For the Furbabies

Know where you can go together.

Do not assume the nearest public shelter will accept household pets. Service animals are treated differently, but many emergency shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside. The time to learn your local options is before an evacuation order is issued and every nearby room is being booked.

Build a short destination list with more than one kind of option:

• pet-friendly hotels along at least two evacuation routes;
• friends or relatives outside the immediate area who can take both you and your animals;
• veterinary hospitals, boarding facilities, animal shelters, or rescue organizations that may provide emergency housing; and
• local evacuation sites that use co-located animal sheltering, where people and pets are housed in separate but nearby areas.

Call before relying on any location. Ask about species, size or breed restrictions, vaccination requirements, deposits, carriers, and how emergency reservations are handled. Review the list at least once a year because policies and ownership change.

Choose the person with the key.

Emergencies do not wait until everyone is home. Create a buddy system with a trusted neighbor, friend, or relative who can safely enter your home, find each animal, and reach the supplies. Give that person written care instructions and permission to obtain veterinary treatment if you cannot be reached.

Choose a second person in case the first is also affected. Make sure both know where animals may hide when frightened and how each one should be handled. A normally gentle animal may react differently to alarms, smoke, floodwater, unfamiliar people, or a crowded shelter.

Make every animal identifiable.

Use current collars or identification appropriate for the animal and keep microchip registration up to date. Save the chip number and company contact information with the plan. Keep recent photographs of each pet, including at least one showing you together, along with a physical description and proof of ownership. Those details can help if you become separated.

Store veterinary records, vaccination certificates, prescriptions, medication instructions, feeding schedules, behavior notes, and your veterinarian’s contact information in a waterproof pouch and a protected digital copy.

Keep the way out ready.

Every animal needs a safe method of transport. Keep leashes, harnesses, and correctly sized carriers where they can be reached quickly. Label each carrier with the animal’s name, your contact information, medical or behavior needs, and a backup contact.

Do not let the first time a cat enters a carrier or a dog settles inside a crate be during an evacuation. Leave carriers out periodically, add familiar bedding or treats, and practice calmly. Birds, reptiles, fish, rabbits, and other small animals need species-specific transport, temperature, feeding, and power plans. Ask a veterinarian what a safe evacuation setup requires.

Build a furbaby go-kit.

Keep the supplies together and portable. The CDC recommends planning for a two-week supply of food, water, and medications. Your kit may also need:

• food and water dishes, a manual can opener, and feeding instructions;
• prescriptions and preventatives, with attention to temperature requirements and expiration dates;
• leashes, harnesses, carriers, bedding, and a familiar toy;
• litter, a litter box, waste bags, paper towels, and cleaning supplies;
• a pet first-aid kit and the number for your veterinarian and an emergency veterinary hospital; and
• records, photographs, microchip information, and written boarding instructions.

Rotate food, water, and medication before they expire. Store the kit near the carriers rather than scattering the essential items throughout the house.

Leaving them behind is not the plan.

If officials tell you to evacuate, take your animals when it is safe to do so. Conditions may prevent you from returning for much longer than expected. Never leave an animal chained outdoors. If you must shelter in place, bring pets inside early, close off unsafe hiding places, and keep carriers and the go-kit nearby.

Coming home may feel unfamiliar to them.

Flooding, fire, debris, chemicals, damaged fencing, wildlife, and downed power lines can make familiar property dangerous. Keep pets leashed or contained while you inspect the area. Scents and landmarks may have changed, and stress can alter behavior. Contact a veterinarian if an animal shows signs of injury, illness, or continuing distress.

Five minutes better.

• Confirm that every identification tag is readable.
• Check one microchip registration.
• Place one recent photograph in the records pouch.
• Ask one trusted person to become the backup caregiver.
• Call one evacuation destination and ask about its pet policy.

They cannot make the plan, but they trust us to have one.