Published on 6/11/19
“Make preparations in advance - you never have trouble if you are prepared for it.” - Theodore Roosevelt
When disaster strikes, you have to be ready. From wildfires and floods to mudslides and tornadoes - we don’t always know when to expect a natural disaster, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t be prepared for one. Just like your veterinary practice has a Disaster Preparedness Plan (if you don’t, you might want to check this out from the AVMA), your clients should have one too - and it should include their pets.
June is National Pet Preparedness Month. With hurricane season ahead, now is the time for pet owners to create an emergency plan and an emergency kit for their pets. We know that the safety of your client’s pets is your #1 priority, so we’re giving you tips and resources to make sure they’re prepared.
Here are five major points for pet owners on how to prepare for disaster from ready.gov and how you can support and encourage your clients to adhere to them.
Take Them With You
When you’re in the face of disaster, you have to make some tough decisions. To some families, this could mean having to leave pets behind - which could lead to pets getting lost, injured, or possibly worse. On the flip side, you have pet owners who refuse to evacuate to stay with their pets - leading to injury or death. Both of these situations can be avoided by evacuating with their pet.
This could be a daunting task for some of your clients, especially if they don’t travel much with their pets. Make them feel at ease by keeping an updated list of pet-friendly hotels and veterinary hospitals within a typical evacuation radius or along typical evacuation routes. Encourage them to practice putting their pet in their carrier and/or getting them into the car and going on car rides so the pet is familiar with the process.
A very stressful situation can occur when there’s an emergency in your hometown and you’re not home to make sure your pet is safe. Ready.gov encourages pet owners to create a buddy system within their community or with a neighbor to make sure all pets are taken care of in the event of an emergency. This should include everyone in the buddy system having each other’s contact information, pet information and a clear plan on how situations should be handled.
Have the Proper ID
If a pet is ever lost during the commotion of an emergency or natural disaster, it’s important that they have the proper ID on them so they can be reunited with their owners. This should include a tag on their collar with the pet’s name, the owner’s address, and the owner’s phone number. It’s also wise to have a tag with your veterinary clinic information on it as well in case the owner isn’t able to be contacted. These are tags that you could have created and available for sale to patients.
While tags are important, having a pet microchipped increases the chances of reunification with their owner. If they aren’t already, encourage pets to get chipped at their wellness visits. Also, encourage owners to make sure their information is updated in the microchip’s online database. As a clinic, do your due diligence to ensure you have the chip information for all of your clients and that you have that data backed up.
Make a Pet Preparedness Kit
This is probably the most important tip that pet owners don’t think to do. If you’re going to evacuate with your dog or your cat, you want to make sure you bring all of the essentials to take care of them on the road and at your destination. However, in the event of a sudden evacuation, you may not be able to think clearly or grab everything you need in time. Therefore, pet owners are encouraged to build, and keep handy, a Pet Preparedness Kit.
Your clinic could be a huge help in building these kits - especially if you’re located in an area prone to natural disasters, such as hurricanes or wildfires. Here are ideas on how you can help:
Stay Up-to-Date on the News
Though there are times when emergencies occur with no warning, science and technology have allowed us to better our chances of seeing a natural disaster coming before it hits. Pet owners should be following the news in times of possible natural disasters to know if and when an evacuation notice has been made - this is both for the safety of owners and their pets. Your clinic can help by using your communication outlets, such as social media, app notifications, and email, to pass along news and info. Be sure to include any resources you have available to owners, such as a list of pet-friendly hotels and veterinary hospitals.
It seems that more and more natural disasters hit harder and harder as time goes on. We’ve provided simple ways that you can ensure your clients keep their pets safe when they’re facing one. We’re sure that you can think of more! We’ve also provided resources below to support your efforts. Take some time as a clinic to strategize how you can use this month (and every month) to promote Pet Preparedness.
Penn Vet Resources:
Other Resources:
June is also National Microchipping Month. Check out our previous blog about how to encourage your customers to microchip their pets, increasing their chances of being reunited if they're lost or stolen. Read the blog!