General Emergency Preparedness for Companion Animals
Your emergency preparedness plan for your animal should include:
- Remember your pets when you are stocking your home pantry.
- Make sure you have any appropriate medicine on hand, and that you are properly storing the medicine if there are requirements for ensuring the medicine will remain effective.
- Make a pact with friends or family members for the care of your pets in the event you become sick, require quarantine, or are hospitalized.
- Make sure your animals are always wearing proper identification. It is never a good idea to allow companion animals to roam freely, but especially during this crisis, make sure they are contained.
A Plan for The Future
In the long run, whether you are navigating a public health emergency or not, it is wise to make provisions for your companion animals because of the possibility that they could outlive you. There are many resources available online to help you develop a plan. Here are some of the most frequently recommended steps to take:
- Realize that in the eyes of the law, your animals are considered “property.” As such, they will be treated like any other of your belongings if you haven’t specifically provided for them in your will.
- Include provisions for the care of your animals in your will or trust.
- Speak with family and friends now to determine who would be willing to provide a loving home for your animals.
- Some shelters will promise to find your animal a forever home if you leave a gift to the shelter.
- In addition to naming the caretaker for your animal, it’s often a good practice to leave a specific gift to the caretaker that is meant to cover veterinary, food, and other costs related to the animal’s care for the remainder of their life.
For detailed information, sample language for your will, and more, visit https://www.petfinder.com/dogs/bringing-a-dog-home/providing-pets-future/
Disaster Preparedness
A 2015 survey conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency found that many Americans are not ready for a disaster. Only 39% of those surveyed have made an emergency plan. It is likely that fewer still included companion animals in their plans.
APNM strongly encourages families and community leaders all across the state to include companion animals in planning and preparing for disasters. Although APNM is not a direct resource for disaster planning at this time, this page contains a number of valuable resources and links that people can use to develop their own emergency evacuation plans. If you live in a drought-stricken region of the country like New Mexico, the time to start making your emergency evacuation plans for you and your companion animals is today.
“I was that person who said to himself and others, ‘Yeah, I should really make a fire plan.’ I am now that person telling others to do it. Do it today. I am not kidding. When it is upon you, it is terrifying.”
–Daniel Abram, Deputy Director of APNM
