You should always protect your dog and other pets. This goes for normal days or when outstanding events occur.
Most dog owners aren’t completely sure what to do with their furry friends during natural disasters. Many victims of these disasters don’t know what to do with their pets, or where to take them.
During Hurricane Katrina, many pet owners were forced to leave their animals behind. Some owners unfortunately lost their companions, never to be reunited with them again.
There are so many tips to prepare you for these unexpected events, and how you should react in times of crisis.
When disaster strikes, there is no specific course of action you can take. The situations will vary, but there are some precautions you can take to have the best possible outcome.
Train Your Dog to Come to Your Voice
Your canine should know her name. So it’s crucial to make sure she comes when she is called.
You should be confident that your pup will come when called, and that she will obey.
You’ll need to get yourself and everyone else to a safe place. It helps if your pet will come to you the first time you call her.
During extreme cases, you may only be allowed minutes to evacuate.
Protect Your Dog with an Emergency Plan
Continually practice an emergency plan and make sure everything goes smoothly.
This will also help your dog become familiar with the plan. If you were to ever use it, she would know exactly what to do.
If you don’t have a plan, you need to come up with one. Consider several factors when making this plan.
- Where will you meet up?
- What essential items should you bring along?
- Where are we going after we all meet up?
- How long do we have to get to the meeting spot?
In addition, make sure one person is in charge of the pets. They should be gathering your dog and other pets, and getting them to the meeting spot.
Contact the local government when making your plan to find where shelters will be setup during disasters.
Make sure pets are allowed. Some shelters don’t have enough room for pets. In short, this will help when making your plan and to avoid a cluster of confusion.
The Identity Can Protect Your Dog
Make sure your dog has identification tags that are current and legible. Proper identification greatly increases the chance of you being reunited with them if you get separated.
It is becoming more common to get a microchip injected into your pets. This helps protect your dog by knowing their precise location.
You could consider gifting yourself or a friend a GoTags collar. They stitch your dog’s name and contact info on the collar itself.
During times of disaster, the equipment needed to scan the microchip may be unavailable.
Old fashioned name tags include the name of your dog and information to contact you. Therefore, old fashioned name tags are recommended for accessibility at all times.
Put Your Plan into Action
Now, what do you do if you are in the middle of a natural disaster?
Carry out your emergency plan down to the minute. If you have practiced this, it will go very smoothly. Everyone will be ready to go in plenty of time!
Double check and make sure your pets have all supplies necessary to keep them going such as medicine, dog food and name tags..
When you get to your local shelter, try as much as possible to keep everyone together. However, if rescuers will not allow you to bring your pets along, you have no choice but to leave them.
While it’s very upsetting, some places just aren’t big enough to house everyone’s animals.
The Unthinkable Becomes Reality
What if the unthinkable happens? What if you get separated from your pets?
As in all hectic times, do not panic! Keep a level head, and think clearly. If you have taken the proper precautions, the chances of you being reunited increase.
After everyone is allowed to leave the storm shelters, check local humane societies for your pets if you were separated. For example, ask questions about where your pooch would be if they had been found during the disaster.
It is possible your pup may be at a neighboring humane society or shelter. All you can do is call that shelter, give them a description of your pet, and leave your contact information.
After a disaster, shelters are flooded with hundreds of these types of calls every day. If possible, you should visit the shelter yourself. This is the best way to make sure your dog isn’t there.
You should personally check every animal shelter nearby if possible.
The Shelters Are Clear
If you are still unable to find her, put up posters around your town. Use a picture if possible, and be as descriptive as you can. Most importantly, always leave a phone number so you can be reached.
Offering a small reward gives people more of an incentive to search for your pet. Make sure you put up as many posters as you possibly can to increase your chances.
In short, the problem with natural disasters is that they can strike at any moment, sometimes even catching us off guard.
The only way to make sure you are prepared is to practice your emergency plan. Make sure your dog has the proper identification tags.
To sum it up, the whole situation will go much smoother if you and your pets are trained. You will have a much greater chance of having your pet with you at the end.
