Today is National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day - Are You Ready?

According to FEMA's Citizen Corps, today is National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day. More than half of American households includes pets. It's important that we be prepared to safely help ourselves as well as our pets survive in a disaster. These preparations are similar to the preparations you would make for the rest of your family, including:

1. Make an emergency kit for your pet. It should include at least three days of food and water for your pet, as well as materials for sanitation (ie. kitty litter, cleaning materials, or other pet needs)
2. A first aid kit, including anything you would specifically need for your pet.
3. ID for your pet - get both a collar tag and a microchip, if applicable.
4. A carrier for your pet, if applicable.
5. An evacuation/emergency plan - what will you do with your pet if you need to evacuate? Who will care for your pet if you can't make it home?
6. Know the location of the closest pet emergency room. Include this information in your emergency kit.

Here's some more detailed information that may help you prepare:

• These two webinars are available from Citizen Corps:

1. 
   

   May 3, 2:00 PM EDT: The Community's Role in Preparing and Planning for Animals

2. 
   

   May 3, 3:00 PM EDT: Tools and Resources from USDA Animal and Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

• 
  

  The Department of Homeland Security offers this downloadable pamphlet for preparing your pets for emergencies.

We're doing fairly well on that list, though there is always room for improvement! Our dog is definitely part of the family, so we plan for her, too!

Source: http://www.citizencorps.gov/news/webcasts/animalpreparedness.shtm