03/01/2020
I hope none of our members needs this....but just in case
Evacuating with pets.
I found myself having to pack a 'go bag' the other day, it was just as a precaution, we were safe and didnt have to use it, but it made me think.
Do you have emergency procedures in place that include your pets?
Do they have 'go bags' packed and ready?
My dogs 'go bags' contain the following:
- Spare Bowls, 1 per pet plus an extra bowl for water.
- Spare leads.
- Spare collars, with tags attached, for each pet.
- Any medications that they are on including a list of what they are, dosages and instructions on use.
- Pet first aid kit (speak to your vet about what this should contain).
- A copy of their Pet insurance paperwork.
- Copies of Medical history / vaccination cards / registration information.
- 2 favourite toys per pet plus a Kong or Lickimat each.
- A couple of long lasting chews.
- Bedding including mats / crates / carriers (I placed this in the car ready to go).
- Poo bags.
- Dry food, at minimum, enough for a few days in each bag. Having a large car, I also packed the car with as much as I had handy and could fit in the car without a problem.
- ADAPTIL spray and bandannas.
- Through A Dogs Ear and Pet Acoustics music (fully charged and ready to go).
- An up to date, clear photo of each pet. On the back of each photo I included their name, age, breed, s*x, colour, des*xed/entire, my name and mobile number and an emergency backup number, address, council information. I laminated these so they were durable and readily available in case they went missing or we were separated. Copies went into each dogs bag and my bag.
I also placed their everyday collars and leads by the door ready to go, along with 2 x 5 litre containers of water.
I had a small esky sitting next to the fridge, with freezer bricks ready in the freezer. If I had time, I would have filled the esky with what perishable foods I needed for the dogs as well, but only if I had time.
**Identification notes.
- Have spare tags engraved with your dogs name and phone numbers and attach to spare collars.
- Consider using collars that have their name and number embroidered onto the collar, or buy light coloured collars and write their name and phone numbers on them using permanent texta or fabric paint (you can include this on leads also).
- Ensure that your contact details are up to date with correct phone numbers with both your council and the microchip database your pets are registered with.
- Check your microchip still scans (your vet can do this).
So my advice is for you to work out what you need to pack into your pets 'go bags' (it might be different to my list), have it ready and easily accessible.
Practice your evacuation procedure including getting everyone and thing needed into the car. Ensure this includes having your pets contained safely in the car either in crates or via seat belts.
On days where you have been notified to be on alert, pre pack your car with what you can.
Have a plan, and a back up plan, of where you will evacuate to and ensure that they are pet friendly.
Stay safe everyone.
