Pet Evacuations: What You Need to Know

6/28/2018 (Permalink)

Boo Bogenschuetz

We recently wrote a blog post about keeping your pets safe in case of house fires. In this post we’re taking a look at what you need to know and how you can prepare in the event you and your pets need to evacuate your home.

There are many reasons you might need to evacuate your home including fires, floods and storms.

If you must leave and go to a shelter it’s important to understand, you most likely will not be able to bring pets with you to a public shelter. There are usually separate shelters set up for pets.

Regardless, it’s a good idea to prepare an emergency evacuation kit for your pets in case you need to leave your home quickly.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has a list of items you will want to include in your pet’s evacuation kit:

• Copies of Vaccination Records
• Medication or a List of Needed Medications
• Lists of Any Special Needs or Allergies
• Ownership Records (things like adoption paperwork, microchip paperwork registration papers, or at least photos of you with your pets)
• Leashes, Harnesses, Collars and/or Carriers
• Pet Food and Treats (enough for each pet for 3 to 7 days)
• Water (enough for each pet for 3 to 7 days)
• Bowls
• Cat Litter and Box
• Dog Waste Bags
• Toys
• Blankets
• A Pet First Aid Kit (including cotton bandage rolls, bandage tape, scissors, antibiotic ointment, medical-type gloves, isopropyl alcohol and saline solution)
• Cleaning Supplies (in case your pet has an accident)
• List of Important Phone Numbers (including your veterinarian, local animal shelters, local pet-friendly hotels, local animal control, local pet boarders)

The NFPA advises keeping all of this in a large, waterproof, plastic tote in a convenient place. You’ll want a spot that stays at a stable temperature to prevent food and water from freezing or spoiling.

The NFPA says you should also keep track of any possible natural disaster predictions in your area and ensure you know where your pets are in case disaster strikes and you need to leave fast.

At SERVPRO of West Brown County, our pets are our family and we know it’s the same for many families in the Green Bay Area. Be sure to plan ahead to keep those four-legged family members safe!