We all probably have an emergency or disaster preparedness plan in place for our families but what about for our pets? It is up to us to keep them safe so we need to have a disaster preparedness plan for our pets as well. This is really easy to do and should take no time at all. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
This post is sponsored by Hill’s Food, Shelter, & Love® Initiative and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping Promote National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day, but we only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.
The first thing you want to do is to make sure you have an “emergency bag” packed for your pet as well as for any of your family members. Your pet’s emergency bag should contain the following:
- 3-7 days worth of food. Canned food will be best as it will last longer.
- a week’s worth of bottled water
- first aid supplies: bandages, gauze, hydrogen peroxide, milk of magnesia for poison, and a foldable cone if you have one
- food bowls, the foldable ones are great for storage.
- an extra collar and leash
- a comfort toy or a chewing bone
- a blanket or pet bed
- 2 week’s worth of any medications your pet is on
- Your veterinarian’s contact information
- A list of pet friendly hotels that you could go to in case of an emergency
- Up to date medical and vaccination records
Make sure to keep this emergency bag, as well as the other bags for your family, close to an exit so that they are easy to grab in case you have to quickly evacuate. Check the bags every few months to make sure nothing has expired.
You will also want to make sure that your pet’s tags are up to date and on their collar. This includes vaccination tags as well as a name tag with your name and phone number. Make sure they have on their tags even if they are micro chipped.
It is also a good idea to have a “Pet Rescue” decal on your front and back windows. This will let rescue workers know that your pet may be trapped inside and they will know to look for them. You can find these at your local pet store or you can order one from the ASPCA website for free. 
Keep pictures of your pets with you in case you get separated. This will help prove proof of ownership and you will have a picture ready in case you need to make Lost flyers.
To help support FEMA National Pet Disaster Preparedness Day on May 14, Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love® program has created this handy infographic to help make sure your pet is taken care of during a disaster.
It is important for all pet owners to make sure they are prepared to take care of their pets in the face of an emergency. If there is a widespread disaster, animal shelters are stretched to the breaking point when they have to take care of shelter animals as well as taking in pets.
Credit: Hill’s Pet NutritionHill’s Disaster Relief Network is positioned to quickly respond with shipments of pet food to communities impacted by disaster. It was established in 2013 and has delivered free pet food to more than 60 different shelters and veterinary clinics across the country in response to 25 major incidents.
I think it is amazing that a company like Hill’s steps up and helps animals in crisis. You can find them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up to date with their efforts.
You can also make sure your pet is safe after the disaster has passed by keeping them inside. If you have to go outside, keep them on a leash or in a crate. They will be scared and there could be all kinds of dangers like downed power lines, hazardous materials, etc. all on the ground.
It s also a good idea to download the ASPCA app on your phone. It is free and you can get it on iTunes or Google Play. It shows pet parents exactly what to do in case of a natural disaster. It also allows pet owners to store vital medical records, and provides information on making life-saving decisions during natural disasters. It is a really good thing to have.
Our pets depend on us for their health and safety. Let’s make sure we are prepared to take care of them in a disaster so that they will be around for a long time to give us love and affection for many years to come.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hill’s® Pet Nutrition, Inc. The opinions and text are all mine.
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