June is National Pet Preparedness Month. In the event of an emergency or
natural disaster, it is important that everyone in your house gets out safely,
including your pets. From housefires and blackouts to wildfires and floods,
such events are frightening for us and can be more so for pets, who rely on
their owners to keep them safe. Thus, having emergency plans for your pets is
crucial in making sure they get out and handle the situation safely.

Emergency plans can range from knowing where to gather following an
emergency, placing leashes or pet food in easy-to-remember places, or
constructing kits that contain everything that your pet needs to weather
emergencies, such as food, leashes, medication, clothes, and others. It can
also consist of identifying nearby shelters that can assist you in taking care of
your pet. In large-scale events such as wildfires, having such plans ready
might save your pet from running off, getting harmed, or being overlooked
by relief workers.

Up to 100,000 to 250,000 pets were stranded or forced to be abandoned
following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in 2005, which led to around 70,000
to 150,000 pet deaths, mainly by starvation. During Hurricane Sandy in 2017, it
was reported that hundreds of pets were spooked by the chaos enough to
flee. Luckily, organizations such as AVMA, ASPCA, HSUS and others tend to
react swiftly to save pets affected by such disasters. But the best way to
ensure their safety is to have emergency measures prepared for them

beforehand, especially since not all disaster evacuation centers might accept
pets. National Pet Preparedness Month is here to remind you that the safety
of your pets lies primarily in your hands.

Buellton Veterinary Clinic’s boarding facility has harbored pets during
wildfires in the past and will continue to do so in the future, should it be
needed.

Once or twice a year during our monthly staff meetings we rehearse handling
the evacuation of the staff, patients and boarders from our clinic should the
need arise. We have a designated safe meeting place outside the clinic as
well as a stash of leashes and cat carriers to quickly evacuate the pets.

BVC is happy to help you in preparing a kit. We can provide one refill of your
pet’s medications to be stored with food, leashes, or carriers as well as
offering identification tags and microchips that would help return your pet
safely to you should you get separated during a disaster.
Below you can find more information on preparing you and your pets for a
natural disaster.
Your Pets Need an Emergency Plan Too (redcross.org)
Pets and disasters | American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org)
Preparing pets for a natural disaster (aaha.org)