Emergency preparedness with pets

Nobody wants to experience a disaster. And some of us never will. But the reality of life is that emergencies, minor and major, happen and recovering from them is much easier if we make readiness part of our routine. If you have pets, it is important to plan for how you would meet their needs in unforeseen circumstances. Today I'd like to share my approach to preparedness with pets.

Know the dangers
I live in a suburb of Seattle. Let's face it, this area is fairly safe from natural disasters. We have no tornadoes or hurricanes, I'm nowhere near a river than may flood, extreme winters and droughts typically skip this area. We do get an occasional earthquake, though. And just like any other place, extensive power outages and fires can happen at any time. So I know the danger that my pets and I need to be prepared to face.

Be ready in your home
The most likely emergency for me is a longer power outage. So I have lots of warm blankets I could let my pups snuggle in. I have extra food and water in the house, both for me and for them, and, of course, a manual can opener. Each of my dogs has a sweater and a coat. I bought two different types so, if need be, I could layer them on for extra protection from the cold. In case of a fire, the only pet-related modification that I could make to my home is put a pet alert sticker on my doors. If I am not at home and emergency personnel need to enter my apartment, I want them to know that I have 2 dogs who need to be saved and, hopefully, whom the fire department won't let run away and get lost. Yes, this scenario worries me and I hope to never be away from my pets if something scary happens.

Be ready to evacuate
Some disasters may require you to evacuate your home and make do with what you were able to grab on your way out. I have an emergency backpack with basic 5-day supplies for 1 person (there are tons of products like this ready for purchase). In order to make it pet-friendly, I added a few items. I have a plastic bag of dog food (marked with expiration date), a water bowl that folds flat, a spare leash (old ones that you no longer use but still fit work just fine), lots of baggies, a booklet of pet first aid, and a few extra of the emergency blankets. I also keep a photo of each of my pets (in case we get separated) and copies of their recent vet records. The backpack lives near the front door so I can easily grab it on my way out and can carry it on my back while I am holding two scared dogs (who are hopefully on leash shortly after we have left the building). Teaching my dogs to actually come quickly to me in extreme circumstances... well, that's another story and a work in progress. I am partly counting on their instinct and pack mentality kicking in and helping me out.

I hope to never have to make use of my emergency supplies because of an actual emergency. But having them available and having thought about extreme circumstances gives me peace of mind and a sense of being a responsible pet parent.