Guard Your Pet From Harm With a Pet Disaster Kit

May 12 is National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day, and with the ice storm that recently blew past our Toronto office, resulting in hundreds of flight cancellations, this blog couldn’t be timelier.

Mother Nature can be pretty nasty and unexpectedly dangerous at times. Did you know that ice storms, tornados, earthquakes, wildfires, and floods are common in Canada? You likely already have a detailed plan in place to ensure the safety of your family and friends, but should a disaster occur, you’re going to need a plan for your pet as well. In most cases, simply picking them up and running out of the house won’t be the best option.

If you already have a family disaster kit, consider adding these pet items to it:

• Spare Food and Water ­– The shelf life of dry food is typically around one year, and it’s roughly two years for canned food. Make sure to have enough food and water available to last your pet at least 5 days.
• Backup Medicine ­– If your pet requires medication for a chronic condition, try to keep some extra along with a pet first aid kit.
• Recent Photos – Should the worst happen and your pet gets lost during the chaos of a disaster, having some photos on hand may make all the difference to get your pet home safe and sound.
• Waste Collection Products – Your pet won’t be able to ignore the call of nature any more than you can. Keep some extra litter, poop bags, or any other bathroom essentials handy at all times.
• Toys – Days without being able to go outside can cause humans and animals alike to go stir crazy. Invest in some spare toys so your pet can still exercise and play.
• Clothing – If there’s a power outage, even your pet’s fur or feathers may not be enough to keep them warm. If your pet doesn’t like clothing, try draping a blanket around them.

If you don’t have a disaster kit prepared for the humans in your home, let this National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day provide you with the motivation to ensure the safety of your entire family.

For more information and to find out how a natural disaster could affect your pet’s travel plans, contact us today.