Disaster preparedness, especially with pets, is key to survival

My niece, Courtney, and her family, who live in Illinois, near St. Louis, have a large orange bag in their basement that contains emergency supplies. They got the bag from Safety Week, which is an entire week of activities attended by the first-graders in their community.

During the week, their police department teaches the children about bus safety, strangers, bicycle safety and weather safety. The orange bag contains water, an orange vest, gloves, goggles, glow sticks, a flashlight, towels and other emergency supplies.

Courtney and her family, including Silvey, their dog, are prepared for an emergency, and, in fact, have used their emergency room during tornado alerts.

With tornadoes and hurricanes, fires, floods and man-made disasters, we all need to get proactive about planning for an emergency to keep our families safe. If you share your life with an animal, you need to include them in your family plan.

"The likelihood that you and your animals will survive an emergency such as a fire or flood, tornado or terrorist attack depends largely on emergency planning done today," notes Ready.Gov.

The disaster plan suggested by the HSUS prepares us to protect our animals during disasters that come with some warning, like floods, wildfires or hurricanes, and those that strike suddenly, like tornadoes or chemical spills.

The first step of the HSUS plan is to start getting ready now.

ID your pet. Start by making sure your dog or cat is wearing a collar with visible and up-to-date identification information. Put your cellphone number on your pet's tag and maybe the phone number of a friend or relative outside the area in case you have to evacuate. Take pictures of you with your pet for identification purposes. Microchip your pet to increase your chance of being reunited with him.

Talk to your neighbors about how they can help your pets if you are not at home when disaster strikes.

Find a safe place to stay ahead of time in case you have to evacuate. Make a list of hotels outside your immediate area that allow pets. Ask about any restrictions on number, size and species. Ask if the "no pet" policies would be waived in an emergency.

Put together your disaster kit. Every family member should know what to do and what to take if you need to evacuate.

The HSUS advises, "Be prepared to take pets with you if evacuation orders are issued. If it isn't safe for you, it isn't safe for them. If you are ordered to shelter in place, bring your pets inside with you."

Supplies for your family will include supplies for your pet. The HSUS states, "Stock up on nonperishables well ahead of time and have everything ready to go at a moment's notice. Keep everything accessible and stored in sturdy containers (duffel bags, covered trash containers) that can be carried easily.

The basic disaster kit includes:

• Food and water for at least five days for each pet, bowls for food and water, and a manual can opener for canned food. Dry pet food should be kept in air tight containers and refreshed every six months.

• Medications and medical records in a waterproof container, a pet first aid kit and a pet first aid book.

• Sturdy leashes, harnesses.

• Carriers to transport pets safely and to ensure your pets can't escape. Carriers should be large enough for the animal to stand comfortably, turn around and lie down and to use as a sleeping area.

• Garbage bags, litter boxes and scoops for pets' waste.

• Comfort items like beds or toys

If you are sheltering in-place during a tornado alert, practice getting your pets into the tornado-safe area. Do your best to train your dog to go to the area on command or to come to you on command, even when there are distractions. Learn how to quickly and safely secure your pets.

For information on preparedness plans for our pets, go to humanesociety.org/prepare.

The HSUS states, "The best way to keep your pets safe during an emergency is to keep them with you."

Being prepared for an emergency is a good thing.

• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 shelter. Call (847) 290-5806 or visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org.