Disaster Preparedness Shopping For Your Pet Reprinted with permission from the United Animal Nations, Emergency Animal Rescue Service Program. If you would like more information about being prepared to take care of your pets during a disaster, or becoming a trained disaster volunteer for animals, contact: P.O.Box 188890, Sacramento, CA 95818. Are you prepared to take care of your pets when a disaster strikes? If not, now is the time to stock up on the things that you will need to take care of the pets in your household. Listed below is a shopping list for you to use. Don't put off doing what you should do now - it may just make the difference between being able to save the life of your pets. 1. Food use the brand that your dog is used to have both dry and canned (if that is what your dog normally eats) to last one week for each of the dogs in your household buy cans small enough to be used at one feeding since you may not have a way to properly refrigerate a partially used can of food - if possible buy pop top cans so you do not need a can opener (if not available, be sure to have a can opener in your supplies) be sure to rotate the food so it remains fresh include in your supplies a feeding dish, in case the one you usually use is destroyed or lost include in your supplies a spoon to scoop/mix the food 2. Water have enough water to last at least one week for each of the dogs in your household be sure to rotate the water so it remains fresh include in your supplies a water dish, in case the one you usually use is destroyed or lost 3. Sanitation have a pooper scooper in your supplies for picking up after your dog have some plastic bags in your supplies for disposing of your dog's waste 4. Cleaning Supplies small container of dish soap for cleaning out your dog's dishes paper towels for drying dishes and other cleanup 5. Collar and Tag a proper fitting collar and tag should be kept on your dog at all times but an extra one should be kept with your supplies should the permanent ones get lost during a disaster have a spare temporary tag in your supplies that you can write on - if you are going to be living somewhere else for a period of time, put the temporary phone number and address on the tag keep a proper fitting dog harness in your supplies to be used when you walk your dog - this is a stressful time for pets too and a frightened animals can slip out of a collar; but not a harness. 6. Leash you should keep in your supplies a leash for walking your dog - the expandable kind is good especially if your dog is not used to being walked 7. Confining Your Dog you may wish to purchase a plastic airline crate or a collapsible wire crate to transport your dog in should you have to evacuate and/or to keep it in following a disaster (remember that fences will likely be down in the aftermath of a disaster) - be sure the crate is large enough for your animal to lie down and allow room for a food and water dish. you may wish to purchase a metal stake that twists into the ground with a place to fasten a chain for your dog - be sure if you stake out the dog to provide protection from the hot sun, extreme cold, snow and rain. when staking a dog out, be sure and use a chain and not a leash that the dog can chew through - also make sure that the dog is not chained in a place that he can fall off something and hang himself (for example an elevated porch) 8. First Aid Kit You should have in your supplies a basic first aid kit along with a first aid book for dogs - here are some basic items to include in that kit: conforming bandage (3" x5") absorbent gauze pads (4" x 4") absorbent gauze roll (3" x 1 yard) cotton tipped applicators (one box) antiseptic wipes (one package) · emollient cream (one container) tweezers and blunt-end scissors instant cold pack latex disposable gloves, several pairs

Return to Support Corner