Tag: pets

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Pet Preparedness

Pet Preparedness – How an Old T-Shirt Can Help

Pet wearing t-shirt

Along with water, food, medicine, and other “survival” needs, your pets are going to need emotional care after a disaster as much as any human member of the family.

Let’s look at a few tips:

1. Having your scent present will keep them calm. Wear an old T shirt around the house for a day or so and immediately put it in a paper bag and store it with your pet’s emergency supplies. If you have to board your pet or leave it with a friend while you recoup from the disaster, this old shirt can be used as part of their bedding and since it contains your scent, it will go a long way toward making your pet feel safe and secure. Note: The T shirt should be worn and scented by the family member that particular pet is closest to.

2. Pack a toy that your pet has played with. Don’t try and introduce a new toy in your pet’s emergency gear, go with something that still has their scent on it and that they recognize. In any emergency, a sense of normalcy and familiarity go a long way toward emotional stability whether you’re dealing with the two-legged or four-legged members of the family.

3. Ask your vet about over-the-counter medications that can help calm your pet. You’ll want to gather this information now from an educated source who’s familiar with your pet rather than having to rely on second-hand (or second-rate) information from questionable sources after a disaster has already hit.

4. For smaller animals, give each their own carrier but keep the carriers close to each other whenever possible. In an emergency, animals will be under stress. Like humans, they’ll need a little space even though they’ll want to be near others. Having separate carriers helps greatly.

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Animal Disaster Preparedness

Your first priority when it comes to emergency preparedness is you and your family. However, you can and should make plans for your animals as well. You may have heard about Community  Emergency Response Teams, volunteers who are equipped and trained to help residents when disaster strikes. Now, one state is training students to do the same, but for animals:

North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine is helping to fill the need through a unique initiative that requires all of its students to receive disaster training, providing a new generation of leaders in veterinary medicine and disaster response.

“Emergency response is generally geared towards people, particularly at the local level. We need to protect the health of the people and the health of the animals –whether they are pets or livestock related to a region’s livelihood. We believe this training will help veterinarians respond to the needs of both people and animals,” says Dr. Dianne Dunning, co-author of a recent study on NC State’s landmark training requirement and director of the university’s Animal Welfare, Ethics and Public Policy Program.

This looks like it will be a great service to those animals who are left behind. However, like with your family, you should prepare in advance to help your pets during an emergency with a pet survival kit.

Source:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1796401/disaster_response_for_animals/index.html?source=r_science

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Strategies for Winter Preparedness

The American Red Cross is doing all that it can to warn people about the importance of winter preparedness.  Beyond issuing a reminder that winter storms can present an unexpected emergency for those traveling, as well as power outages for those staying at home, the Red Cross has recommendations for winter preparedness:

Follow these tips to stay safe and warm during the storm:

  • Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights only.
  • Don’t forget your pets — bring them indoors. If you can’t bring them inside, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure they can get to unfrozen water.

Avoid traveling by car in a storm, but if you must…

  • Have in the car an emergency preparedness kit, including ice scraper and brush, boots, gloves or mittens, blanket or sleeping bag, show shovel, flashlight and extra batteries, metal or plastic cup, first aid kit, jumper cables, granola or candy bars, sand or cat litter for tire traction, red-colored cloth to alert rescuers, flares, reflectors, cellular phone, and cell phone charger.

The list is a good reminder to think about your pets as well this winter. What extra steps do you need to take to ensure their safety if a winter storm comes your way? A pet survival kit is convenient and a good idea to have on hand for winter and other emergencies.

Source:

http://www.shakopeenews.com/news/general_news/tis_season_winter_weather_survival_tips-112