Prepare your pet for a natural disaster

The recent earthquake to hit the East Coast took everyone by surprise, including pet owners. (Disclaimer, I lived 25 years on the East Coast and never felt a tremor, now that I’ve moved to the West Coast, things are quiet out this way.)

It’s certainly not the last time disaster will strike, so let’s go over how to prepare your pet for a natural disaster:

Make sure each pet that will fit in one, has a carrier, and is accustomed to being in it. If your pet is too large for a carrier, make sure you have a sturdy leash, and muzzle, if necessary. You should have leashes for your smaller pets also.

Print out a copy of your pet’s medical records and vaccinations and tape it to the carrier.

Gather up pet food, bottled water, can opener if necessary, food dishes, medications, litter, litter box and any other supplies your pet may need.

Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with a tag stating your name, the pet’s name and your phone number. Any rabies tags or license tags should be on the collar as well.

Find out which hotels/motels in your area take pets, or check with boarding kennels, vets or friends.

Survey your home and choose the best place to confine your pets in an emergency situation. Bathrooms, utility rooms, or kitchen is best. You’ll want to keep your pets away from windows, but also keep them in an easy clean up area. Never leave your pet outside in a disaster. Dogcheapsleeps.com has waterproof, vinyl beds that wipe or wash clean with a hose. Not a bad thing to have in a disaster.

If you have to go to a shelter, your pets will not be welcome, so you may have to leave them there with ample supplies of food and water. A better idea is the kennel, vet or friend you contacted earlier. If you have to leave your pet, make sure there is a notice outside your home, alerting emergency personnel to the pets.

 When the disaster is over, give your pet plenty of love and understanding while it recovers from trauma. Do not bathe, change the diet or introduce new elements into its surroundings. Keep dogs on leashes when they go out for the first few days. Let them have plenty of uninterrupted sleep.