Often at times, disasters force people to vacate and abandon their houses immediately with little to no belongings. Most of the times, people do have emergency bags/kits available for themselves that which they fill up with all their basic and most important belongings. However, most people do not consider what’s important for their pet dogs. Having an emergency evacuation kit for your dog could be extremely beneficial and can save you a lot of time and headache in such a case.
Consider packing the following dog items in your pet dog’s evacuation kit:
- Spare leash and a collar: Keep a spare collar and a leash with your dog’s name engraved on it. Very Important to add your contact information onto the leash in case your dog gets lost in the chaos.
- Medications for your dog (if any): Dogs and pets in general need medications just as much as humans do, in case they are suffering from a medical condition. So do not forget to pack your dog’s medicines. (Remember, food and medications need to be rotated out of your emergency kit—otherwise, they may go bad or become useless)
- Water purifier: Just like humans, your dog cannot survive without water either. Moreover, it is important for your pet to drink purified water if you want him/her to stay healthy. So do pack a water purifier along. It is not very heavy and will come in extremely handy. This is because, in case of a natural disaster, most of the water resources get flooded with bacteria and harmful parasites.
- At least seven days’ worth of bottled water for each person and pet (store in a cool, dry place and replace every two months)
- Blanket,Toy and Treats: If it is cold outside, do not forget your dog’s blanket and a familiar toy along with it. This will help your dog in feeling relaxed and more like at home.
- First aid kit: When natural disasters occur, and there is a sudden need of abandoning the house, you never know what challenge awaits you out there. So keep a first aid kit ready in this case. So that if your dog gets injured, you can treat him/her just enough to carry on until it is safe to get to a Veterinarian. A first aid kit must contain supplies like: bandages, wound cleaner (chlorhexidine or Iodine), a vaseline, pain relieving ointments, and hydrogen peroxide.
- Pet first-aid kit and guide book (ask your vet what to include)
- Food: A sudden change in the diet of your dog can result in diarrhea and vomiting. This is the last thing you would want outside the comfort of your house in an emergency struck zone. 3-7 days’ worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food (be sure to rotate every two months)
- Pet feeding dishes and water bowls
- Duct tape: A duct tape can come extremely handy for quickly repairing things like the dog’s leash, collar or a torn part of your dog’s clothing.
- Pet microchip: This is beneficial, yet a not so necessary component in a pet’s evacuation bag. These chips are not bigger than a grain of rice. An animal doctor will implant this safe chip inside your pet which will help you in tracking its location with just enough precision and accuracy. Hence in case your dog gets lost in all the chaos, it will be easier for you two to get reunited. Also, ensure they have secured tags and contact information!
- GPS pet locator. In case your dog gets separated from you and there is still cell phone rection, you can use your phone to locate your dog in the emergency.
- Copy of all your dog’s medical records just in case you have to make an emergency visit to a veterinarian that is not your regular one.
- Paper Towels, Bath Towel and a small bottle of dog shampoo.
- Disposable garbage bags for clean-up
- Flashlight
- Recent photos of your pets (in case you are separated and need to make “Lost” posters)
- A supply storage bag, crate or sturdy carrier, ideally one for each pet and marked with each pets name.