Are you prepared in the event of a disaster to keep your pets safe? Many of us have plans for ourselves, or some of us have never even given it a thought. But you should. When you start to think about what is most important in your life, you obviously think about your family. And because most of us consider our dogs part of our family, it is important to plan for their needs when you start to think about putting together your disaster preparedness plans. All of us should have one. No matter where we live. Because events outside of our control happen. And when they happen, if you are prepared, you will be in a better position to survive. As will your dogs. Our Bullmastiffs rely on us to keep them safe, happy and healthy in everyday life. They will rely on us even more in the event of a disaster. Make your plans now, before you need them! Everyone thinks a disaster will not impact them. Until it does. I know that life is hectic for all of us. But I encourage you take just a few hours to think about what you can do to make surviving a disaster a reality for you, and your Bullmastiffs.
As we have seen around the country this year, people (some of them our friends and families) have been impacted by disasters. Flooding, fire, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions have all happened this year. Many of us live in earthquake areas. Some of us live close to railroad lines, production plants, refineries and ocean shores, all of which are capable of having critical issues that result in a disaster happening. Be aware of what you live near. Think about everything that could impact you, and make a plan for surviving a disaster.
What would you do in a flood? If you were given an hour to evacuate in the face of sudden flooding, what would you take? Where would you go? Having a few items packed and ready to go could make the difference in surviving this emergency or not. Information that is helpful when thinking about a plan for a flooding event: http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/flood.html
Fires
Fires…they happen. And often now. This is a truly horrific situation and one that you sometimes have little time to escape. Panic sets in really fast, and if you have a plan in place ahead of time, it could save your life and your dogs. Information that is helpful when thinking about a plan for a fire event:
Hurricanes
Hurricanes…some of us live in areas where it’s a real threat. And they are getting stronger. While you once thought you were prepared, are you really now? Yes, advances in warnings are getting better. But how often in the recent past have we thought…oh…a Category 2….no problem…I’m ready for that. Only for it to turn out to be a Category 4? Information that is helpful when thinking about a plan for a hurricane event: http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/hurricane.html
Tornadoes
Tornadoes…as I write this I am horrified by all the activity that we are seeing right now in areas where some of you live. I’ve seen FB postings of people who are scared, and rightfully so about non-stop warnings going off. Tornadoes forming as soon as others have just ended. It’s scary, and some of you have just spent hours upon hours in your safe places. Information that is helpful when thinking about a plan for tornadoes: http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/tornado.html
Volcanic Eruptions
Luckily, for most of us, volcanic eruptions are not something that we face often. But, take a moment to consider the impact that major earthquakes can have on volcanic activity that is directly tied to the peaks that surround us. Here in the PNW we are very aware of this real risk. Information that is helpful when thinking about a plan for volcanic activity: http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/volcano.html
Earthquakes
Earthquakes…a lot of us live in areas that are earthquake prone. Recently in the area that I live in, we have been told to not plan for 5 days without getting help. Don’t plan for 2 weeks without getting help. Instead plan for up to 30 days on your own before help arrives. Think about that. 30 days…of no power, no water, no heat, no food, nothing. Scary? You bet it is! And there is nothing that you can do about it. All you can do is to prepare to survive. Literally. Information that is helpful when thinking about a plan for earthquakes: http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/earth.html
Putting Together Your Plan
The First Step
The first step in putting together your plan, is to make sure that your Bullmastiff has some sort of permanent identification (microchip). A microchip is so important in helping your dog get back home to you. I know that some people still tattoo. As a first responder I can honestly say that if I were to see a tattoo on a dog, I would have to do some research as to how to locate an owner based on that. During a disaster, my first responsibility is to keep your pet safe until you can be reunited with them. The best way to make sure this happens is to be sure to keep the microchip information current. Many times, people move, they have life changes, or the dog changes homes. It is critical to keep the microchip information updated. Collars and tags are helpful, but collars come off. And some of us do not keep collars on our dogs while at home.
Keep a Supply of Cash
Keep cash on hand, whatever you can afford to keep. During a disaster when power goes out, so does the ability to pay for items. Your ATM or credit card is useless if there is not power to supply the card readers.
Medications
Keep a supply on hand of the medications/supplements that your dogs take. Most vets understand the importance of this, and will make sure that owners have enough medications on hand for their pets. I keep an extra 2 weeks supply on hand for dogs that are medications long term. This is especially important for critical medications (heart/kidney/seizure conditions etc). Realistically, most of our dogs can do just fine without the supplements that we give them (joint/skin/coat etc). But if possible, it’s important to keep them on a normal feeding routine. I personally keep 4 week supply of dog food on hand. For those that feed a raw diet, there are freeze dried raw products that you can have on hand and reconstitute. For those of us who have other types of pets, don’t forget to think about their nutritional needs as well.
