Week 15: Pet Preparedness

Earlier this week, the Louisville Area Chapter responded to a fire that completely destroyed a Louisville home. Thankfully, the family was able to escape, but the family dog was unable to make it out in time.

The National Pet Owners Survey compiled by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association in 2011 revealed that more than 30% of U.S. households own a dog or cat. Pet owners know well how quickly a four-legged friend becomes part of the family and how devastating their loss can be.

  

Just as you can help prepare your family for disaster, you can help make sure your pet has the best chance of survival should a disaster take place. In your disaster kit, or in a separate kit, collect items for your pet such as:

• Pet food
• Extra water
• Food/water bowls
• Mediations and medical records in a plastic container

Also keep toys and a photo of you with your pet(s) should you be separated during a disaster. Visit redcross.org for more on preparing your pet for disasters including a video on building your own Pet First Aid kit.

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Batteries Not Included

Let me know if this scenario sounds familiar to you:

It's around 8 p.m. on a weeknight and after a long day at work, you've settled in to enjoy some primetime TV. McDreamy is preparing to run a CT scan on the cheerleader who thinks she has superpowers while emergency room workers are freaking out about two men with large neck wounds resembling vampire bites . . .? Something like that.

 

Suddenly McDreamy's face is replaced with that of the local weatherman. The storm that initially warranted only a ticker tape has now escalated to a show interrupting level. Before you can make sense of the yellow, green and red blobs on the radar, the TV flickers out along with the rest of your power. After finally unearthing your keys (which carry the only flashlight you own—you know, the one you got for free at the health fair at work) you click it on only to discover the batteries are out. If only you had an extra set of batteries.

This has happened to the best of us. Even having four or five flashlights in the house doesn't guarantee working batteries. Having extra flashlights and batteries on hand can help prevent crises like the above scenario or be your hero when the remote control stops working. Check out weeks 12 & 13 of 21 Weeks to Prepare for more tools that might come in handy during a disaster.

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