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Pepper's Tips on Natural Disasters

Hi! My name is Pepper and I am the Noah's Ark official resident Basset Hound! I want to give you some tips on preparing you and your pet for a natural disaster.

June through November are the official hurricane months. Don't let yourself be caught off-guard by a devastating hurricane, tornado, or flash flood. First you need to have a notebook readily available with a plan of action and checklist for you, your family and of course, all of your pets (because we like to think we are people too!). Think of things like where you will go should you have to evacuate. If you plan to go to a relative's home, can they not only accomodate you and your family, but your pets also? If not, locate a local shelter, vet hospital, or pet friendly hotel close to your relative that will allow pets. You may want to prepare several different options on where you will stay and the path of a hurricane is never known until it's over! When was the last time your car or van was maintained? Will it make it to your destination? Now is the time to plan! Will it hold up sitting for hours in traffic on the interstate depending on how late you leave town? Remember, there is no point in evacuating if you aren't going to get totally out of harm's way. Be sure to have games for your children and chew toys for your pets to play with along the way and keep them occupied.

Crate your pet for traveling. Take a snapshot of them and put it on the outside of their crate with their name, sex, and your contact information on the back of the picture. Each pet's crate should have its own water and food dishes with their names on the bottom of the dishes. You will need to have a file on all your pets current vacinations. Have tags on their colars. Bring along a leash and/or harness. A muzzle is not a bad idea either. Sometimew we pets get a little anxiety ridden when put in a strange place with strange people and dogs we don't know. Give us a few walks around the place to sniff, see and hear everything that is new to us. Settle us in before you rush off and leave us. This will reduce our "attitude" or depression while you are away and when you come to pick us up!!

Pack plenty of food for the pooches! Remember that you can not predict mother nature and you may be away from home longer than expected. If Fido has prescription drugs or a special diet, be sure to bring along the reserves just in case you can't get to a nearby vet's office!

Before a storm hits, locate evacuation shelters and pet friendly hotels in your state and surrounding states as well. Remember, you don't know how far you will need to travel until the last minute! Call ahead and find out requirements for pet boarding. Most animal shelters operate on a first come first serve basis, so please try to get us there early so we will have a spot and time to get familiar with things before you have to rush off!

Be sure to pack your car properly! Have trash bags, baby wipes, flashlights, batteries, paper towels and bath towels readily accesible should we get sick or need to go potty before you can pull off the road.

Familiarize yourself with the AKC Pet Recovery Program. Learn as much as you can about hurricanes, tornadoes and floods. Familiarize yourself with your area FEMA staff. They can provide you with a wealth of information concerning the area you reside in and what to expect in types of natural disasters and the area's evacuation plan.

A cell phone is imperative! Phone lines are often out of service for an extended period of time and if you are stuck on the highway, you will want a form of communication.

Planning for a disaster does not have be a disastrous undertaking. A positive, pro-active approach is the best plan to make sure everyone and every pet stays calm, cool and collected during an emotionally charged situation.

Other great websites to check out for survival tips:

 

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