Chargers & Batteries
Always keep your cell phone fully charged. Have a charger in your car so that if you do not have a generator for your home, you can keep your phone charged that way. Your cell phone can become your connection to the outside world!
It is a good idea to purchase a battery operated radio for use in the house. I purchased mine via Amazon and it has a hand crank on it. It also has a flashlight at the end of it. When you use the hand crank it charges up the battery. I keep an extra battery on hand for it just in case.
Water
I cannot underestimate the importance of keeping water stored in your home! It can be in bottles or gallons, I have both on hand. Take a minute to think about it….how much water do you use in a regular day? We recently had the water shut off in our neighborhood for some critical repairs to the main lines. It was off for 48hrs. We have 3 dogs, 2 parrots and 8 chickens and 2 humans in the home. We did not shower at home during this time. We used 6 gallons a day just for feeding/watering the animals and necessities like brushing teeth, rinsing dishes. SIX gallons. For 2 people and the animals. And we were very conservative. Remember that you will need water for flushing your toilets manually too. It takes a gallon of water to do that! I keep a one month supply of water at home, and every week I rotate out the old bottles and use them, replacing them with a new case. And it’s SO important to keep a supply of non-perishable human food on hand too.
Blankets and Lights
Have blankets/flashlights/oil lamps and batteries on hand. Candles are also helpful at providing enough light to see by. I have several small tents that I can use inside the house to put the parrots in (in travel cages) for added warmth. Alternate heat sources are good to have on hand. I have several closed oil radiator heaters that can be plugged in. They do draw a somewhat large electrical load, so keep that mind when you use them with a generator. If you have a generator, keep a good supply of gas on hand for it. When we have lost power during our large PNW windstorms here, we use the generator as we need it, and turn it off when we don’t to conserve. Think about the heating options you have in your home. We have gas here, and self igniting fireplaces which run even when the power is off. If you are thinking about doing some home updating, consider your options for these types of things. In areas where heat is a major concern, be sure to have floor fans on hand. They draw very little power and it helps alot to keep the dogs cooler. Be creative, use misting bottles to cool the dogs off with and allow them to lay in front of the fans. Hang frozen towels behind the fans to aid in the cooling effect for the dogs. You would be surprised at how inventive you can become! If at all possible, keep your refridgerator powered. The ability to have cool things at hand could become a real lifesaver in extreme heat events.
First Aid Kit for Your Pets
Most of us already have pet first aid kits on hand, but if you don’t, make one today. It is simple! A good basic first aid kit for your Bullmastiffs should include:
- Pet first aid book
- Phone numbers for your vet, along with information for the nearest emergency clinic, and a poison control hotline.
- Nylon leash
- Muzzle or roll gauze
- Hydrogen peroxide (to induce vomiting)
- Activated charcoal
- Blanket
- Towel
- Ice pack
- Petroleum jelly
- Plastic wrap
- Digital thermometer
- Scissors
- Sterile non stick gauze pads
- Sterile saline solution
- Q-tips
You can also purchase a pre-assembled kit online instead of putting one together yourself. Again, remember to include items for your non-dog pets.
A “Go Bag”
If you are forced to evacuate, put together a “go bag” for your pet, something that you can grab in an instant. The bag should include enough supplies to last at least 3 days. Supplies are food/water/dishes/medications/toys/blankets/poop bags. The bag should include a collar,leash,vet information, other family contact numbers. Have a carrier or crates easily available. Have a photo of your dog as well as proof of ownership (microchip/tag information), and be sure to have vaccination records with you. In the event that your pet becomes separated from you, you will need proof of ownership to redeem them from a shelter in most cases. Know in advance what hotels accept pets.
PETS Act
It is critical to remember that new regulation and laws were enacted after Hurricane Katrina. the PETS Act stands for the federal Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act.. The law and subsequent amendments require that when the Dept of Homeland Security approves State and local emergency preparation plans, they MUST make sure that the plans “account for the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals before, during and following a major disaster or emergency.” The Act also allows state and local governments to permit pet owners to bring their pets with them when going to community shelters during natural disasters and states of emergency. This is not required of the governments to do so, it just permits them to do it. So always have a plan A, B and C in place. So many pets were left behind to die during Katrina, and so many people died because they would not leave without their pets. That is why this law was put into place.
In Closing
Preparing for a disaster in advance is critical to you and your Bullmastiffs survival if an incident takes place. Go over all the “what-ifs” as they pertain to your and your home/dogs. Each of our plans will very likely be a little different than what our friends have in place. We each need to carefully think about the particular items that will be needed, whether we shelter in place or evacuate during a disaster.
