I’ve been wanting to write about this ever since the last northeaster we had. There were many downed trees and power lines over the span of a short period of time. We had no electricity for a few days and our only light source was from candles. My extended family also live in areas where forest fires and hurricanes aren’t uncommon. To keep your pets safe in a disaster, North Shore Animal League had created a disaster preparedness kit for animals. This list may come in handy in the future should you need it. I have also added some of my ideas to this list, including a few non-essentials. This list can also double as a Travel List. This is not an exhaustive list so feel free to comment if I’ve left off something you feel should be included.
- Collar with proper identification tags listing the pet’s name, owner’s name, address, phone number, cell phone number.
- Leash and harness for small breeds
- Current rabies tag on collar. I normally include a dog license/Department of Agriculture tag via my town hall too. Please review info pertaining to your state. If you are located in New York, you may read about it here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/services/dog-licenses.page.
- Microchip pets to serve as a back up source of identification should their collar and tags become lost or damaged. Be sure to register the chip with a company like Home Again.
- Current clear photographs of all pets, including a closeup of their face and their full body. Include detailed descriptions of special markings and distinguishing features. Laminate photos to help protect them from the elements.
- Copies of current veterinary history including medical conditions, vaccination information, and prescription medications with dosing and frequency. Some veterinary practices like those under the VCA umbrella have a phone app, called MyVCA, which would contain much of this information.
- Backpack or duffel crossbody bag
- Bottle of water
- Warm blanket
- Food
- Small bag of treats
- Towel
- Paper towels
- Wee wee pads
- Poop bags
- Winter coat, rain coat, clothing (depends on the pet)
- Pet crate with or without wheels
- Pet toothbrush & pet toothpaste
- A small toy or two
- Brush or comb especially for long hair breeds to prevent matting. A flea comb, tweezers, and tape are also good things to have.
*Please see: https://www.animalleague.org/category/blog/tips/disaster-preparedness/ for more info. They have even included information on Pet First-Aid Kit Essentials. I have a pet first-aid bag I keep close to our kitchen for just in case. As an aside, it’s also a good idea to assemble a kit for ourselves. I keep mine in the same place. There have been a few times over the course of Stella’s life in which I had to search through this bag for a necessity or two.
*Photo Credit: Fjall Raven Kanken & Amazon.com
