disaster preparedness Archives - Pet Safety Crusader

Your Animal ER, Pet Emergency Card & Pet Alert Sticker

Pet Safety Crusader — Tue, 22 May 2018 15:37:37 +0000

May is National Animal Preparedness Month, but it’s so important, every day of the year, to be double-dog sure you keep dangers out of paws and claws reach. Knowing know how to react and where to go should the worst happen can be a life-saver for your furry family members. Veterinarians are the experts, but most of us are not lucky enough to have one velcroed to our hip 24/7. Even if you live in a house with 10 humans, the cat is going to choke and the dog will cut his paw when you are home alone or AFTER veterinary hours, so you know what to do (aka pet first aid) BEFORE you can get to veterinary help!

As part of your _{WRITTEN EMERGENCY PLAN}, know where your nearest ANIMAL EMERGENCY CENTER is! Don’t just save the phone number in your cell – actually drive there and learn the closest route from home. Know which Animal ER is closest to your favorite dog park or hiking location, and…if you’re a pet sitter or mobile groomer, you need to research and find ones in all the neighborhoods you frequent. When you need to act quickly during an emergency, you must be on auto-pilot, not having to consciously think, “Is it a right or left turn?” Your energy should be focused on staying calm and tending to your furry patient’s needs. Find out now what services your Animal ER offers and how they accept payment BEFORE you need to use them. Know where to park, the closest entrance and any details that can alleviate stress. Make sure your pet insurance is up-to-date, that you have an emergency credit card or other way to help your best pal get the care he may need.

Also carry a PET EMERGENCY CARD in your wallet next to your Driver’s License or ID. Several companies offer services where you can sign up in their data base, but at least make a simple card like the one below. If you are in an accident, First Responders need to know that you have animals at home who need care. Can you imagine pets left alone, unfed, dogs not let out while you are unconscious in a hospital?! It’s unthinkable. Do confirm with human caregivers you designate on the card that they are on board with helping in your time of need. Caregivers should not be strangers to your pet but rather someone who knows them and has developed a rapport. A professional pet sitter, such as one obtained through Pet Sitters International, is PAWSome as professionals participate in on-going education and are qualified to providing the best care possible for your fur kid! To truly prepare your pets for an eventuality, I strongly encourage you to check in with my dear friend Debra Hamilton to MAAP out a plan for your furry family’s care.

One more bit of paper work…a PET ALERT STICKER placed near your front door or window lets First Responders, Animal Control and other officials know there are pets home alone in the event you aren’t allowed back in your home due to an emergency. If you are told to evacuate, TAKE YOUR PETS WITH YOU, but I do realize you may not be home at the time, so having a sticker allows others to locate and evacuate your loved ones. If you are home however, and leave with your pets, just cross out your sticker so that others aren’t spending time searching for animals that aren’t there and can go on to help those in need.

A GRReat place to learn more about this and truly get disaster prepared, is my “The Pet Safety Crusader’s My Pet & Me Guide to Disaster PAWparedness.” My Disaster PAWparedness Pack also includes a written emergency plan template, 2 Pet Emergency ID Cards and a Pet Alert Sticker.

By preparing for the worst, you just might prevent the worst from happening!

WATCH MY VIDEO VLOG ON THIS TOPIC HERE https://youtu.be/YexjE3n8z_I

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Denise Fleck is an award winning author and freelance writer. After extensive training, practice, more training and more practice, she developed her own Pet First-Aid & CPR curriculum and has been teaching animal life-saving skills for close to 20 years with many success stories to share. Additionally she developed a 5 month long Animal Care course for high school students in conjunction with the Burbank Unified School District and Animal Shelter. She has demonstrated animal life-saving skills on CBS –TV’s “The Doctors,” Animal Planet’s “Pit Boss,” “Kirstie Alley’s Big Life” and countless other shows. To complement her teachings, Denise created a line of Pet First-Aid Kits, posters and books for children teaching animal respect and care! Visit www.PetSafetyCrusader.com or call (818) 951-7962.

Note: The articles on this page are copyrighted. Please do not reprint or use portions for any purpose without written permission from the author. Request permission for usage by sending an email explaining how you’d like to use the materials and what parts specifically. Thank you in advance!

