Thinking about evacuation plans

[Stacy]

I am far far away from the hurricane warning going on right now, but reading about it made me think about what I would do if I needed to evacuate in a hurry. Of course I would never go anywhere without the dogs. I guess I would throw their food container and bowls in the car and we would head off. Worst case scenario we would just stay in the car and keep driving until something better happened. But it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to think about the best way to do it before there is an emergency. 

I hope that we never have to evacuate for anything, but I'm curious if anyone has given it much thought or has a plan? 

I hope that all the people and doodles down in Texas and Lousiana and all the places that are under hurricane warning are safe and stay dry. This doodle house is thinking of you from Kansas!

Stacy

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I've never thought about it. I'm not in an area where there is much chance of us having to evacuate. I guess I really should have a plan though, just in case.

One thing I have read though is that you should have a copy of your pets' immunization records with you. I can see where that would be important if you wanted to bring them in somewhere that did allow dogs. You would of course also need all their meds as well as your own. 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

You DO live in an area with potential for disasters!   Floods, fires, tornadoes are common to your area.    I seem to recall some cow that started a fire near you.... 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

ROFL, Joanne!

[Stacy]

See, immunization records - I know where they are, but in a panic I wouldn't even think to grab them. I'm not really in a high evacuation area either, but that probably makes it more important to think about it once in a while. Because we don't live that life we are so unprepared for anything out of the ordinary. 

The thought of 35 inches of rain might freak me out a little - even though I'm sure I'm not going to be getting it. 

[Debbie and Toby]

We have a small tote bag that goes everywhere we go with Toby. In it we have a current health certificate from his annuals, showing he is up to date on everything. We keep 2 bottled waters, collapsible bowl, extra collar and leash, bag of his treats, a 3 day supply of all his meds he would need (he is a seizure dog so his meds are critical), a roll of poop bags, we keep some Benadryl tablets in there,  just in case he would be stung while we are out. If going for more than a couple hours, we take containers of his food. If we were leaving in an emergency that we didn't know when we would be back we would take as much food and water as we thought we would need. It would also be helpful to make a checklist of everything you would want or need in the bag, and keep it in the bag. Makes it much easier to verify you have everything. We also go through the bag each week just to make sure meds, treats, bottled water, etc are refreshed on a regular basis, and not just getting stale in there. Just another thought, you might want to add dog beds, blankets, their favorite toys. etc to the list if you ever had to leave in a hurry. Like stated below, make sure you also have items listed that are critical for you.

My son and grandkids live near San Antonio so we are watching the weather closely.  I also hope everyone stays safe down there and I sure hope everyone that evacuates remembers to take their pets with them and get them to safety. Praying for everyone in the path of the hurricane. Having a plan would sure help, as no one ever knows ahead of time.

[Stacy]

Wow! You guys are really organized! I will have to give this some thought. I wouldn't say my life is disorganized, but it's definitely not prepared for a disaster! 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

• Make sure each pet's tags are up-to-date and fastened to its collar.
• Have a current photo of you and your pet(s) for identification purposes.
• Make a pet emergency kit.
• Identify shelters in advance that will allow your pets.
• Have a secure pet carrier, leash, or harness for your pet.

... and so much more.

This is why you always keep a  crate long after your pet no longer uses one.

Also, I'd like to add, you basically take care of them like you would yourself. 

Keep all copies of your records in EMAIL folder: Picture of you DL, SS card, and DL-- and your pet records too.  

We all need to have at least 4 days of food, clothing, and bedding.  

In a dog crate, place a blanket, water, and a bag of food.  

Here's the best resource - https://www.fema.gov/helping-pets

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is such great info, Joanne. Thank you.
I'm thinking that in a true disaster, internet & phones might not be working, so paper photocopies of the documents maybe. 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Both. You dont always need your paperwork right away, but weeks down the road, and way far away ( like you lived in New Orleans and suddenly ended up on a train to North Dakota).   In Katrina, the aftermath was months and years, and folks just had NO information.  A true, starting completely and forever over, a thousand miles away 

[Stacy]

I'm lucky to have 4 days of food in my house! Let along prepared for an emergency. And my dogs do have crates and use their crates, but I'm not sure either of their crates would fit in the car in an emergency. But I really do need to give this some thought. If something bad happened the dogs would need to be prepared. There's no way they would be left behind. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks, Joanne, I need to re look at what I have - definitely no photos printed or crates, and my email folder isn't up to date...

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

We all have a false sense of security.   Even I think, " It only happens to them ...."