful releasing an animal after an emergency, especially
in unfamiliar surroundings. Make sure it cannot escape. Do
not release the animal outside until you know the area is
safe, AVMA said.
Allow your pet plenty of time to rest and get used to new
surroundings. Provide familiar toys, if possible.
AVMA has prepared an extensive guide to preparing for emergencies,
both for pet owners and livestock owners. It is available
on AVMA’s website, at www.avma.org/disaster.
Download a copy of “Saving the Whole Family.”
The guide has checklists and helpful tips on preparing for
disasters, and it explains the steps you should take once
the warning has been sounded.
It has information about taking care of all types of pets,
including birds and snakes. It also has information about
preparing livestock.
Read more from the Food and Drug Administration about pet
health here: http://www.fda.gov/cvm/disaster.htm
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