You and your pet got separated during a disaster – What now?

Do you remember the winter of 1997? It was marked by a record breaking El Nino event. Severe weather resulted in flooding in California and in the Southeast, an ice storm in the northeast and tornadoes in Florida.

Wherever you live you, you and your family could be affected by a natural disaster. Are you all prepared – pets included? Planning ahead is the key to keeping you and your entire family safe.

Resources are available to you to help you to create your own disaster plan. Visit RedRovers page for more information: https://redrover.org/DisasterTips

Make sure to include all of the animals that you are responsible for in your plan, including outdoor cats, horses and farm animals.

But what happens if you do become separated from your pet? Here are some steps that you can take:

• To find shelters that are taking in lost pets, contact your local or State emergency management agency, or
• Contact your local animal control office to find out where lost animals are being taken. If you can, create a flier including the following information and distribute to shelters that are caring for found animals:
• Pet’s name and detailed description
• Your name and contact information
• The location and date the pet was last seen. If the pet was lost from your house, include the general area information.
• Recent photo of your pet
•  If your pet is microchipped, call the microchip company to make sure all the information about you and your pet is updated and current.
•  Check online for a lost and found animal’s board/Facebook page.
• Check http://www.211.org to determine if a particular area has 2-1-1 services.  There can be additional services which can assist in locating pets or caring for pets after a disaster.

Even the most prepared people can become separated from their pets during a disaster. Follow the above tips, and you’ll give your family and your pet the best chance of reunification.