Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Emergency Preparedness For You and Your Pets

September morning in the garden.
September morning in the garden.

I ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED this post on the fourteenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and the crash of a hijacked plane in Shanksville PA as it was on its way to another destination in Washington DC. We remember that frightening day and all the lives lost, and the effect on our country since then, and hope that someday it resolves into peace and safety for everyone, not just in this country, but around the world. In past years I’ve published a tribute to the service dogs who served with other emergency workers at the sites, and included the memories of others on this date, and also my own memories of that morning and realizing the plane headed for Shanksville flew right over my back yard while Moses and I were out in the garden, much like the photo you see above, and how the whole thing affected even we who were not in the paths of the planes.

While we could never have prepared for that day, realizing that life could change that quickly, with no warning, reinforced by catastrophic floods in 2004 that shut down the town I live in for nearly three months, made me get serious about planning for a disaster and possible loss of utilities, access to food and transportation and even evacuation that would affect me and all my cats as well as disabled family members who I was and still am responsible for. Because of the attacks in September 2011, September is designated as a time to consider options and prepare.

 . . . . . . .

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month, a month designated to help everyone consider disaster plans and prepare as well as they can for themselves, their pets, their possessions and for their community. Hurricane season is still in force, tornadoes and violent weather are still active and the beginning of winter weather is just ahead, holding its own challenges with snow and ice that can disrupt power and trap us in our homes in freezing weather. And not all emergencies are weather related, considering industrial accidents, fires and roadway accidents.

We can’t be prepared for every conceivable emergency, but we can, and should, have general preparations made for emergencies and evacuations that include our animal companions.

Where we live in Western Pennsylvania was always quite calm weatherwise, and for that I’ve always been glad—and complacent about emergency preparations. Weather incidents that were once decades apart—tornadoes, 100-year floods, microbursts and derechos—now happen annually. With our topography featuring streams and rivers flowing through valleys that can quickly become raging walls of water, catastrophic flooding is always a danger. We’ve felt the aftereffects of hurricanes in not only heavy rains, but increased flooding and wind damage.

photo of flooding in rain
Flash flooding in Carnegie, PA during Hurricane Ivan in 2004; the flood waters rose in a matter of a few hours while people were still at work for the day, and many pets were stranded and lost.

Just over ten years ago the aftereffects of Hurricane Ivan brought a devastating flash flood that happened during the work day and many residents couldn’t reach their houses until the next day. Our local emergency shelter allowed evacuating residents to bring pets because local officials were personally pet-friendly, but in 2004 this was not standard practice. Cleanup and restoration for residents and nearly every business on Main Street took months. And in the decade since as weather events have become more violent and unpredictable, even here in the quiet Ohio Valley, I have learned to be prepared, and as my household of cats has changed, I’ve changed my preparations to suit their needs.

Weather emergencies, transportation and industrial accidents and emergencies involving our own health and welfare all affect our animal companions’ safety, sometimes necessitating the evacuation of an entire household or handing their care over to someone else. As responsible animal caretakers we need to be prepared for as many circumstances as possible.

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS TO CONSIDER

Hurricanes hit the south and east coasts and also have a secondary effect on communities inland with devastating hurricane-induced floods in areas with geographic propensity for flash-flooding. Summer is also the time for unpredictable and devastating tornadoes across the south and Midwest, and a few have even surprisingly braved our hills as well as summer storms that turn to microbursts of destructive energy. A bright summer day can turn into a scene of devastation in minutes.

fire on main street
In 2005 a fire at a number of buildings forced the evacuation of a senior/disabled high-rise where many pets lived as well.

The Pittsburgh area where we live as well as other similar historically industrial cities are still home to various manufacturing industries as well as mining, our highways and railways serve trucks carrying dangerous loads, and our rivers are also paths of commercial transportation as well as our water supply. Accidents, spills, explosions and fires are not common but necessitate neighborhood evacuations, cause power outages and water shortages, and close roads and areas, often for weeks or months, during investigation and cleanup.

A consequence of these situations may be that you are trapped or need to evacuate, but it might also happen when you are away from home and can’t get to your pets. And not least of all, you may be injured or incapacitated in one of these emergency situations, or you may have an unrelated health emergency and be hospitalized for some period of time, leaving your pets unattended.

Emergency preparation includes being ready to care for and move your pets as well as leaving instructions for a trusted person to do so if you can’t.

HOW AND WHAT TO PREPARE

The best time to prepare is now – not when you need to pack up your pets and run.

First, arrange with a neighbor, friend or family member who is familiar with your pets to be responsible for your pets in case you are not home, or are not able to get home. Pre-arrange how/where you would meet and keep in contact.

Second, contact hotels and motels outside of your area about their pet policies and any restrictions on number, size and species. Ask if a “no pet” policy can be waived in an emergency situation. Also check for boarding kennels in case you need to board your pet if no shelter or hotel will allow pets.

Third, gather all the materials you will need to care for your pet and place these items in a waterproof container that is easy to carry. Keep the contents up to date and make sure it is clearly marked as your pets’ emergency kit.

Here’s a quick checklist of basic things to gather, and prepare for five to seven days:

  • An animal-focused first aid kit which you’ve purchased or assembled yourself.
  • Your pet’s food, bottled water and medications.
  • Easily transportable pet beds, a portable water and food bowl and a favorite toy to reduce your pets’ stress.
  • Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions and any behavioral problems in case your pet has to temporarily stay somewhere away from you.
  • Contact information of your veterinarian in the event you have to foster or board your pet.
  • Current photos of your pet with your contact information in case he or she gets lost.
cat in pet carrier
Peaches is ready.

Some other helpful guidelines include:

  • Have crates or carriers or leashes for all of your pets that are sturdy and able to be secured.
  • Keep dogs and puppies securely leashed when outside your home and when traveling in the car.
  • Always transport cats and kittens in carriers.
  • Make sure your pets are microchipped, and also wearing identification.

Keep the contents of your first aid and emergency kits up to date and easily accessible, and keep in touch with anyone you’ve asked to care for your pets and let them know when you are away. Remember when an emergency does occur keep yourself calm for your own and your pets’ sakes. Chances are it will not, but if it does you’ll be glad you took the time to prepare.

For More Information

Emergency Preparedness Checklist

Download your checklist and be prepared

Karen Sable, owner of Pet Emergency Training, LLC, guest posted with a comprehensive article about exactly what to prepare, what to pack, and what to do to prepare for most emergencies. Please read her article, “Preparing Your Pets for an Emergency” , including a checklist of things to keep you on track.

Click here or on the image at right in order to download this checklist as a PDF file.

Other resources

Several organizations step up to rescue animals after disasters, and all offer information on preparation, including informational flyers and stickers for your door or window indicating the number and species of your pets. Visit the websites for the American Humane Association (AHA), American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and PetSmart Charities Emergency Relief.


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Each month features one of my commissioned portraits of a feline or felines and their rescue story along with a kitty quote on the left page, and on the right page the month name with enough lines for all possible dates, with standard holidays and animal-themed observances and events. Great Rescues also includes a mini cat-care book illustrated with my drawings including information on finding strays or orphaned kittens, adopting for the first time or caring for a geriatric cat, a list of household toxins and toxic plants, or helping stray and feral cats and beginning with TNR.

Each book includes also 10 sheets of my “22 Cats” decorative notepaper with a collage of all the portraits in black and white so you can make your own notes or write special notes to friends.

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All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.


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Bernadette

From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, factual articles and fictional stories, "The Creative Cat" offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

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