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Writing Down Your Disaster Preparedness Plan

Pet Safety Crusader — Fri, 11 May 2018 13:13:19 +0000

The reason Flight Attendants request you put on your oxygen mask before assisting others is that you have less than 15 seconds before you lose consciousness! This applies to Pet Parents & Professionals as well. You must take care of your family first. Doing so keeps you safe and gives you peace of mind to leave your home and loved ones to offer aid to others. This means that your Disaster Preparedness Plan may need to be two-fold:

1) A Family Emergency Plan to get your household through whatever may come along,

and for professional pet sitters, rescue workers, etc…

2) A Business Emergency Plan to render aid to clients, but also…it is in your best interest to educate and encourage clients to create plans of their own. By doing so, they won’t drain your time and resources and should they need your help, they will have all necessary supplies to facilitate your efforts. Impress upon them the importance of selecting 1 or 2 designated caregivers ahead of you on their list as when a disaster strikes, you may have too many concurrent demands or may be physically unable to reach them due to mother nature’s wrath.

Write it down!

Write down both your family and business plans and include all family members (employees, volunteers, independent contractors) in the process. Be inclusive – do not do this in a bubble. Your youngest housemate or newest hire may think of something others have not, and you may find something was left out in the 2^nd, 3^rd or even 4^th draft that should be implemented.

Be sure everyone, including your out-of-state contact, understands the details and has a copy on their cell phone including:

Primary, secondary and out-of-town Meet-up Location
Social Security, Medical & Contact Info for all
Location & Phone where family/hires may be found (work, school, day/pet care)
Supplies needed for pets & humans and where stashed.
Plan to keep gas tanks half full for quick departure
Money in small bills
Vital Information on Pets
Name & Phone of Out-of-State Contact
Copies of Insurance Policies & Pertinent Documents
Contact Numbers & Accounts for utility services, tree trimmer, HOA
Written Directions to your home as memories fail in times of stress
List of local News Radio stations
Last-Minute To-do List

A current photo of your pet allows you to make a quick flyer should the animal go missing. Include pictures that capture colors, patterns and markings in your pet’s fur along with shots of all family members– proof that her or she is yours. Update as needed for frosted faces don’t longer look puppy pix, and remember to account for new additions.

Vaccination records, medical history, diet, special hiding places as well as contact info for veterinarian, animal ER, groomer and 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd designated caregiver are musts. Have a list of pet friendly hotels that will accept your size, breed and number of pets, and make a reservation if you expect to evacuate. Ask other businesses if they will waive their “no pets” policy during times of crisis.
Knowledge of Lost & Found websites is imperative.

Practice!

Going through the motions, as if it was the real thing, may save your pet’s life as well as other family members. Several times annually make everyone participate and practice rounding up each of the pets. It is vital that animals are part of the drill too so that they learn the routine. You can’t explain what to do, but you can teach them by doing! Desensitizing pets to wear muzzles, life preservers or stay in a carrier or seat belt can alleviate stress (theirs and yours) when you need their cooperation the most!

You can’t predict who will be home when it’s time to leave, so make sure everyone who might ever find themselves home alone can handle all animals. Ask clients to include you in their drills so you are familiar with how they have prepared their pets for evacuation.

Know Where to Go!

Most human shelters only accept service animals, so find out if your city plans to erect temporary animal shelters near human locations. Choose a primary meet-up spot, and have a Plan B in case the location is in the heart of the disaster. Your plan must take into consideration how you will meet-up if coming from various locations – reconnecting with kids who are at school or daycare, spouse at work, pets and/or elderly family members at home alone.

A good out-of-town resource is https://www.ready.gov/plan-for-locations.
Apartment dwellers, make sure pets are on record with building management, so that if you aren’t home, others know to assist your animals. If you live in a multi-level structure, condition dogs to walk up and down stairs as elevators may not be an option if power is out.
Double check that invitation to stay with family/friends also include your pets.
Are pets in carriers are allowed on MTA subways, buses and trains in your city? When an evacuation order is declared, larger animals may be allowed if properly muzzled and on a sturdy leash, so practice ahead!

