Emergency Preparedness
How to Prepare for an Emergency
Always be prepared. An important motto we teach our young ones, and something we should always remember ourselves.
Whether you live in an area that must deal with hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires, earthquakes, or severe thunderstorms with deadly lightening, it is important to always be prepared for a natural emergency for everyone, including your pets. Being prepared before a disaster hits, can mean the difference between life and death sometimes.
How to Prepare BEFORE the Disaster occurs:
Know ahead of time if there are any local shelters that will also take your pets in the event you need to leave your home. Unfortunately these are usually few and far between as most shelters only allow humans, so it is important that you also check with local animal shelters or veternarians to see if any of those offer a shelter for animals during these disasters. Also check ahead of time for motel/hotels that will allow pets if you need to evacuate the area.
Make sure you have a well stocked first aid kit for both humans and pets and keep it handy so it can be quickly loaded into your car if you need to evacuate, or if an accident happens while still in your home.
Make sure you have at least 7 days worth of food and water for people and animals, especially for your bird. Some small birds can dehydrate in as little as 24 hours and can die. Keep extra dry bird foods such as seeds and pellets in air tight plastic containers to keep the food dry. Spray millet is an excellent emergency food to keep on hand as a bird under stress may benefit from this high carbohydrate food.
Stress on birds during these times can be deadly, so having a familiar travel carrier or cage, with cover, can help your bird(s) feel more secure. They will pick up on your own tensions and anxiety, and birds always seem to know beforehand something bad is about to happen, so everything you can do to help them stay calm, will help you handle things better as well.
Check with your local Chamber of Commerce for an Emergency Preparedness Handbook for your city that will provide important helpful tips to keep you, your family, and your pets as safe as possible during any natural disaster.
Here are some links to help provide information in case of an emergency:
Pet Friendly Hotels and Travel
Pets and Disasters - Be PreparedThe Humane Society of the United States in cooperation with the American Red Cross off advice on emergency preparedness for your pets.
