Being prepared with pets

Trish Lynn and Thom Donitz portrait and friends

JOLT staff photo

As we watched the horrendous destruction brought by Hurricane Helene and then by Hurricane Milton, it made us wonder how prepared we all are for any natural disaster that may, hopefully, not befall our region. Fortunately, we live in an area protected by mountains with pretty stable weather, but there is always the possibility of other events, such as an earthquake or flooding. 

By now, most of us have all heard of having emergency supplies on hand for ourselves, but at our homes, we have also tried to ensure we have prepared for our fur friends. This extra precaution is to ensure their safety and well-being. 

There are several sites online that deal with emergency preparedness and emergency kits for animals, some specifically for either cats or dogs. 

The emergency kits that we looked at online appear to be similar to what you might find in the ones meant for humans but, of course, designed for pets, primarily dogs or cats. Some are strictly emergency first aid kits for injuries; others bundle food and water that might sustain your pet, if used sparingly, for maybe a week.

One thing we will touch on is it’s a good idea to have two kits made up if possible: one larger one to go with your own provisions if you are sheltering in place and a smaller one if you must leave or evacuate for any reason immediately – or – just to have one to carry in your car if you decide to take a long trip or vacation with your faithful companion. Prices vary from as low as $15 (essentially a one, maybe two, time meal with water that you could make yourself) up to as much as $170 (for a medical field kit for your dog that includes everything but the operating table). Some of the all-around kits are pretty reasonable if you want to have that emergency grab & go peace of mind, but remember that the food and water will usually come with an expiration date, but some emergency brands carry a shelf life of up to five years. One that is specifically designed for cats even comes with its own collapsable litter box. 

The biggest advantage to building your own emergency pet preparedness kit is the same as building one for yourself, where you can design it to meet your pet’s specific needs. You know your dog or cat better than anyone else, as this is especially true if you have more than one. The hardest part is keeping the food and water fresh so what we do is buy enough in advance so we can rotate new food and water in. We know this is not always possible, especially with today’s high prices, but just having access to what you have in case you need all of it at a moment’s notice is helpful. Most store-bought pet food is good for at least a year and a half or more (unopened) and only you know what treats your pets like the most. 

When choosing to build your own larger (or smaller) emergency supply kit it is always good to look at a couple of websites that offer information on what you may (or may not) want to include in yours. 

Some of the best ones are on this site.  

Red Cross is a good site that provides really helpful information.  Click on “get help” and look up “pet disaster preparedness and recovery.”

Another good site to look at is the CDC.   Go to the “explore topics” and look up the “Build a Pet Disaster Preparedness Kit.” 

All three sites have really helpful suggestions for whatever you may choose to do. 

One of the best suggestions was to develop a “Buddy System” with your family, friends or neighbors where someone will check in on your pets in case you are unable to. Maybe the roads are damaged and you can’t make it home by the normal routes. Maybe trees and power lines are down. Cell service may go down and we might have difficulty contacting each other. Just knowing that someone will check on your fur friends is comforting to know. 

While the death toll and damage from both hurricanes was horrible, the one image that caught our attention in particular was that bull terrier in Leon County, Florida who someone left tied to a fence post in what appears to be a drainage ditch, up to his body in water, just before Hurricane Milton came ashore. Many thanks to the Florida Highway Trooper who waded out into the water to rescue him. He is now safe and sounds with a new name “Trooper” while recovering in a rescue shelter. 

Lady

 Paws for thoughts

The story of Trooper brought back immediate memories of “Lady”. She was a beautiful mixed dog who Trish’s father, when living in southern California, found tied to a post and abandoned by the freeway. After being rescued, Lady found her way up to Trish’s home where she spent many years living a happy life before passing away earlier this year. She was a great dog and she really was a great Lady. 

Thom Donitz and Trish Lynn are neighbors and close friends who share their love of animals and wildlife. Trish and Thom are residents of Tumwater. Contact them at  pets@theJOLTnews.com.