Taking Care of Pets During a Disaster or 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.  

The Department of Homeland Security has prepared a detailed brochure entitled “Preparing Your Pets for Emergencies Makes Sense. Get Ready Now.”  The brochure describes what pet owners can do to prepare for an emergency. 

The AVMA has a website (www.avma.org/disaster) which provides detailed disaster preparedness information for owners of all types of animals including dogs, cats, horses, snakes, birds, amphibians, pocket pets, and livestock.  The AVMA’s brochure, “Saving the Whole Family”, contains several useful checklists and important emergency contact numbers.