News of natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes always serves as a reminder that we should consider our own emergency plans. And it’s not only catastrophic events that might require that you implement your plan – severe weather can easily create conditions that can escalate quickly into an emergency-response situation, and household emergencies can be triggered at any time.
And, improvements following Katrina notwithstanding, making sure your pets are safe and can stay with you is going to be a challenge.
So do as the Boy Scouts do and be prepared! A bit of planning now can save you a world of heartache in the event of a disaster or emergency.
Get informed
Learn about what you should plan for and do in the event of an emergency or disaster. There are plenty of good information sources online:
Pet First Aid and CPR training
Remember, there is no 911 for pets, so your knowledge of basic first aid can be the difference between life and death, and it’s so easy everyone should know it. Here are some local resources:
- Red Cross Pet First Aid/CPR course (Plano, TX April 25th)
- PetsAmerica Basic Pet First Aid & Disaster Response Workshop
- PetTech instructors offer a variety of workshops
- CPR-Now CPR and First Aid for Pets (Dallas, Tx)
- Petco online first aid course
Can’t afford the time or money for a class? Here are some useful books and DVDs:
There’s nothing worse than having to scramble and improvise when you know a pet’s life could be in danger. Even minor injuries are easier to deal with when you have the right provisions! Have a basic first aid kit at home and in your car (imagine being able to help an animal who has been run over simply because you thought ahead!).
You can easily (and cheaply) put together a kit yourself, or you can purchase an already-assembled kit (a bit pricier).
- Petfinder.com recommended Pet First Aid kit (build it yourself)
- A variety of first aid kits available through amazon.com – from as low as $15 and up!
- Comprehensive List of Pet First Aid Kits at wholesale prices
Emergency/Disaster preparedness kits
More comprehensive than a simple first aid kit, these are designed to help you through that critical first 72 hours or so after a disaster, when infrastructure is down and first responders are still working on stabilizing the situation. Comprehensive information and kits are available.
- Emergency and Disaster survival – pet survival
- www.fussycat.com – an awesome emergency evacuation and pet survival kit that is both a carrier and a litter box, and contains emergency supplies. Also, if you enter “American Humane” at checkout you’ll get a 5% savings AND AmericanHumane.org will receive $12 towards its work on behalf of animals!
Hopefully you and your pet will never need these resources but as always, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment