Tomorrow at 10:17 a.m. millions of Californians will practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” in anticipation of an earthquake. The idea is to stop wherever you are — at home, at work, in your car, shopping — and respond as if an earthquake had hit.
It’s also an opportunity to think, “If there were an earthquake right now, what would happen to my dog?”
Does your door have a sticker to let rescue workers know that there’s a dog inside?
Does someone have a key to get in to check on and feed your dog if a freeway cracked and you couldn’t get home from work?
Do you have a grab-and-go bag of supplies your dog would need for several days if you had to evacuate? Do you know where you would go?
If your dog ran away in fear, does he have a license, an identification tag and an up-to-date microchip? Do you have his paperwork to be able to reclaim him if he got picked up at an animal shelter?
All important questions — and all easy to address.
The thing that makes disasters (and even ordinary emergencies of daily life) so frightening and challenging is that we never know when, how or where they will strike. There’s no way to nail down all the details, but a small amount of preparation goes a long way toward keeping you safer, more confident and more comfortable.
Here are some key areas to address:
- Identification for your pet. All pets should wear a collar and identification at all times. Microchipping is good — but it only works if you’ve made sure that your contact information is registered with the chip company and up-to-date. Having a current dog license is also helpful if your dog gets loose.
- Documentation. Having photocopies of your dog’s last rabies vaccination and license and a photograph of you with the dog will make it much easier to reclaim your dog if he gets loose and is picked up by Los Angeles Animal Services. The copies can be put in a plastic bag with your own important documents or in your grab-and-go bag. (Some people recommend putting the plastic bag in the freezer, where it will be protected from fire and is easy to remember and find.)
- Make a disaster kit. Include everything you think you’ll need to sustain your dog for at least five days. Have everything ready to go at a moment’s notice. Things to have include food, water, medications and medical records, a pet first aid book and kit, sturdy leashes and harnesses, a muzzle, a carrier, newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags, bedding and a toy.
- Plan ahead for where you can stay if you have to evacuate. If your location isn’t safe for you, it isn’t safe for your dog. Disaster shelters can always accommodate pets. Websites like FidoUniverse.com can be an excellent starting point for identifying pet-friendly hotels, pet sitting services or kennels to use in an emergency. Take action early and be sure to have several choices because competition for these services will be high in an emergency. Have a variety of friends or relatives who might be willing to shelter you and your pet in an emergency.
- Enlist a friend or neighbor in case you’re away from home. Be sure he or she knows your pet and his habits; let them know where your dog’s grab-and-go bag is.
Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that disaster preparedness is a process, not a finite task. Data have to be updated. Food, water and medications refreshed. Plans reviewed and practiced. It’s work that has a high pay off.
Here are some resources for protecting your pets during a disaster:
- FEMA: Caring for Animals
- American Red Cross: Pets and Disaster Safety Checklist
- ASPCA: Disaster Preparedness
- The Humane Society of the United States: Make a Disaster Plan for Your Pets; how to keep pets safe in natural disasters or everyday emergencies
- Suzanne Tateosian, Earthquake Preparedness for Pets
