How to Keep Your Pets Safe in an Emergency
Have a plan and a checklist ready in case you ever need to evacuate your home with your pet
Mariella Attard
29 June 2022
Houzz Australia contributor. I'm a freelance writer, always looking for the next story. (And always picking cat hair off every item of clothing and furniture that I own.)
Houzz Australia contributor. I'm a freelance writer, always looking for the next... More
Whether for a wildfire, flood or other disaster, pets are a top priority when it comes to evacuating. But if you’re not prepared, it can make a difficult situation much harder. In an ideal world, our pets would be forever by our side. But for situations where this isn’t possible or safe, or when you and your pet need to leave home in a hurry, we spoke to two experts to discover what to do to be pet-ready in an emergency.
My cats don’t react well to any hint of stress. Accidentally smash a plate during meal clean-up and they dive for cover under the sofa. Move the furniture a bit or start packing something into a bag and they’re pacing the hall, whiskers twitching, on high alert. So you can imagine what their reaction might be to anything more stressful than, say, a frantic search for house keys.
When the smell of smoke woke me up in the middle of the night (sadly, a regular event during the devastating Australian bushfires of 2019 and 2020) I realized that I didn’t have a plan for how to get the cats out if we were in a hurry, in the dark.
Confessions of a New Cat Parent
When the smell of smoke woke me up in the middle of the night (sadly, a regular event during the devastating Australian bushfires of 2019 and 2020) I realized that I didn’t have a plan for how to get the cats out if we were in a hurry, in the dark.
Confessions of a New Cat Parent
Of course, the key to any emergency is to be prepared. We’ve all heard the message about the importance of having a plan for floods and fires. And those plans need to include pets. So, what can you do to be ready in case you need to get your pets out in a hurry?
How to Prepare Your Family for a Natural Disaster
How to Prepare Your Family for a Natural Disaster
Wildfires and floods might not be top of mind right now, but there are other reasons you should have an emergency plan for your pet. What if you’re taken away in an ambulance, or you have to travel suddenly for work or a family crisis?
And what will happen to little Bella or Bailey if you’re delayed in getting home because your car broke down in the middle of nowhere and it’ll take days to get the parts and the pet-sitter?
How to Keep Your Pet Calm and Carrying On During Fireworks
And what will happen to little Bella or Bailey if you’re delayed in getting home because your car broke down in the middle of nowhere and it’ll take days to get the parts and the pet-sitter?
How to Keep Your Pet Calm and Carrying On During Fireworks
“More often than not, we get very short-notice calls from people in a panic,” says Sharon Savill, director and founder of Pet Friends, a Perth, Australia, pet-sitting service.
“Someone’s ended up in hospital and they’ve got a dog and a cat at home and a budgie and they think, ‘Oh my goodness, who’s going to feed my pets?’”
The good news is that there’s plenty you can do in advance to make sure your pet will be OK.
How to Protect Your Home From a Natural Disaster
“Someone’s ended up in hospital and they’ve got a dog and a cat at home and a budgie and they think, ‘Oh my goodness, who’s going to feed my pets?’”
The good news is that there’s plenty you can do in advance to make sure your pet will be OK.
How to Protect Your Home From a Natural Disaster
Savill says the most important thing is to sort out a pet-friendly emergency contact — a neighbor, friend or family member or, failing that, a pet-sitting service. If your pet can’t stay home, it’s much easier to have an accommodation option worked out for them in advance.
The other important task that you can do right now is to jot down a packing list for your pet. In an emergency, you or someone else can pull it all together in flash. “So when you’re worried and trying to think of what to pack for yourself and your kids and whatever else, there’s just a basic list of necessities that your pet would need if it’s going with you or going somewhere else to stay,” Savill says.
Your First-Aid, Emergency and Medical Supply Checklist
The other important task that you can do right now is to jot down a packing list for your pet. In an emergency, you or someone else can pull it all together in flash. “So when you’re worried and trying to think of what to pack for yourself and your kids and whatever else, there’s just a basic list of necessities that your pet would need if it’s going with you or going somewhere else to stay,” Savill says.
Your First-Aid, Emergency and Medical Supply Checklist
If your pet hasn’t left your house before, you may not have a carrier in which to transport them safely and conveniently. If that’s the case, get one.
“For example, if you have birds in an aviary, you should have a smaller cage for them. Keep it in the shed,” Savill says. “Or if you have free-roaming rabbits, they’ll need a carrier.”
