An evacuation plan is a necessity for every home, especially if you live in an area where fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and other disasters are a possibility. Many homeowners create evacuation plans for their homes and practice them with their kids, but far fewer have considered one for their pets. Take these steps to add your pets to your evacuation plan.
Assign pet evacuation to an adult. Everyone
should know how to act during an evacuation, and that includes assigning one
parent or adult to the pets. This allows the other parent and the children to
focus on their part of the evacuation plan, so there’s no confusion during a
high-stress moment when time is of the essence.
Keep evacuation maps and pet carriers readily accessible. If
you need to evacuate, you should know exactly where every important item is. If
you pets require carriers, keep them in a place that you can access easily.
Practice your plan. Include your pets in
your home evacuation drills. It’ll help you see how they will respond and make
changes to your plan if necessary. Getting your dog out of a window may not be
as simple as you think!
Be prepared in case you get separated from your pets. No
matter how much you drill your evacuation plan, it’s possible that a dog or cat
will run off while you’re focusing on keeping your family safe. A microchip or
a GPS-compatible tag can help you find your pets once it’s safe to return to
the area.