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Thoughts on Disaster Planning

It is important that dog owners are prepared to help their dogs in the event of an emergency.

Below are several scenarios that you may never have thought of. You can be better prepared for emergency situations.

Scenario 1:
It’s Sunday afternoon and you find your dog laying on the floor in obvious discomfort. The Veterinary Clinic that you usually take your dog to is closed on Sundays.  Every minute lost finding help for your dog  means additional suffering for your pet and may be life threatening.

Get prepared today:
Look up the closest 24 hour Emergency Veterinary Clinic. Write down their phone number and directions to the clinic. Keep this information readily available on your refrigerator or a note board.

Do not wait until your dog needs emergency treatment to look up this information.

If you take your dog on vacation, look-up local Veterinary Clinic information.
 

Scenario 2:
Your family is in a car accident leaving your dog home alone.

Get prepared today:
Put a note in your wallet stating that you have a dog home alone. Indicate phone number of a pre-designated dog care giver.

Be sure that your extended family is aware of who your dog’s designated care giver is.  The care giver should have a key to your home and be informed of the feeding and medical requirements for your pet.

Scenario 3:
There is an over turned tanker near your home, you are ordered to immediately evacuate your home.

Get prepared today:
Keep a bag packed with a supply of food., water and any medication needed for your dog. Include a copy of your dogs vaccination records, especially their rabies vaccination certificate and your dog’s license information.

Scenario 4:
You wake in the middle of the night and smell smoke. Do you have a plan to get your animals out of the house with you.

Get prepared today:
If your bedroom is on the first floor, keeping a spare leash in the bedroom allows you to take your dog out the window with you. Once outside, they can be put in your car or tied to a tree away from your home.

If your bedroom is on the second floor small animals can be put in a pillow case and lowered out the window with a rope.  Larger dogs can be lowered with a safety harness. You can prepare by having a suitable harness and rope stored in the bedroom with your personal safety equipment.

Scenario 5:
While visiting a friend your dog is scared by a loud noise, escapes and runs off.

Get prepared today:
Be sure that your dog is wearing an identification tag with your cell phone number on it. 
 

Keep a picture of your dog in your car showing front and side views. You can show it to people as you look for your dog.

It is possible that none of these things have ever happened to your dog.  Unfortunately, any of them could happen to you.  Being prepared before a disaster  is the only way to be prepared.