Dealing With Pets

Pets should also have a disaster kit packed just for them. Medical supplies, food, water and food bowls, bedding and toys should be included, as well as additional fresh water. Add a smaller sealed bag with your name, your pet’s name, a photo of your pet, the name of the pet’s veterinarian, medical papers, vaccination details and any other IDs, such as micro-chip numbers. You might want to keep this kit inside the carrier that you would use to move your pet in an emergency.

If your pet is too large for a carrier or if you have horses or other livestock, you will need to know where they will be taken and how they will be moved in case of a disaster like a flood. Too many people wait until a flood hits before they try to figure out what to do with their animals and make the evacuation much more difficult and even dangerous for themselves, their animals and their rescuers.

Don’t stop at planning where your pet will go — figure out the best place for you to go to if there’s a flood, whether your choice is a local shelter, the home of a friend in another town or a motel on high ground. Make sure everyone in the family knows how to go to that location so that all of you can regroup in case you get separated.

If you must leave your pets behind when you evacuate because of a flood, place the animals in an upstairs room with lots of food and water. Be sure to close the door and windows of the room. Leave a note on the outside main door stating that animals are inside upstairs. After you evacuate, inform an RSPCA agent or the local organization designated to rescue animals. Do not attempt any animal rescue yourself.

Animals