Pet Evacuation
Pets are an important part of our families. We tend to treat them as our own children, and we want to make sure they’re safe in an emergency. You need a pet evacuation plan for you, your family, and any sitters to follow.
There are times that you’ll be out of town. Maybe you have a sitter coming to check on your pets. Make sure they know what to do in an emergency. If you don’t have a sitter, make sure your neighbors know that pets are in the house and need to be removed.
The problem is that people will panic in emergency situations. Things get left behind, or people put their own lives at risk to get their pets and belongings. Have a plan instead.
Let Firehouses Know About Pets
Some fire departments will want to know which houses have pets. This allows them to get to those places to get the pets out and to safety. It doesn’t matter if they’re house pets or livestock.
So, find out if your fire department has a list of pet information. You’ll need to list the names and breeds to start, and some may ask for dietary information, personality traits, medical needs, vet information, etc.
Let Your Neighbors or Sitters Know
You may know what to do for your pets in an emergency, but you may not be there. You need to make sure others in the area know what to do if your pets are home alone.
The best thing you can do is write it all down. Put it somewhere easy to find. You can also text your neighbors the list so that they have it all in their own homes and can just run in and deal with the situation.
Not all evacuation centers allow pets. You’ll need to find out about the ones that do, especially if it’s neighbors or sitters doing this part for you.
Pet Evacuation List
There are certain items that you’ll need to make sure you have. Make sure you put them in a set place and have a list of that so anyone can grab and go.
• Leashes and harnesses
• Crates
• Muzzles if needed
• Pillowcase, blankets, towels
• Pet food
• Bowls
• Medication
• Bed
• Toys
• Litter box
You’ll want to add some leather gloves in, especially if you have aggressive dogs that don’t like strangers. This protects the strangers as they’re trying to help. Some pets can even just get scared in he situation and may curl into themselves. When this happens, people need to pick them up and force them to move, so leather gloves come in handy to prevent bite injuries.