When disasters strike, they don’t only affect people, they also affect animals. If you’re dealing with a disaster, whether it’s a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, you need to take all of the right steps to ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones, as well as take the right steps to ensure that your pets will be safe with you as well. Too often, especially in the case of natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, people evacuate but leave their pets behind. Many pets don’t make it out alive, and those that do are often taken by rescue crews into shelters so there is no guarantee that the owners will ever reunite with their beloved companions.
Below are some tips that you can follow that will ensure your pets will remain safe during a disaster.
Take a Pet First Aid Course
In addition to a human first aid course, there are organizations, such as the Red Cross, that offer pet first aid courses for owners who want to know what to do if their pets need help in the event of an emergency. From checking your pet’s vital signs to administering CPR and knowing what to do if your pet is injured, these courses offer invaluable information that you can use when you need it most to save your beloved pets.
Have a Disaster Plan in Place
When it comes to preparing for disasters, it is important to have a plan in place for your entire family, including your pets. Just as you should have a disaster kit available for yourself and your family members, you should also keep pet carriers, food, bowls, and water for them in an easy-to-access location so that you can snatch them up at a moment’s notice if you need to evacuate your home as a result of a disaster or emergency situation.
Always Take Your Pets with You
No matter what, take your pets with you when you need to evacuate. If you can plan ahead of time, try to determine where you would go with your entire family, and your pets, if you ever need to leave your home for any reason. This will help you get everything you need together right away and leave sooner rather than later when a situation requires an evacuation. It will also ensure that you have a place to go with your pets when other facilities and temporary shelters may not allow them.
Monitor the News and Community Activity During a Disaster
When a disaster strikes, keep your cell phone with you at all times and use it to stay in touch with loved ones as well as others in your community who can tell you about shelters that have been set up for people and pets in need.
Disaster planning is important for your family’s safety, but make sure you don’t forget about your pets. Having a kit ready with necessary provisions for your furry loved ones is just as important as one for yourself.
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
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