Great advice for anyone out there with a pet.
Disaster preparedness for pets
Reuniting family members isn't the only challenge
By Jennifer Openshaw
Last Update: 11:43 AM ET Sept. 13, 2005
Maybe the chances of a hurricane occurring in your city are slim. But responsible pet owners would be wise to take steps to reduce the chances of separation in the event of any disaster. Here are tips from the Animal Control Officers:Identity pet hotels. Make a list of "pet-friendly" hotels in case you need to temporarily relocate with your animals.
Buddy up. Create a "buddy system" of reciprocal agreements with neighbors to take care of each other's pets in the event a disaster occurs when one of you is not home.
Think emergency. Create a "pet emergency kit" that includes medications, medical records, food and water containers, a list of critical phone numbers, and a picture of your pets in case they get lost. All of this can be kept in a pet carrier for storage until needed.
Microchip your pet. This involves implanting a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice under the pet's skin. Almost all shelters and veterinarians have microchip scanners now, and this could mean the difference between being reunited with your pet or not.
I think it is a shame that it takes a catastrophic event to remind us how critically important it is for everyone to have an emergency kit at home. I guess the problem is that people are either complacent, they don't know what to get or, they wait until the very last minute and do not have the time to go to all of the stores to get what they need. Yesterday, a DECA business high-school student knocked on door and told the family about the fundraiser for their high-school club. They were selling a 72-hour emergency kit called the Ready Kit from American Family Safety. I don't remember everything that the kit had but, it was designed by the department of homeland security and had three days of water, food, radio, flashlight batteries and a first aid kit and a lot of other stuff all in an orange backpack. Talk about convenient. The student was selling it for $49 and a portion went to the neighborhood DECA club who was raising funds for Red Cross. The product gets shipped right to the house from UPS too. I think it is a great idea to educate everyone about the need for these products. The fundraiser is from www.americanfamilysafety.com and it's a lot better than buying the chocolate bars or cookies.