How to Evacuate Safely with Your Pet
Hurricane Katrina revealed significant gaps in pet evacuation as many owners were forced to leave their pets behind due to limited emergency provisions. Since then, laws have changed—most notably with the enactment of the PETS Act in 2006—and the federal government has established guidelines for local governments to allow and assist with pet evacuation. It's now up to you to prepare - never leave your pet behind.
Evacuation Plan
Gathering Your Pet's Supplies
Grab & Go Bag
Your pet's grab & go bag should be ready to go alongside your family's individual grab & go bags and other family kits. This will include food, water, and other necessities to see your pet through time away from home.
Inside, include both your pet information and the evacuation plan you are creating for your pet. Make sure both are included.
Cage/Carrier
Don't leave home without your pet's crate/carrier! Even if your dog is used to riding in the car, you will need a cage should your dog end up at an emergency animal shelter. Pets like small dogs, cats, bunnies, etc. should be placed in the carrier before being taken out of the house.
Learn more about selecting the appropriate crate/carrier for your pet.
Identification
Your dog most likely wears an ID collar already. Chances are your cat does not. When a warning is issued, place the collar and ID on all pets before you take them out of the house. Along with this ID, you should also have your pet ID packet ready to go and placed in your pet's grab & go bag. Double-check that it is included before you leave. This will help identify your pet should you get separated.
You can learn more about pet identification and other things you can do to protect your pet in case of accidental separation.
Pet Helper
Ask For Help & Assign the Task
Do you know someone that could help evacuate your pet if you are not home? Ensure you can reciprocate the assistance when needed.
- You must trust this person with a key.
- It’s best if this person and your pet already know each other.
- Make sure they are aware of all the potential hiding places where your pet may hide or hang out, so they can locate your pet quickly if necessary.
- Give them a copy of your pet's evacuation plan with all pertinent information including where to find your pet's evacuation supplies and all destination options.
Contacting Your Pet Helper
Once a warning has been issued, contact your pet helper and let them know you are home and can take your pet or that you are not home and need their help. Let them know either way.
Destination Plan
Most places are unlikely to take pets. Planning ahead of time can make all the difference for your family and your beloved pet.
The best thing for your pet is to stay with the family. This may include seeking refuge with family or friends, or in a pet-friendly hotel/motel. You may find that a mass-care shelter ends up being the easiest or only solution. If your family opts for a mass-care shelter, your pet will typically need to be placed in an emergency animal shelter—usually located nearby. While this option is more likely to be your last choice, all things considered, it's a blessing that this is even an option today for pet owners.
Let’s explore each and try to make plans for all three so they remain viable options.
Family and Friends
When planning your family’s evacuation destination, an option for your family is to stay with family or friends.
- Did you ask them if they would mind including your pet as well?
- Would a family member or other friend be able to take your pet if you have plans to stay somewhere where pets are not welcome?
- Can they accommodate more than one pet, or would you need to arrange to house them at separate locations?
- Consider sweetening the deal by offering to return the favor. If they ever need assistance during an evacuation, agree to help with their evacuation—including their pets—if possible.
Pet Friend Hotels/Motels
Here are five websites that can help you find pet-friendly hotels/motels. Look for options within your area, just outside your area, and even further, extending out as far out as you feel comfortable searching. Further out is important just in case large areas are evacuated. If possible, leave early so these options don't fill up before you can get there.
- bringfido.com
- dogfriendly.com
- pet-friendly-hotels.net
- petswelcome.com
- tripswithpets.com
Emergency Animal Shelters
The PETS Act mandates that communities include animals in their disaster planning. Due to this change in law, local animal organizations are required to set up animal shelters adjacent to human shelters, called co-sheltering. You will be responsible for feeding, watering, and walking your pet.
However ...
- Don’t assume your city will provide a shelter for your pet.
- Verify now that there will be shelters in your area that take pets.
- Call your local office of emergency management to find out if they are compliant with the PETS Act and what your community will do for your pet.
Evacuation Plan
Pet Evacuation Checklist
We have gone through four steps to evacuating your pet but now it's important that you put it in writing. This is the document you or your pet helper can use as a checklist to make sure you have remembered everything and know where you are heading once you leave your home. Use this as a guide and make it your own.
#1Pet Helper
- List name, phone, address
- Call your pet helper to either ask for help or decline it.
- Note: make sure to give your pet helper a copy of this evacuation checklist.
#2Gather Supplies
- Note the location of all supplies.
Get your pet's grab & go bag - with their information packet and evacuation plan inside (you are creating this here).
- Get the pet crate or carrier out - place smaller pets in the carrier before evacuating your home. Your pets are much safer this way.
#3Identification
- A collar and tag should be inside your pet's grab & go bag.
- Place collar and ID on all pets before leaving the house.
Make sure your pet's information packet is inside your pet's grab & go bag.
#4Destination
- Include all options for places to stay that you have previously checked out.
- Start calling and finalizing a plan.
- If you have time, know where you're going before you head out.