An Emergency Plan for Your Pet (pdf)

Disaster Training
FEMA independent study courses to help prepare you to assist with animals during a disaster.  

1. Animals in Disaster Module A: Awareness and Preparedness
2. Animals in Disaster Module B:  Community Planning

Hurricanes, floods, wildfires, hazardous material spills—disasters can strike anytime, anywhere. If you think you will never have to evacuate because you don’t live in a flood plain, you may be tragically mistaken. It is imperative that you make preparations to evacuate your family and your pets in any situation. In the event of a disaster, proper preparation will pay off with the safety of your family and pets.

If You Evacuate, Take Your Pets
The single most important thing you can do to protect your pets is to take them with you when you evacuate. Animals left behind in a disaster can easily be injured, lost, or killed. Animals left inside your home can escape through storm-damaged areas, such as broken windows. Animals turned loose to fend for themselves are likely to become victims of exposure, starvation, predators, contaminated food or water, or accidents. Leaving dogs tied or chained outside in a disaster is a death sentence.

If you leave, even if you think you may be gone only for a few hours, take your animals. Once you leave, you have no way of knowing how long you'll be kept out of the area, and you may not be able to go back for your pets.

Leave early—don't wait for a mandatory evacuation order. An unnecessary trip is far better than waiting too long to leave safely with your pets. If you wait to be evacuated by emergency officials, you may be told to leave your pets behind.

Don't Forget ID
Your pets should be wearing up-to-date identification at all times. It's a good idea to include the phone number of a friend or relative outside your immediate area—if your pet is lost, you'll want to provide a number on the tag that will be answered even if you're out of your home.

Find a Safe Place Ahead of Time
Because evacuation shelters generally don't accept pets (except for service animals), you must plan ahead to ensure that your family and pets will have a safe place to stay. Don't wait until disaster strikes to do your research.

Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area to check policies on accepting pets. Ask about any restrictions on number, size, and species. Ask if "no pet" policies would be waived in an emergency. Make a list of animal-friendly places and keep it handy. Call ahead for a reservation as soon as you think you might have to leave your home.  A list of pet-friendly hotels can be found online at www.petswelcome.com.

Check with friends, relatives, or others outside your immediate area. Ask if they would be able to shelter you and your animals or just your animals, if necessary. If you have more than one pet, you may have to be prepared to house them separately.
Make a list of boarding facilities and veterinary offices that might be able to shelter animals in emergencies; include 24-hour telephone numbers.

The Virginia Beach SPCA is the only local shelter that will provide foster care or shelter for pets in an emergency. We should be your last resort, as our space and resources are severely limited.  We are available only to those pets whose families are under mandatory evacuation orders, and only in a Category One or Category Two hurricane.  A stronger storm will force us to evacuate our shelter entirely.

If You Don't Evacuate
If your family and pets must wait out a storm or other disaster at home, identify a safe area of your home where you can all stay together.

Keep dogs on leashes and cats in carriers, and make sure they are wearing identification.

Have any medications and a supply of pet food and water inside watertight containers, along with your other emergency supplies.

As the Disaster Approaches
Don't wait until the last minute to get ready. Warnings of hurricanes or other disasters may be issued hours, or even days, in advance.

Call to confirm emergency shelter arrangements for you and your pets.

Bring pets into the house and confine them so you can leave with them quickly if necessary. Make sure each pet and pet carrier has up-to-date identification and contact information. Include information about your temporary shelter location.

Make sure your disaster supplies are ready to go, including your pet disaster kit.

In Case You're Not Home
An evacuation order may come, or a disaster may strike, when you're at work or out of the house.

Make arrangements well in advance for a trusted neighbor to take your pets and meet you at a specified location. Be sure the person is comfortable with your pets, knows where your animals are likely to be, knows where your disaster supplies are kept, and has a key to your home.

If you use a pet-sitting service, it may be able to help, but discuss the possibility well in advance.

After the Storm
Planning and preparation will help you weather the disaster, but your home may be a very different place afterward, whether you have taken shelter at home or elsewhere.

Don't allow your pets to roam loose. Familiar landmarks and smells might be gone, and your pet will probably be disoriented. Pets can easily get lost in such situations.

For a few days, keep dogs on leashes and keep cats in carriers inside the house. If your house is damaged, they could escape and become lost.

Be patient with your pets after a disaster. Try to get them back into their normal routines as soon as possible, and be ready for behavioral problems that may result from the stress of the situation. If behavioral problems persist, or if your pet seems to be having any health problems, talk to your veterinarian.

Evacuation Planning:
You may not be in a flood zone or have to flee wildfire, but even a hazardous material incident on a nearby street could force you to evacuate. It pays to be prepared!

Other Evacuation Tips
All mobile home residents should evacuate at the first sign of a disaster.
Evacuate to the safest location you can that's as close as possible to home.

Long-distance evacuation can be a problem when highways are crowded.
When planning for hurricanes, identify your evacuation zone and level to determine if and when you would have to evacuate.

Be prepared for one category higher than the one being forecast, because hurricanes often increase in strength just before making landfall.

Hurricane season began June 1.  Include your pets in your disaster preparedness plans. Make advance preparations for your pet in the event of a hurricane.  Don't wait until the last minute to get ready. Warnings of hurricanes or other disasters may be issued days, or even only hours, in advance. Preparations you should do now: Develop a plan that includes taking your pet with you if you should have to evacuate. Ensure your pet is up to date on its vaccinations (required by pet-friendly shelters). Prepare a contact list of pet-friendly shelters, hotels, and boarding facilities. Store proof of vaccination records, current photo and a written description of pet in a zip lock bag. Place city license, rabies and id tag on your pet's collar. Have harnesses, leashes, muzzles, carriers, crates and all other items necessary to safely transport and house your pet available. Plan for 3 to 5 days of food and water for each pet, to include bowls for feeding. Comfort items for your pet.  Beds, blankets, favorite toy or other items that may help make them feel more comfortable and reduce stress. Have current medications on hand, including flea preventative. Don't forget litterboxes, paper towels and plastic bags for pet waste. As the storm approaches: Bring pets into the house and confine them so you can leave with them quickly if necessary. Perform a final review your preparedness checklist to ensure all necessary items needed to safely evacuate with your pet are on hand. For a checklist of items to have on hand for weathering out the storm or evacuations, visit the Pet Preparedness Checklist