Include the following items in a disaster kit specifically for dogs. Prepare one disaster supply kit for each dog in your household. Feel free to add items.
Food and Water:
- A one-week supply of the food you normally feed your dog. (A change in diet may cause diarrhea...)
- Store food in an airtight, waterproof container. Rotate every three months to ensure freshness.
- If your dog eats canned food, buy cans small enough for one feeding since you may not be able to refrigerate leftovers.
- Include a can opener or buy pop-top cans.
- A one-week supply of water, stored in a cool, dark location. Rotate occassionally to ensure freshness. If tap water is not suitable for you to drink during a disaster, it is also not suitable for your animals to drink.
- Bowls for food and water. Collapsible bowls are easy to store and save space.
Cleaning and Sanitation:
- Pooper scooper, plastic bags or other means of disposing of your dog's waste.
- Liquid soap for washing food and water bowls, paper towels and disinfectant for cleaning crates and carriers.
Housing and Transportation:
- A plastic airline crate or wire collapsible crate is helpful during an evacuation and afterward, especially if you will be staying in a hotel (make list of pet friendly hotels!) that requires pets to be confined while you are out. The crate should be large enough for your dog to stand, to turn around and to lie down in comfortably and allow additional room for a food and water dish.
- If you have to evacuate crate your dog BEFORE doing anything else. If you are nervous and the door opens (because you are taking something to the car) your dog will try to escape.
- Write your name and cell phone number on a plastic crate. If your animal goes to an emergency animal shelter the crate will be stored because the dog will be either in a run or a metal cage. Attached your personal information to a metal crate with a zip-tie.
- An extra leash, preferably at least six feet long.
Identification:
- Temporary identification tag that you can write your temporary location on in case your dog is separated from you.
- Current pictures of your dog in case he or she gets lost and you need to create posters. Better yet: make a couple of Lost in the Disaster posters (see elsewhere in usDART.org) beforehand. (This poster probably has a lot of the information the intake staff at an emergency shelter may need.)
- Pictures of you with your dog to prove owership if you are separated.
- An up-to-date list of vaccinations with contact information for your vet, preferably attached to the crate so the paperwork and the dog are unlikely to get separated.
- Do not forget to give a trusted pet sitter (or neighbor) a document that shows that they have power of attorney if you are absent. Your pet sitter may need that document to get past police lines when trying to reach your home.
- Related: make a list of pet friendly hotels or boarding kennels 20 to 50 miles from your home, so you have a destination in case you must evacuate. (You do keep your car's gas tank at least half full, don't you?)
Health and Safety:
- A two-week supply of any medications your dog is taking.
- Medical records, including vaccination records. Keep copies with your pet (and if you can: place electronic copies on a thumb-drive that is on your person). Let your family, your pet sitter and your trusted neighbor know where the medications are and how and how often they are administered (write down).
- Did you tell your vet who your pet sitter and your trusted neighbor are and how much they are allowed to spend on your behalf on the health of your dogs? Has your vet agreed to charge your credit card? By the way: what is you vet's evacuation plan (just in case one of your dogs is with them when the evacuation orders come)?
First aid kit:
- The first aid book for dogs you received when taking the First Aid & CPR Class for dogs (!)
- conforming bandage (3" x 5")
- absorbent gauze pads (4" x 4")
- absorbent gauze roll (3" x 1 yard)
- cotton tipped applicators (1 small box)
- antiseptic wipes (1 package)
- emollient cream (1 container)
- tweezers and scissors
- instant cold pack
- latex disposable gloves (several pairs)
- proper fitting muzzle
