albertfinneye: Get pets set for Sandy | Open Road

Sunday 28 October 2012

Get pets set for Sandy | Open Road | NorthJersey.com

There was nothing good about Katrina. Except that during the deluge, the many ways in which we weren?t prepared for such a disaster surfaced. One of the major oversights was what to do with our companion animals when emergencies happen. Many people with pets left their animals behind, 1) figuring they?d be gone only a short while and could come back to be reunited with their best friends. Others discovered that the only way they could go to an evacuation shelter was to leave their pets behind.

Many, many people who loved their animals were soon filled with guilt and either having chosen to leave them behind, or erroneously imagined they?d be back soon.

The system has changed some since Katrina.

?Disaster preparedness has come a long way in the last few years,? says John Garcia, Best Friends Animal Society?s emergency response manager,. ?We now live in a society that recognizes the need to include family pets in disaster preparedness. Emergency sheltering for disaster situations now has to have an animal component. Typically this means there will be an emergency animal shelter set up in conjunction with human shelters. Many people don?t realize that their pets can be very useful in a disaster situation, 90 percent of survival is having the right mind-set and pets provide that.

?You can also help rescue teams do their jobs more efficiently by having a rescue alert sticker with the number and type of animals in your home secured to your front door ? if you evacuate with your pets write that on the sticker so emergency rescuers know everyone is safe.?

Here?s some of the latest advice on emergency preparedness for your four-footed (or feathered, or furred) family members ? things you need to think about and plan for while snagging those last bottle off water off the supermarket sh3elfves:

Here?s some advice from Garcia and FEMA:

The best way to stay safe? is to evacuate early. Arrange a plan ahead of time ? especially if you don?t have access to a human/animal shelter.If you evacuate your home, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND! Pets most likely cannot survive on their own and if by some remote chance they do, you may not be able to find them when you return.

If you are going to a public shelter, it is important to understand that animals may not be allowed inside. Plan in advance for shelter alternatives that will work for both you and your pets; consider loved ones or friends outside of your immediate area who would be willing to host you and your pets in an emergency.

? Try find and book a? pet-friendly hotel

? If you?re staying? with relatives ask in advance to make sure they will be able to accommodate your whole family.?

Assemble pet? preparedness kits for all animals in your family? don?t forget your cats and smaller pets. Your whole family should know where they are and how to use them. Supplies should? including a two- to four-week supply of pet food and any medications; kennel or crate;? leash, a first-aid kit. Also bring all medical records and recent photographs of all your pets.

Make sure your animals are? current on all their vaccinations. Also make sure they have well secured ID tags, with a number that will work if they get free ad are found. Consider microchipping your pet.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, which had done a great deal of pet rescue and transport when disaster strike (along with many other dedicated organizations and individual)? has? a good checklist of what you?ll? need for your pet in case of emergency.

Extra medication for your animal

Extra set of reflective or brightly collared leash/collar with identification

First aid kit (consult your veterinarian

They food and owls

Litter pans & wee-wee pads

Zip-Lock bags and trash bags

Paper towels and wash cloths

Bottled water

One or two emergency blankets (camping store)

Regular blanket of? a size that?s suitable for your pet

Flashlight with extra batteries

Duct tape

?Permanent marker

Baby wipes

?Tarp or waterproof poncho

Plenty of towels!

Toys, favorite blankets, bowls and treat all add a touch of home Remember, pets? basic concern is the pack, so the most important way to help them deal is to keep them with you.? The more familiar you can make their surroundings the more they?ll take the temporary upheaval in stride.

? As Garcia points out, ?Many people don?t realize that their pets can be very useful in a disaster situation;? 90 percent of survival is having the right mind-set and pets provide that.? I certainly saw that during Katrina. When I was able to reunite flood victims with their pets, the humans may have lost everything, but that bond with their animal had been repaired, and at least for a long while, that bond was all they needed to get through another day.

?? You can also help rescue teams do their jobs more efficiently by having a rescue alert sticker with the number and type of animals in your home secured to your front door ? if you evacuate with your pets write that on the sticker so emergency rescuers know everyone is safe.?