What about my pets?

What about my pets?

Pets are often an afterthought or abandoned during emergencies. I was watching the news and saw a group in Ukraine that is rescuing animals out of the war zone. There are many reasons people don't take their pets when they evacuate. It ranges from where they are going doesn't accept animals, maybe they are crossing a border and would have to quarantine, or they don't want to bother with animals. FEMA use to no allow animals. They have changed that somewhat, now some camps accept them, but last I checked, not all do. You don't want to be in a FEMA camp anyway.

Anyway, we love our animals and would never abandon them. They are included in our bugout and evacuation plans. My pack is as heavy as I can carry. So our dogs have tactical harnesses with saddle bags. They carry their own food, water, and supplies. I've finally got a supplier for harnesses! They will be in the store soon. Our babies are family and we would rather be in a tent with them than be in a FEMA camp without them.

To make sure they are with you, you need a plan. That means picking locations to go that will take your pets. Many hotels claim to be friendly, but have size limits or create requirements. It takes time to do the research, This is not something you should do when you are preparing to leave. This needs to be done ahead of time. Find hotels, B&B's, friends, or family that will accept your pets and are in different directions and distances from your house. Write down your evacuation plan with names, addresses, phone numbers and directions. Call them to confirm their policies.

When there is a chance you may have to bugout, make reservations at one or two locations, hopefully cancelable. If friends or family, call them and let them know you may be coming. Have a plan, don't panic and throw random things in the car and drive. Have a list of things to take and where they are located. For pets, make sure you bring their vaccination records! If they are a service animal, bring documentation. Don't lecture me about ADA says they can't ask. We are talking about an emergency. Take the documentation with you. Finally, as I mentioned in the Normalcy Bias post item #6 in the list, react before you instinctively feel you should. This will help you avoid being too late and getting stick in traffic. 73 Resident Prepper, out.

 

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.