Community Preparedness

Your pet needs you even more when disaster strikes

When disaster strikes a community, essential services like water are often unavailable. So what can you do to ensure your pet is cared for during and, especially after, a disaster?

Preparation for pets

• Keep your pets’ vaccinations up-to-date.
• Know where your pets can go whether it’s a friend or family member, pet-friendly hotel, animal shelter, or boarding facility.
• Place your contact information, including the name of an out-of-state contact on your pets’ ID tags, microchip registrations, and licenses.
• Prepare an emergency kit of leashes, collars, extra ID tags, water, food, medications, health records, and photos to prove ownership.
• Have on hand portable carriers large enough for your pets to stand and turn around in.
• Prepare a first-aid kit, including your vet contact information and an authorization to treat your pets.
• Gather any relief plans developed by your local Red Cross chapter; emergency management office; or police, fire, health, wildlife and agriculture departments so you know where to turn for specific resources.

Preparation for livestock

• Post emergency contact numbers at your barn or on your pasture fence.
• Have sufficient transportation available for all your livestock or know where to obtain it. Train your livestock how to board the vehicles.
• Create a list of neighbors within a 100-mile radius of your home who would be willing to board your livestock if you are forced to evacuate.
• Form agreements with neighboring ranches and farms to help each other with disaster preparation and evacuations.
• Know organizations in your area that are prepared to rescue and house displaced livestock.
• Involve your family and neighbors in establishing an evacuation plan for animals in barns and outlying buildings.
• Have a supply of feed at a separate location, which could be air-dropped if the animals become stranded.
• Make up a kit with leads, halters, equine and bovine first aid kits, quieting hoods for easy transport, and water.
• Keep photos and a copy of your ownership papers or brands with you at all times in case you are separated from your livestock.