When it comes to emergencies such as house fires, we typically have an escape plan in place for ourselves and our family. We should ideally have one in place for our pets too! In those moments of panic it is helpful to already have a plan in place for them.
If an emergency occurs where you need to evacuate quickly because of fire or flooding for example, you should have a few things in place for your pet. First, you should have an exit plan just as you would for yourself. Make sure you have leashes handy for your dog or cat carriers easily accessible for your cat and that they can be quickly placed in your vehicle.
You should have stored in a hard plastic sealed container anything of importance pertaining to your pet such as vaccine records, medical conditions, any extra medications that they might be on and also microchip information if they have a microchip implant. Having extra food set aside in a sealed container with food dishes and water bowels is also helpful.
Even the best laid plans may not go the way we would like them to. It may be a good idea to have missing posters done up for your pet and set aside with the other important information should your cat or dog ever escape during an emergency. The faster you can get posters out for your missing pet the better it is for them.
In case of a house fire, it is important to get yourself and your family out first. There are stickers that you can purchase at pet stores for your front door or window that you can clearly display if you have any pets and how many of each for firefighters should you not be able to get your pets out of the house.
Did you know that you can take first aid courses for animals? In an emergency situation with your pet you may need to perform first aid or even CPR before you can get them to a veterinary hospital or emergency clinic. Those first few moments can be the most important and your ability to help your pet may be what saves its life.
Get your plan set into place today!