How to prepare your pets for an emergency

When you’re making plans to keep your household safe in an emergency, don’t forget about the furred, feathered and otherwise non-human members of the family. Whether you’re sheltering at home or need to leave in a hurry, your animals will rely on you for their food, water, shelter and safety.

Different emergencies may call for different responses. A flood or tsunami could mean heading for higher ground, while a storm may leave you sheltering at home without power or water. Whatever happens, thinking about your pets before an emergency occurs will make it much easier to look after them when it matters.

Include your pets in your emergency plan

If it isn’t safe for you to stay at home, it probably isn’t safe for your pets either. Make sure your household emergency plan includes how you’ll evacuate your animals, who is responsible for them and where you’ll take them.

It’s worth identifying pet-friendly friends, family or accommodation outside your immediate area ahead of time, as not every evacuation or emergency facility will necessarily be able to accommodate every type of animal. You could also keep the details of nearby kennels, catteries or other appropriate facilities with your emergency information.

Think about how you’ll transport your animals too. Cats and other small pets will need suitable carriers, while dogs should have a collar and lead ready to go. Larger animals and livestock require their own plans, including appropriate transport or somewhere safe they can be moved if immediate evacuation isn’t possible.

If you’re away from home when something happens, have a trusted neighbour, friend or family member who can check on your pets. Make sure they know where your animals and emergency supplies are and can access your property if required.

Make sure you have provisions for them

Your household emergency supplies need to cover your animals as well as the humans. Have at least three days of food and water available for every pet, and consider storing more if you have the room. Animals can also drink more than usual when stressed, so allow for some extra water.

You should also have a getaway kit that can be picked up quickly if you need to evacuate. Along with food and water, consider including bowls, any essential medications, bedding or a familiar blanket, poo bags or litter supplies and a favourite toy.

Different animals have different needs, so build your kit around yours. A cat may need a litter tray and carrier, while birds, reptiles and other small animals will require appropriate containment and may have particular temperature, food or care requirements. If your animal relies on medication or specialised food, keep enough available to get you through a few days without easy access to your usual supplies.

Make sure your pets can be identified

Emergencies can be frightening for animals, and even pets that normally stick close to home can take off when they're scared. Making sure they can be identified gives you a much better chance of being reunited if you become separated.

Pets should have an identification tag with your current contact details, while dogs should also wear their current registration tag. Microchip your pets where appropriate and, importantly, make sure the information attached to their microchip is kept up to date.

Keep recent photos of your animals too, including one of you together. Save copies somewhere you can access even if you can’t get home, along with vaccination records, veterinary information, microchip details and any other important documentation.

Put together an animal first aid kit

You might not be able to get to a vet immediately after an emergency, so keep some basic animal first aid supplies alongside your household first aid kit.

Exactly what you need will depend on the animals in your care, but basic supplies can include bandages, gloves, saline solution, scissors and tweezers. Keep your vet’s contact details with the kit, along with details for local animal shelters and animal control services.

First aid supplies aren’t a substitute for veterinary treatment, but they may help you look after minor injuries or keep an animal comfortable until professional help is available.

Help your pets stay calm

If an emergency is stressful for you, chances are your pets aren't having a great time either. Unfamiliar noises, people and surroundings can make animals frightened or unpredictable, so keeping them safely contained is important.

If you’re sheltering at home, keep pets indoors where possible so they don’t panic and run away. If you evacuate, familiar bedding, blankets or toys can help provide some reassurance in an unfamiliar environment.

You know your pet better than anyone, so think about how they respond when they're frightened and plan accordingly. Giving them a secure, familiar place to settle can make a difficult situation a little easier for everyone.

What about assistance animals?

Assistance animals need to be included in your emergency planning too, but there are some important differences. Certified assistance and guide dogs have legal access rights to public spaces and you cannot be separated from your assistance or guide dog at places providing support during an emergency, such as Civil Defence Centres. Different arrangements may apply at places such as marae or churches.

Where possible, have your animal wear the coat or identification provided by its certifying organisation and keep your own assistance animal identification handy. It's also a good idea to ask the certifying organisation in advance how you can contact them following an emergency and what support they may be able to provide.

Remember to include everything your assistance animal needs in your emergency supplies too, including food, water, medication and any equipment essential to the support they provide.

Make the plan before you need it

The middle of an emergency isn't the time to discover the cat carrier is buried at the back of the garage or that the dog's microchip still has your old phone number attached to it.

Include your animals when you make your household emergency plan, prepare their supplies alongside your own and make sure everyone knows what they're responsible for. Hopefully you'll never need to put the plan into action, but if you do, you'll be in a much better position to keep every member of your household safe, whether they have two legs, four legs, feathers or fins.