PET PREPAREDNESS IN CASE OF DISASTER

Your pets are an important member of your family, so they need to be included in your family’s emergency plan. To prepare for the unexpected follow these tips with your pets in mind:

  1. Make a plan.
  2. Build an emergency kit.
  3. Stay informed.

Make a Plan

If you have a plan in place for you and your pets, you will likely encounter less difficulty, stress and worry when you need to make a decision during an emergency. If local officials ask you to evacuate, that means your pet should evacuate too. If you leave your pets behind, they may end up lost, injured or worse.

Things to include in your plan:

Get a Rescue Alert Sticker. This easy-to-use sticker will let people know that pets are inside your
home. Make sure it is visible to rescue workers (we recommend placing it on or near your front
door), and that it includes the types and number of pets in your home as well as the name and
number of your veterinarian. If you must evacuate with your pets, and if time allows, write
“EVACUATED” across the stickers. To get a free emergency pet alert sticker for your home, please
visit the ASPCA website or your local pet supply store may also sell similar stickers.

Have an evacuation plan for your pet. Many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside.
Know a safe place where you can take your pets before disasters and emergencies happen.
Know which hotels and motels along your evacuation route will accept you and your pets in an
emergency. Call ahead for reservations if you know you may need to evacuate. Ask if no-pet
policies could be waived in an emergency.

Know which friends, relatives, boarding facilities, animal shelters or veterinarians can care for your
animals in an emergency. Prepare a list with phone numbers.

Develop a buddy system. Plan with neighbors, friends or relatives to make sure that someone is
available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so.

Have your pet microchipped. Make sure to keep your address and phone number up-to-date and include contact information for an emergency contact outside of your immediate area.
A reminder that the microchip is a number connected to your name in the database – it does not
have your information directly on it. If your pet has a microchip, have your veterinarian scan it every year or so to make sure it reads correctly (it is extremely rare for a microchip to “stop working”). If you are unsure if your information is up to date, contact the microchip company. If you don’t know the microchip company, you can enter your pet’s microchip number into the American Animal Hospital Association’s (AAHA) Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool to find participating registries associated with that microchip code:
https://www.aaha.org/for-veterinary-professionals/microchip-search/

**This is NOT a place for pet owners to register or update their pets’ microchips. This site gives you
the microchip company to complete those actions.

Have your pet’s health information available and make sure your pets are current on vaccines.
Many veterinary records are now paperless and electronic, making it easier to keep your pet’s
health records accessible should boarding or a shelter situation arise. Still, have copies of your
pet’s registration information and other relevant documents in a waterproof container as well as
being available electronically.
Shelter and boarding facilities will require appropriate vaccinations to prevent the spread of
disease and maintain the health and safety of the facility.

Contact your local emergency management office, animal shelter or animal control office to get
additional advice and information if you’re unsure how to care for your pet in case of an
emergency.

Multnomah County Animal Services: 503-988-7387

Washington County Animal Services and the Bonnie Hays Animal Shelter: 503-846-7041
Emergency Animal Rescue: OHSTAR via Oregon Humane Society for animal rescue situations
:
OHSTAR members may also assist law enforcement agencies with the safe capture, containment,
and transport of distressed animals. OHSTAR volunteers are trained to assist during natural and
man-made disasters, and have been called upon to assist in large-scale national emergency
operations. Coordination for disaster assistance will be with local emergency agencies.

Build a Kit for Your Pet

Just as you do with your family’s emergency supply kit, think first about the basics for survival, such as
food and water. Have two kits, one larger kit if you are sheltering in place and one lightweight version for if you need to evacuate. Review your kits regularly to ensure that their contents, especially foods and
medicines, are fresh.

Here are some items you may want to include in an emergency kit for your pet:

Food. Pack a small bag of your pet’s regular food and/or a few cans, with a manual can opener. If
your pet is on a prescription or therapeutic diet, be doubly sure to have an extra for several days –
these diets may be challenging to collect in an emergency situation.

Rotate out foods every month to ensure that the food is fresh.

Water. Store a water bowl and several days’ supply of water for both you and your pets.

Medicine. Keep an extra supply of the medicine your pet takes on a regular basis in a waterproof
container. Rotate out medication every month or as dictated by the medication use dates.

First aid kit. A simple first aid kit can include:
Non adherent bandaging material – “Telfa” pads, “Vetwrap” type self adhesive bandage wrap.
Tweezers/tick removers, bandage scissors.
Eye or wound irrigation solution.
Pets that are wounded and painful may lash out, no matter how well behaved they are. Consider a
mesh or nylon muzzle in the kit for dogs, and a thick cotton towel for cats.

Collar with ID tag and a harness or leash. Include a backup leash, collar and ID tag. Make sure the
collars fit well and you have regular, short 4-6ft leashes or slip leads – retractable leads are
notorious for lack of control and will create dangerous situations in crowded or chaotic
environments.

Traveling bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet. Be sure to also write your pet’s
name, your name and contact information on your pet’s carrier.

Grooming items. Pet shampoo, towels, wipes, in case your pet needs some cleaning up.

Sanitation needs. Include a small bag of clumping cat litter, disposable litter trays (aluminum
roasting pans are perfect), and a litter scoop for cats. Paper towels, trash bags, antibacterial
spray (fragrance free) for clean up.

A picture of you and your pet together. If you become separated from your pet during an
emergency, a picture of you and your pet together will help you document ownership and allow
others to assist you in identifying your pet.

Familiar items. Put favorite toys, treats or bedding in your kit. Familiar items can help reduce
stress for your pet.

Stay Informed

Being prepared and staying informed of current conditions. Here are some ways you can stay informed:

Pay attention to wireless emergency alerts for local alerts and warnings sent by state and local
public safety officials.

Sign up for alerts at OR-alerts.com: https://oralert.gov/

Listen to local officials when told to evacuate or shelter in place.

Download the FEMA app and get weather alerts from the National Weather Service.

Always bring pets indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm or disaster

What's Next

  • 1

    Call us or schedule an appointment online.

  • 2

    Meet with a doctor for an initial exam.

  • 3

    Put a plan together for your pet.

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