Nature is both life and death. It is wondrous beyond words but Nature can also bring us terrible disasters. Regardless of whether you’ve lived through a flood, fire, hurricane or other event, they can happen at any time. As such, the National Pet Preparedness Month of June was created. The aim is to ensure we are not helpless in supporting our pet families.
National Pet Preparedness Month
Regardless of where you live, we can all face difficult times. Anything from a water shortage to a natural disaster impacts whole communities, including our animals.
Moreover, none of us will forget covid but as the 1918 influenza pandemic tells us, these things can and do happen again. Simply having enough food and water both for yourself and your pets for at least a week or two makes it easier to ride out the transition period at the start of a disaster.
The World Organisation for Animal Health lists several forms of potential disasters. These include biological, geophysical, meteorological, climatological, hydrological and technological. And let’s not forget human wars.
All of this points to the need for pet emergency plans, alongside our own. We all want to do the best for our furry friends and no one wants to add to the list of abandoned puppies or other animals.
With the increase in natural disasters, according to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as detailed in this World Wildlife article on the disk of disasters, National Pet Preparedness Month is a must have.
National Pet Preparedness Month is encouraged by all animal organisations:
- As an example, Four Paws is one of the many organisations encouraging us all to be ready with our emergency plans for pets and ourselves. The more each of us does, the more animals these organisations can support.
- Network for Animals also provides disaster relief for animals, including during human conflict.
- At Sanctuary Hostel, we also want to support you with your animals and you too can get ready for National Pet Preparedness Month.
The Ideal Emergency Kit Bag for Your Pets
During the national disaster preparedness month, pet owners can take a moment to step back and review how they might approach a disaster. Depending on the disaster, the size of the impact can be greatly reduced with some planning.
Emergency plans for pets start with these critical items:
1- Emergency first aid kit
Throughout National Disaster Preparedness Month, pet owners can look for discounts from certain providers. Either way, make sure you include wound cleaning and bandaging items as well as eye flush, insect cream and topical hydrocortisone.
During a disaster, it’s also important to keep health and safety in mind. For instance, floods can quickly stagnate and attract mosquitoes and other diseases. So, make sure your pet’s vaccinations and parasite prevention are up to date and that you have spares to hand.
2- Evacuation plan
It’s always easier to map out potential shelters or friends’ houses for you to stay with your pet when things are safe and relaxed. You might also want to research pet-friendly hotels in advance so that you know where to go if need be.
Most importantly, make sure you have at least a few days worth of food and water for both you and your pets.
3- Ensure proper tags and microchips are up to date
National Pet Preparedness Month is about allowing us to pause and reflect. Do you have your pet’s vaccinations up to date and are they microchipped?
Not only should they be microchipped but it’s also worth checking that your details, especially your phone number, connected with the microchip are also up to date.
Depending on where your dog was microchipped, you can search for the number in a microchip registry online. Alternatively, ask your vet to look it up for you.
4- Prepare a Go Bag
Sometimes disaster strikes and we just have to leave the house. I’ll never forget the banging on the door at 2am by the firemen telling us to evacuate because of some wildfires.
I definitely regretted not having a go bag when I realised, whilst walking in my pyjamas, halfway down the road that I didn’t even have any water with me.
In your go bag, make sure you simply have essentials including a snack, mobile phone, cash, your pet’s carrier or lead and any medication.
5- Keep spare tools on hand
In some ways, having pet emergency plans is also a bit like planning to go on a camping trip. You simply don’t know what might come in handy.
A pen knife with some key essentials might be a lifesaver when you realise you don’t have a food can opener.
6- Know your key numbers
The aim of National Pet Preparedness Month is to allow you to prepare for the worst. Then, when it does come, you can face things more calmly than you might have done previously. Simply having a plan is a good first step but so is knowing who to call to help you.
Make a note of emergency centres as well as your friends’ numbers or other supportive people around you. Mobile phones don’t always make it through a disaster. You might therefore be grateful for your list of numbers when the only phone around is a restaurant’s landline.
How Will You Create Your Pet Emergency Plans?
No one wants disaster to strike but life has a way of deciding these things for us. The worst you can do is to do nothing and become helpless to whatever life throws at you.
Instead, use National Pet Preparedness Month to reflect on a potential plan to protect both you and your animals should the worst happen.
Even the simple act of keeping a go-bag with emergency numbers in it could make the difference between panic and calm action. Most importantly, you could save your animals’ lives.