Find a general contractor near you
“For example, if you have birds in an aviary, you should have a smaller cage for them. Keep it in the shed,” Savill says. “Or if you have free-roaming rabbits, they’ll need a carrier.”
Find a general contractor near you
And because you may be on the road for a while, or doing a lot of waiting, you’re going to need a large container to store enough water for an indeterminate length of time, as well as a smaller one that your pet can drink from.
Finally, even if your pet doesn’t normally wear a collar, Savill says it’s very helpful if they have one with a tag and your phone number, in case they run away in fright. This, she says, increases the chances that you’ll be reunited sooner.
Even if they are microchipped, she says, “it’s really easy if you look at their collar and you can see the number and call it rather than having to take them to a vet.”
Shop for pet supplies on Houzz
Even if they are microchipped, she says, “it’s really easy if you look at their collar and you can see the number and call it rather than having to take them to a vet.”
Shop for pet supplies on Houzz
When it comes to floods and wildfires, there’s often a bit of time between the initial warning and the final order to evacuate. If you can, get your pet out as early as possible.
“Ask a friend or family member if they are able to take care of your pet until the all clear has been given. This means that you have nothing to worry about to start with,” says Dr. Gerardo Poli of Animal Emergency Service in Australia.
“Ask a friend or family member if they are able to take care of your pet until the all clear has been given. This means that you have nothing to worry about to start with,” says Dr. Gerardo Poli of Animal Emergency Service in Australia.
Poli has put together a list of items to corral in a pet evacuation kit, ahead of time. “A pet evacuation kit has all the critical items and information that is required for you to take care of your pet if you are temporarily displaced,” Poli says “Place all the following items in a large tub and have it in or near the car.”
- Transportation equipment: leads and harnesses, car harness, cat or dog carriers.
- Food and water for at least a week: water bowl and several gallons of water, pet food that can be stored without refrigeration.
- Current medications and a pet first-aid kit: Place these along with instructions in a small box.
- Miscellaneous items: waste bags, blankets and toys.
Other items in the kit are not so obvious. Emergencies are stressful for pets, and when they’re afraid, they sometimes run away. Poli suggests including things in your evacuation kit that will make it easier to find them, like a recent photo, phone numbers for local shelters, the local phone number for lost pets and contact details of after-hours vets.
And don’t forget to pack your pet’s medical records. If they can’t stay with you or a friend, they may have to board at a kennel and they’ll need proof of vaccination.
And don’t forget to pack your pet’s medical records. If they can’t stay with you or a friend, they may have to board at a kennel and they’ll need proof of vaccination.
Keeping stress to a minimum is easier said than done, but anything you do to keep your pet as calm as possible in an emergency will go a long way to making the situation easier for everybody and reduce the chance of them fleeing in a panic.
Poli has a few tips for keeping your animals as calm as possible.
- Don’t punish your pet for being afraid. It can lead to worse behavior. Offer comfort and use distraction as a method to calm them down.
- While still at home, create a quiet space for them to go to. If they have a place they like to hide, let them go there. Follow their lead.
- You can use music to mitigate stressful new environments and unfamiliar noises.
- Distract your pet with their favorite toys and treats on the way.
Your turn: Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve had to evacuate a pet or other animals in a hurry? What helped you and your animals in a difficult situation, and what would you do differently next time? Share in the Comments.
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Timely article. Spent 2 days this week in southern Colorado with a NRCS biologist, WAP County Coordinator and Deputy Fire Chief assessing a rural community and preparing a community assessment for fire prevention. Many discussions about Fuel Ladders, mitigation in advance, the correct address signs, road width & condition for emergency vehicles, north vs. south slopes and how fire travels, community exits, pipe stands for fire tank refueling, backup generators for water tanks, etc.
Fire in the SW is no longer an “IF” question, it is a “WHEN” question!!! The more proactive you are, the less risk you are putting yourself, property, pets and loved ones in.
Great article! I'd like to know the author's solution about finding her cats in the middle of the night if there's a fire. I worry abthat also.
Living on the Gulf Coast we have had lots of experience evacuating for hurricanes over the years. But we obviously have more time to prepare with a hurricane coming than a wildfire. Excellent list for supplies, would only add extra leashes and collars just in case. Where we live, there are two options for evacuation, either east or west depending on which way the storm is coming in. We have routes planned and have already researched hotels that take dogs. I also recommend making hotel reservations as early as possible, you can always cancel if the storms turns to another track, All pet records are kept in a separate container for easy transport.