Saving Pets In Disasters

Natural disasters are occurring more frequently these days. Southern states are being hit hard with hurricanes and flooding and western states are being devasted by wildfires. The deep freeze in Texas and the Covid-19 crisis teach us that these emergencies make it more critical than ever to have a plan in place. . It is important for us to be prepared to keep our pets and ourselves safe.

So what does a pet owner need to know to be ready in the event of a disaster or emergency? Being prepared can save your life as well as your pets. There are several things every pet parent can do.

Have a pet go-bag handy and ready to go. It should contain a pet first-aid kit ready and upgrade it regularly.

Here at Let’s Talk Pets, we cannot stress the importance of the following when preparing for emergencies and disasters:

• Collars and ID tags that are legible.

• Microchips that are registered properly and have accurate, updated information

• Crates that are ready-to-go at any time with pet’s name and owner’s contact information written on the carriers or crates

• At the first sign of storms, pets should be brought inside

• To-go pet bags prepared, emergency kits and leashes should be ready near an exit if you must vacate quickly

We have also created a Pet First Aid Checklist for you to download.

Pet First Aid Kit

.pdf

Download PDF • 275KB

Let's Talk Pets was able to speak with Marilyn Litt from Lost Dogs of Texas. When Hurricane Katrina hit, Marilyn Litt, from Lost Dogs of Texas, created a volunteer group to help reunite pets with their owners. Since then, Marilyn has been instrumental in creating online groups to get pets home after natural disasters. She is well known among her peers for her work.

Currently, Marilyn is working with an experienced volunteer group, Hurricane Ida Lost & Found Pets (not associated with any shelters) to help find pets lost during recent hurricanes and flooding storms. The group is partnered with the nonprofit, PetFBI, which is the largest lost and found animal database in the world. A member of the Lost Dogs of America family, Lost Dogs of Texas helps reunite thousands of dogs with their families every year through Facebook and flyers.