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Hot Topic PROTECTING PETS IN DISASTERS
Through the Four Stages of Emergency Management
In 2007, the American Pet Products Association estimated that there are approximately 71.1 million households (63% of all households) in the U.S. that own at least one pet. Pets have become an increasing support system to families throughout America and many of us treat them as family members (63% of dog owners and 58% of cat owners surveyed said they give their pets presents at Christmas!).
It would make sense that pet owners ensure the safety of these animals in the event of a disaster but many times, our pets are overlooked when crisis hits. The following pages explain what pet owners need to do to ensure the safety of their pets during the four phases of emergency management: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.
If you have to evacuate, always TAKE your pet with you. No facilities in an evacuated area will be open or accepting animals. To leave a pet behind is to abandon it. Pets are domesticated not wild animals and are not equipped to survive the stress, flooding, falling trees, flying debris, predators and disease.
MITIGATION (RISK REDUCTION)
The best way to mitigate disasters for your pets is to avoid the disaster in the first place. All of these mitigation measures will help reduce the impact of or avoid disasters for your pets too.
With unfamiliar sounds, smells and sights that follow a disaster, pets can easily become confused and get lost.
To prevent losing your pet in a disaster:
• Dogs and cats should wear appropriate identification at all times. Tags with your name, address and cell phone number (not home phone as you will not be there) as well as the phone number of a friend or relative from out-of-state will help with identification of your pet.
However, the most reliable identification is a nationally-registered microchip with tag. Since microchips are embedded below the skin, it is invisible. A tag on the animal's collar serves to alert the presence of a microchip. Microchips must be registered and the owner registration information should include a friend or relative in a location different than the owner. Registry information must be up- to-date. (Owners should contact the national registry when they move. No fees are associated with updating.) Freeze marking and tattoos are also examples of identification.
Examples of appropriate identification for birds include: leg bands, microchips or tattoos. These are most useful if the information on them is included in a national registry.
• Current photographs of your pet will help with identification after a disaster. You should also send photos of your pet to your out-of-state friend or relative.
• Know your cat and dog's common and favorite hiding places. Once the chaos starts, this is where you will find them.
Make a list of the places where you can get veterinary care, food, shelter and housing for your pets in an emergency. Find out what they provide and what they would need from you. Make a commitment to gather this information now. Special facilities may be required for birds or exotic animals.
PREPAREDNESS
How can you get started with emergency preparedness? The following recommendations will help reduce the impact of a disaster.
• Start by imagining the types of disasters that you might encounter. This is the first step toward developing an effective disaster plan.
• Develop a general family disaster plan. The American Red Cross provides excellent courses for this and has brochures that will help you and your children in developing and exercising your plan. Add specific plans for your pet.
• Display an Emergency Pet Alert sticker with the number and type of pets in your home, and your emergency phone number. First responders will know to look for your pets and bring them to safety.
• Practice evacuation of your family and pets until you can evacuate within a few minutes. Everybody in the family should participate, including your pets.
• Decide on a place where your family will meet if you get separated, and if your pet is home alone, who will be responsible for retrieving it.
• Decide who will take care of your pet and where he or she will stay during a crisis.
• Think of whom you would phone outside of your area. Often people cannot phone into a disaster zone, but it is possible to phone out. An out-of-state contact can help relay information and keep your family connected.
• The best emergency plans involve many people and systems that can back each other up. Here are some people and groups you need to get involved:
o Family
o Friends
o Neighbors
o Your veterinarian
o Your local animal control or humane shelter
o Local boarding and grooming kennels, and
o Pet-friendly hotels and motels in your area and in your evacuation location.
• An effective and proven method of ensuring help in a disaster is to establish a telephone tree. Telephone trees work when one person phones two friends to see if they need help or to request help. These two people each phone another two people and so on.
Accustom your pets to sudden actions as would be needed in a disaster.
Actions taken in preparation for a disaster include the following:
• Train your dog. Obedience may save its life during an emergency and help to make it a welcome guest.
• Familiarize your pet with its transport crate before a crisis. It's an excellent practice to make your pet's crate available all the time. Crate-trained animals will go voluntarily to their crates in times of disaster or other stressful times, e.g. during a thunderstorm, when workmen are at your home or you have a party.
• Familiarize your pet with being transported. You can practice drills with your pet by getting it used to riding with you in your car. That way it will not be unduly alarmed if it has to evacuate in a disaster.
• Cats can be very difficult to catch when they are stressed or afraid. Practice catching and transporting your cat in a crate and carrying it around the house. This will allow your pet to become familiar with the transport box.
Prepare a disaster kit for each pet
You should have a disaster kit for each pet. Do not store kits in the kitchen or the garage. These are frequently the areas where fires start. Kits and their contents should be easily retrieved and kept in rodent- and ant-proof containers. Check the contents of the disaster kits twice a year when the clocks change for daylight savings. Rotate all foods into use and replace with fresh food every two months.
Here are some items that are recommended for your disaster kit:
• Extra collars and tags, harnesses and leashes for all pets (including cats).