Preparing for the worst may prevent the worst from happening!

A GRReat way to get a move on this and benefit from my READY REACT RECOVER system is to take my Pet Disaster Preparedness Certificate Course! Sign up here and get my book or pack, “The Pet Safety Crusader’s My Pet & Me Guide to Disaster PAWparedness” BEFORE you wish you had!

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Pet Disaster Preparedness

Pet Safety Crusader — Mon, 07 May 2018 20:18:46 +0000

Hopefully you will never experience a fire destroying your home, yet you plan ahead — install fire alarms, smoke detectors and purchase insurance. You certainly hope never to be involved in a car accident, but you have airbags and wear a seat belt (and should safely restrain your pets as well). Being prepared makes sense as we can minimize potential injury to those we love. However, most people are not prepared for a major disaster, and you only have to talk to friends or turn on the news to know that the planet is churning somewhere almost every day…Irma, Harvey, Katrina & Sandy are names best heard on a playground but these powerful wind and rainstorms have wreaked great havoc and cost many lives! La Tuna & Sand are good names for canyons but along with Corona, they are fires that have recently decimated Southern California. Mexico City, our neighbor to the south, has experienced many a heartbreaking earthquake while the Southeast has been pounded by hurricanes and tornadoes, the Northeast suffered through 5 Nor’Easters in early 2018, and the Island of Hawaii…volcanic explosions! Whether the ground shakes, the flames rise or snow and rain fall from the sky, planning ahead is the best way to keep yourself and your animal family safe. As cliché as it sounds…if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

At The Very Least

Place a Pet Alert Sticker near you front door recording how many and what type of animals live there. If you aren‘t home when tragedy strikes, trained professionals (Animal Control Officers and Response Teams) will seek out and help your pets once the humans are accounted for.
Designate a Pre-Arranged Meeting Place for your family and identify several Places That Can Take Your Pets. Red Cross Shelters do not permit pets, but other organizations are working hard to train communities to set-up temporary animal shelters, yet it could still be days before these facilities are in place. Making arrangements ahead of time with out-of-town friends and relatives is your best bet, but have a Plan B. Susan Keyes, President of the Southern California Animal Response Team says, “Long-term housing and care for pets is the area we have found people to be least prepared.” Check with pet day care and boarding facilities, professional pet sitter as well as your Veterinarian to see if they will accommodate during a disaster. Compile a list of hotels where pets are welcome and set aside one credit card just for emergency use. It’s also a good idea to have cash (in bills smaller than 20s) easily accessible as ATM Machines may not be working. All of this should be included in your written Emergency Plan.
Stash the following for each pet in an easy-to-carry backpack or crate (that way you’ll have the carrier to evacuate in):

A three-day to two-week supply of food stored in an airtight container and a manual can opener if needed; water (for medium to large dogs, one gallon per day); medication. Remember to exchange these items regularly so they are fresh when needed.
A water-proof container with vaccination & micro-chipping records and photos of your pet with your family as proof of ownership.
Treats, toys, bedding, food & water dishes; Collars/harnesses and leashes; Litter, scoop & boxes for kitties; specialty items for pocket pets, birds, reptiles and amphibians; Disinfectant for cleaning crates, paper towels, flashlight with batteries, zip ties, garbage bags and a well-stocked up-to-date Pet First-Aid Kit, and don’t wait until you need it. Dig through and make sure you know how to use all the contents on your pets.
Don’t forget human supplies, cause you can’t help your pets unless you are okay too!

Where to Put it All
Even with the best laid plans, life happens, so consider storing your goods in several locations in the event they are un-retrievable when the ground shakes, the flames rise or the mud slides. Positioning items close to an outside wall in your home will allow easier access should buildings collapse and you need to rummage through rubble to get to your supplies. Also, stowing duplicate items in your car is a good idea.

Don’t Forget the Two-Legged Family Members
Also remember to keep a stash of food and other items for the humans including a battery or solar-powered radio, rubber-soled shoes and a flashlight near your bed so that you can help your pets and stay safe!

Please also watch my VLOG on this topic at https://youtu.be/Wn0KR52-BtI

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