How to Create an Emergency Preparedness Kit for Your Dog

It is something we never want to think about, the bad situations and natural disasters that could put you, your family and pets in serious danger, yet happens all the time around the world. You do not want to be in a panic wondering what to grab and take with you as you evacuate your home during a time that would be very stressful. The best way to ensure that you have what you need is to prepare in advance for what you would need to take for you and your family, as well as having a specific emergency preparedness kit for your dog.

What to Pack
Emergency preparedness kits should include the essentials needed to live for several weeks. This includes clothes, food, water, medicine and any toys for entertainment and blankets for shelter and sleeping. It is also important to have access to monetary funds, while it is best to have cash stored away; a credit card is also a viable option.

Specifically when it comes to packing an emergency preparedness kit for your dog you
should include the following:

Food*: have 7-21 days of food, either dry or canned (pop-top)
Water*: have 7-21 days worth of water
Food Dishes: one for water and one for food
Medicine*: 7-21 days worth of any medicine your dog requires
Pet Carrier
Blanket
Disposable Bags: waste clean-up
Extra Collar & Tags
Extra Harness & Leash
Pre-printed Lost Pet flyers (just in case)
Copies of medical records
Pet First Aid Book
A Few Toys/Chew Toys

*Food, water and medicine should be rotated in and out often so these items do not go bad and become unusable in the event of an actual emergency.

Other Preparations
Make sure all of your emergency preparedness kits for your family and pets are near an exit and can be easily found and grabbed in the event of an emergency. On top of preparing and maintaining all of your emergency preparedness kits there are also, a few other tactics you can do that can make a world of difference in an emergency. If you do not already, you should get a rescue alert sticker for your home. Available at most pet supply stores, this sticker tells emergency rescue workers how many people and pets are in the house, if it comes to the point that they need to search for survivors. If you are able to get everyone and your pets out of the house, make sure to write “evacuated” over the sticker (or place a pre-written “evacuated” sticker on it). This will let workers know you are safe so they can put their efforts on any other homes that may be affected by the disaster. The other important step to take ahead of time is to plan where you will go for shelter in the event of an emergency. If you have family or friends who are willing to take in your family and pets great, otherwise, you will need to research shelters that are pet friendly, as some shelters will not take in pets. You can also look into a pet only shelter for your pets if you are comfortable leaving your pet for a little while as you all recuperate from the emergency. You may also want to consider installing a microchip in your dog that way your dog will always be connected to your whether he loses his collar and tags or not.

Susan Wright, DMV works closely with wireless dog fence professionals as an expert. Dr. Wright is a veterinarian, writer, and dog owner. When she’s not working caring for family pets, she spends her time writing articles to teach tips on proper pet care.