May 8th is National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day.
Calamities and disasters can strike anytime and anywhere with sometimes no apparent warning. Last year’s Hurricane Harvey has left some of us devastated and a lot grief-stricken. Many of our brothers and sisters have lost properties, jobs, and worse, lives. Aside from the grief that we all had for our fellow men, we also mourn for the animals that their owners had to leave behind in the midst of desolation, while they sought for refuge.
Natural disasters could take us by surprise with sometimes no prior or apparent warning or signal. However, that does not mean that we can prepare for it beforehand. When we prepare for our safety kit, let us not forget to prepare our pets as well.
Here are some tips to get your pets ready for calamities:
1. Microchip them
We are lucky to be born during the dawn of the computer and technology era. We now can use microchips to track our pets down and reunite with them if ever they get lost. This goes with an ID collar too, so good Samaritans who found them could contact you.
2. Prepare Their Pet Carriers
Make sure that you have a pet carrier for each of your pets ready before disasters strike. Make sure that their carriers are in an easily accessible place. This is essential for their transport and to keep them confined during emergencies.
3. Put Together an Emergency Pet Kit
Prepare an emergency pet that could last for at least three weeks. Make sure that there are food and water bowls, canned food, bottled water, toys, leashes, first aid kits, medications, and cleaning and sanitation items in your kit. Put those items in a bag and keep them in a reachable place.
You can also include a picture of you and your pet, contact numbers, and medical records in that kit. Make it a point to check for the expiration dates of the supplies, and replenish the items every 6 months.
