Pet Care
Prepare Your Pet for the Unexpected
By
Apr 2, 2012 - 2:20:14 PM

NAPPS Advises Pet Parents about Emergency Planning Essentials

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., April 2, 2012– If faced with sudden disaster, would you be prepared to help your entire family – including pets – avert dangerous situations? The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS), a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the welfare of animals, is raising awareness about the importance of comprehensive plans and emergency preparedness to ensure the safety of pets during natural disasters.

The NAPPS Emergency Planning Committee has provided a 19-page emergency planning guide that includes specific recommendations for monitoring and coping with tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods, winter storms, extreme heat, wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. The manual is available for free download by visiting www.petsitters.org.

“An emergency is an unexpected occurrence requiring immediate reaction. To remain organized and calm, pet parents must establish plans to help reduce the severity of an urgent situation,” said John D’Ariano, President of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. “Thorough preparation is essential for the safety of your entire family – including your furry friends.”

While appropriate actions vary depending on the specific emergency, several responses are applicable to most situations, including:

Complete pet identification forms for each animal in the household.
Familiarize yourself with city, county and state emergency plans.
Crate pets before they are able to sense danger, to prevent them retreating to challenging hiding places.
Attach alert stickers to your windows and doors to show rescue workers that there are pets in the home that need rescuing.
Plan several evacuation routes with your pets in case a route is blocked. If you have horses or livestock, make arrangements ahead of time for a temporary shelter, such as parks, animal shelters, rodeos, fairgrounds, or family and friends’ homes may be options available to you. Pack portable fencing for a temporary corral.
If possible, keep a large animal trailer hitched at all times to a dedicated vehicle with a full gas tank for a smooth and quick evacuation with horses and livestock.
Providing plenty of comfort and attention to pets after the emergency has passed.
At all times, it is important to have an emergency supply kit for your pet, including a pet identification form with photos, microchip number, shot records, food, water, veterinarian and emergency contact information (including one contact outside of the emergency area,) first aid supplies, and a three-week supply of medications. Keep the emergency kit in a sealed, waterproof bag or container.
Given the importance of pet identification, NAPPS reminds pet parents and sitters that the most important thing one can do for a pet is purchase simple identification tags; however, since even the best collars can slip off, NAPPS recommends considering a microchip as a
backup.

Here is the link to the free PDF download of Emergency Planning Tips for Pet Parents: http://www.petsitters.org/cfincludes/PetOwners/pdfs/DPPetOwner.pdf

The link is directly to the PDF, but you can also access this through the NAPPS website, by clicking here:

http://www.petsitters.org/index.cfm?section=PetOwners


About NAPPS
NAPPS is a national non-profit trade association dedicated to promoting the welfare of animals. The Association aims to help the pet owning public, those interested in pet sitting, and professionals engaged in the in-home pet care industry by fulfilling its vision statement, serving as “the most respected authority in professional pet sitting.” It does so by providing the tools and support to foster the success of its members. Additionally, pet parents can benefit from NAPPS’ free resources including a disaster preparedness guide, tips on how to select a pet sitter, nationwide referral service, and quarterly teleconferences aimed to educate the pet owning public. To find a pet sitter in your area, check out NAPPS’ nationwide “Pet Sitter Locator” at www.petsitters.org. For more information on NAPPS, please follow @TheNAPPS on Twitter or join us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNAPPS.

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