• Muzzles may be needed to control agitated and aggressive animals -- for dogs, these can be made from gauze rolls or panty hose. A muzzle or towel can be used for cats. A towel can be used to restrain your bird if it becomes agitated and aggressive during the confusion.
• Your pet's usual pet food, to avoid diet changes in stressful situations. A five to seven day supply is recommended.
• Toys or blankets your pet will find familiar.
• A manual can opener, if your pet eats canned food
• A supply of stored drinking water. If you are evacuating, you will need only enough water to reach your evacuation destination.
• Food and water bowls, for each pet.
• Paper towels, plastic bags, and spray disinfectant for animal waste clean up.
• Copies of your pet's medical and vaccination records. Boarding facilities may not accept your pets without proof of health.
• If your pet is on medication, ask your veterinarian about keeping extra supplies of medication or a copy of the prescription for these medications in your kit. Mark your calendar to replace medications before they expire.
• Include a recent photo of your pet. A photo of you with your pet is even better.
• Your crate should be easily accessible and large enough for your pet to stand up and turn around. Since animals may be sheltered in open facilities, make sure there is enough bedding to keep them warm. You should also label the crate with your pet's name, your name and where you can be reached.
• A first aid kit should include only materials that you know how to use. Remember that if your pet has a problem and you do not know exactly what it is, you should consult a veterinarian. Useful items for a first aid kit for pets include:
o Bandaging materials to cover wounds
o Animal antiseptic ointment
o Clippers
o Latex gloves and
o Tweezers.
Your pet's health
To minimize ill health effects of a disaster, make sure that:
• Your pet's vaccinations are current. Most vaccinations are repeated yearly. Rabies is repeated every year in Georgia. Shelters, boarding kennels and many hotels/motels require that dogs be protected against bordetella (kennel cough) as well.
• Keep copies of your pet's current vaccinations, health and ownership records in your disaster kit.
If your pet requires regular medications, keep a current copy of your pet's prescription or extra supplies in your disaster preparedness kit.
Special recommendations for birds
The care of birds in disasters requires special consideration. Following are some recommendations.
• Determine if your birds need a continuous supply of power. Purchase a generator to meet your facilities' needs. Make sure your generator is in good running condition by starting it monthly.
• Make sure you have a sufficient water supply. Large water containers with chlorinated water (10 drops of chlorine bleach to each gallon of water) can be used to store water that prohibits bacterial growth. Store water away from sunlight.
• Aviaries should be equipped with an overhead sprinkler system. This will be very important to minimize smoke inhalation, cool the air and reduce the chance of burn injuries.
• Aviculturists should have enough carriers on hand to evacuate all birds. Many birds will run into their nest boxes during a crisis. Nest boxes should be equipped with quick-release latches and a hinge-type cover over the entrance to enable you to remove the nest box and use it as a pet carrier. Flights should be constructed with easy access into and out of them.
• Birds often require specialty foods. Make sure you know what these are and where you can get them. Although surplus food can often be refrigerated, this may not be possible in a disaster, when the power supply is out.
• If vaccinations are appropriate for your bird, be sure they are up-to-date. Consult your veterinarian to learn which vaccinations are appropriate.
• Birds should be tested and free of psittacosis and tuberculosis. These are serious diseases and are transmissible to many other animals and people.
• Do not leave your birds where they can be exposed to fumes from fires or chemicals. Birds are sensitive to smoke and fumes and succumb quicker to smoke than most other animals.
Recovery
When the disaster has passed, it is not uncommon to find that once familiar surroundings have been rearranged. Pets that rely on visual and olfactory (scent) cues may become disoriented.
Here are some guidelines that may help you through the recovery period:
• Check your pet for injury and exposure to chemicals. If you have any concerns about the health of your pet or their exposure to hazardous materials, contact a veterinarian before you attempt to treat them.
• If you have to move to new surroundings, do not remove your pet from its crate until it is calm. Do so only in a closed room.
• Be careful in allowing your cat or dog out after a major disaster. Follow the recommendations of the emergency management personnel as to whether the environment is safe for you and your pet.
• Give your pet small amounts of food and water several times throughout the day. The volumes of food may be increased to normal over three to four days.
• Let your pet have plenty of uninterrupted sleep. If you still have your pet's favorite toys, encourage them to play. This will allow them to recover from the stress and trauma.
• Avoid unfamiliar activities with your pet, such as bathing, excessive exercise, or diet supplements. Try to avoid diet changes.
• If you and your pet are separated, pay daily visits (a phone call is often not as effective) to local shelters, animal control facilities, veterinary offices and kennels until you have found it. Personnel at these facilities routinely scan for microchips and will keep chipped animals longer than those without chips. Be aware that collars and tags are sometimes lost. You might also post alerts in newspaper and online.
• If you find a stray animal, take it to a shelter or other facility set up for lost and found animals. Place an advertisement in the local newspaper and online to inform the owner where the pet was taken. Often newspapers run found ads for free.
• Share your experiences with friends and family. Talking about your experiences will help you deal with them and offers great stress relief.
• Consider seeking professional counseling, as recovery is aided when guided by professionals experienced in dealing with disasters.
