Prepare
Create a “Pet Emergency Kit” complete with:
- At least three days of food, water, and any medications that your pet may need
- Vet/vaccination records, etc.
- Collars/ID’s, Harnesses, and/or leashes
- Pictures of you and other family members with your pet(s)
- Sanitation kit: pet litter, litter box, plastic trash bags and household chlorine bleach
- First Aid Kit: talk to your vet or contact Animal Care & Control about what is most appropriate for your pet(s) emergency needs e.g. cotton bandage rolls, bandage tape and scissors, antibiotic ointment, flea and tick prevention, latex gloves, isopropyl alcohol, and saline solution
- Have a carrier or crate ready that your pet has been adapted to for safe transportation purposes. The carrier should be large enough to allow your pet to stand, turn around and lie down
- Consider microchipping your animal
Know what to do
Develop and implement your family’s emergency plan, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR PETS BEHIND!
- If you have enough notice, prepare an alternate home for your pet (family, friends, or local kennel) and get your pet there in advance (List of Emergency Boarding Facilities). Space and temporary cages may be limited, so if you have to go to a shelter with your pet, make sure it is in a carrier (plan in advance and purchase one now)
- Pay attention to news updates, and check the county website for the up-to-the-minute status of shelters in your area
- Know which local hotels/motels will take pets, or which animal boarding facilities take pets during emergencies (List of current Pet Friendly Hotels/Motels in your area and in surrounding jurisdictions)
Additional Resources
What Animal Care & Control can do for you in emergencies:
- If the County opens an emergency shelter for people, Animal Care & Control will provide a Companion Animal Shelter.
- Depending on available space, Animal Control will seek to make all shelters “pet friendly”
- Provide pick-up and transportation of pets for the elderly and disabled
- Provide transportation and temporary care, shelter, food and water at the shelter, if space is available
- Animal Care & Control may be able to assist with transportation and temporary care, shelter, food and water at the Animal Care & Control Facility in Millersville
- Animal Control is working with local veterinarians, kennels, and rescues to establish a network of volunteers to assist with the proper transportation, care and shelter of your pets during disasters.