Since this month’s issue of The Pilot is devoted to disaster preparedness, it is only fitting I address the topic of animals and disasters. As humans, we’ve been told to have enough food, water, flashlights, battery powered radios and the like. But, for pet owners, it is also imperative you have a plan in place for your animals!

Let me take you back to a little more than 22 years ago — October 17, 1989 — the day Loma Prieta struck. In 1989 I was living in San Francisco. I arrived home to find some broken glass, some plaster that had fallen, and no electricity. My damages were minimal compared to what other people suffered that day.

As any good pet owner did, I promptly put my cat in his carrier as I did not want him stepping in the broken glass. Within two hours my nice, docile cat managed to chew his way out of his carrier (yes, it was a corrugated-type carrier), and my only working flashlight died on me. (Luckily, approximately 4 hours later we had our electricity back on.)

The Loma Prieta quake only served to illustrate how unprepared I was, especially when it came to the welfare of my beloved animal.

So, here is a list of some of the things you should have in place before you need them:

• Sturdy carriers (one for each animal)
• Enough food and water for 7 days
• A photograph of your pet
• A copy of your animal’s vacation/medical history
• Extra medicine if your animal requires medicine
• An extra leash, collar and identification tag
• Extra litter box
• A pet first aid kit
• Take a pet first aid class

If you focus on completing one item at a time your task will not seem so overwhelming. And in no time you will be well-prepared for your animal.

–Jan Brown

Jan is the Owner of Jan’s Pet Sitting and is a Pet Tech Pet First Aid Instructor.