An evacuation plan is a necessity for every home, especially if you live in an area where fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and other disasters are a possibility. Many homeowners create evacuation plans for their homes and practice them with their kids, but far fewer have considered one for their pets. Take these steps to add your pets to your evacuation plan.
- Assign pet evacuation to an adult. Everyone should know how to act during an evacuation, and that includes assigning one parent or adult to the pets. This allows the other parent and the children to focus on their part of the evacuation plan, so there’s no confusion during a high-stress moment when time is of the essence.
- Keep evacuation maps, pet carriers/crates and pet supplies readily accessible. If you need to evacuate, you should know exactly where every important item is. Keep your pet’s carrier, crate and supplies (such as food, first aid kit, ID tags and shot records, medicine, a picture of you and your pet together, and a couple of familiar items to reduce stress for your pet) in a place that you can access easily.
- Practice your plan. Include your pets in your home evacuation drills. It’ll help you see how they will respond and make changes to your plan if necessary. Getting your dog out of a window may not be as simple as you think!
- Be prepared in case you get separated from your pets. No matter how much you drill your evacuation plan, it’s possible that a dog or cat will run off while you’re focusing on keeping your family safe. A microchip or a GPS-compatible tag/collar can help you find your pets once it’s safe to return to the area.
Are you including your pet in your evacuation plan? If you aren’t, feel free to follow the tips above!
