Taking care of your pets in case of emergency: Pet Preparedness Month

DELAWARE – Many people consider their pets to be a part of their family, but, according to the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA),  unfortunately pets are often neglected as part of emergency plans for families.

DEMA is trying to inform the public as part of its ‘Pet Preparedness Month’ Campaign for June. The agency says its important to have a “go-bag” with extra food, medication, supplies, and toys you might need to keep your pet safe and comfortable.

When disaster does strike, it can be difficult to gather everything you need when you’re in a hurry.

“A lot of people think that they’ll have time, or they’ll think hard enough that they’ll run around their house and grab those things, but get them together in one spot. So, collapsible food and water bowls, backups of anything you’re going to need, just get them in that bag,” said DEMA Deputy Director Paige Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald also said its important to maintain contact with friends, family, or services that could provide for your animal if you’re unable to: “If you have to vacate your house and it’s not going to be safe for your pet either. So making sure that you’ve got an idea of either friends or family members or the place that you normally board your dog, keeping that contact information with you…So if you find yourself unable to return home, you’re not trying to solve that problem in real time, so you already have a list of trusted people who know your pet, you understand your pet, and would be able to watch your pet for some amount of time, whether that be a couple of hours or a couple of days.”

Officials added that commonly overlooked is the importance of having a copy of your animal’s registration. This could be a digital duplicate as a well as pictures with your pet to help prove ownership.