Keeping Your Pet Safe in a Disaster
No one wants to think that a catastrophic event will touch their lives or the lives of those they know and love. It’s important to have a safety plan in place before disaster hits. Preparedness makes safety possible in many cases.
National Disaster Preparedness Month
Each September, we recognize the need to prepare for the unthinkable disaster that could come to our home and community.
- Fire
- Flood
- High winds/tornadoes
- Disease
- Health & accidents
Any one of these events could impact you, your neighbors, and your pets!
How to Prepare For Disasters
Preparing for a disaster gives you a leg up if you find yourself in an unthinkable situation. Here are some tips on getting ready for some potential emergency situations:
- Have a plan—include the entire family when building your plan and test your ideas before there is a disaster
- Put your plan to work—build a storm shelter and store food and medical supplies for humans and animals. Regularly replace expired items. Make any structural adjustments as needed.
- Know your risk—are you living in an area that’s at high risk for storms or floods, mudslides, or wildfires? Does your county have a high incident rate of deer or other wildlife causing car accidents? Talk to your insurance agent about unique disaster risks in your area. Make sure your insurance coverage is adequate and up to date.
- Review your plan—maybe you’ve added a puppy or kitten to your family or have a new human infant in your care. Regularly review and adjust your disaster plan to keep everyone safe.
Disaster Preparedness When You Are Away From Home
How can you prepare for disaster when you are traveling on a road trip? Be sure to do the following:
- Collars should be breakaway style in case your pet gets away from you
- Microchip all household pets for easy ID if they get lost
- Bring plenty of fresh food, water, and clean water bowls
- Bring a cooler to keep medications cool
- Make sure your emergency contacts are up to date with the microchip company, your vet, and advise them of your travel plans
- Write the names of your pets and your emergency contact numbers on your arm with a permanent marker in case you are injured or worse
For those other disasters, the ones where your dogs roll in something smelly or get sprayed by a skunk, bring along a bin with towels, dry shampoo, and other dog-safe odor eliminator products.
At Leon Valley Animal Hospital, we are here to help our pet families stay as safe and healthy as possible. We welcome your questions about creating a pet safety plan. During National Disaster Preparedness month, ask us about the resources available to help you make an effective disaster preparedness plan. If your pets are due for shots or wellness checkups, please make an appointment with us soon. Call us at (210) 681-1391 to schedule a visit or use our online appointment request form.