More and more people are evaluating how prepared they are for an emergency situation after a year of wacky weather.
From wildfires in the Interior to flooding across the province, and record snowfalls to the latest atmospheric river event, officials have been warning people to have grab-and-go bags ready in case of an evacuation.
Many people think of themselves when packing an emergency bag. But what about pets?
A grab-and-go bag should be packed for each pet as well, said Krista Shaw, branch manager of the Maple Ridge BC SPCA. And, like humans, pets also need supplies for at least 72 hours in the event of an emergency. Although the BC SPCA recommends supplies for two to four weeks.
“People don’t necessarily think about their pet in an emergency situation until it’s too late,” said Lorie Chortyk, general manager of communications for the BC SPCA, online. “You don’t have time to gather up everything you need if you have to get out of your home right away.”
Shaw agreed. Some important items that Shaw recommends packing are: the phone number of the animal’s veterinarian if, for some reason the internet goes down; if there is any medication that the animal is on; any health insurance information; and if the animal has any allergies or health concerns.
“In an emergency you might not think ‘Oh yeah, my dog’s allergic to chicken.’ You might just hand him over without thinking. But if you have it written down like an emergency plan for your animal, at least you could hand him over and not forget something like that,” noted Shaw.
Shaw also recommends having any medications the animal is on already in the emergency bag. However, she said, to make sure to check the expiration date about every six months.
With regards to dogs, Shaw says, it’s a good idea, and not just for emergency purposes, if they are both muzzle and kennel trained.
“Muzzle training is a really good skill to have with all dogs,” said Shaw.
Even if you have the friendliest dog, if an evacuation takes place and you want to bring your dog, the rescuer might be terrified of dogs and would feel safer if it was muzzled.
“Not everybody in the world loves dogs,” she said.
During the November flooding event the Maple Ridge branch of the BC SPCA took in about 20 pets – two dogs from the interior and about 18 cats and rabbits from the Abbotsford and Chilliwack areas – that were triaged there through the BC SPCA’s emergency line and because the shelters the flooded communities were themselves evacuated.
They asked owners to bring food that their pets are used to eating and also litter for cats – if they could.
Cats can be finicky with their litter, Shaw explained.
And any animal, if you change their food abruptly, can give them an upset stomach, added Shaw.
“So we always do it gradually if we’re going to change their food.”
There is an emergency checklist on the BC SPCA website for families with pets. Dogs, the checklist reads can go through about four litres of water per day and cats one litre.
In addition to Shaw’s recommendations it mentions: having a sturdy carrier for each pet; having waste supplies like bags for dogs and litter supplies for cats; extra bedding; a hiding box; water bottle; hay for small animals; towels and blankets; toys to lower stress; to have any microchip, tattoo or license recorded with medical records; dog leash and harness; a cat harness and leash; and a muzzle for a dog.
There is also a checklist for a pet first aid kit.
Chortyk noted that in the past people have forgot to pack things like feeding bowls, food and leashes.
“People love their pets but it often doesn’t sink in that an emergency can happen at any time.”
For more information go to spca.bc.ca.
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