Quick Question: How should I prepare to take my pet to a disaster shelter should I have to evacuate my home?

All of emergency preparedness comes BEFORE a disaster strikes, and preparing to evacuate with your pet is no different. 

 When it comes to making a plan for evacuating with pets, make sure you CALL SHELTERS AHEAD OF TIME (*hint hint* part of your preparedness place) to see what documentation they require to allow your pet in with you (vaccination records, adoption papers, etc). If you have a medical service dog, all shelters are required by law to allow them in. However “regular” pets don’t have this blanket entry so it’s important to know the requirements ahead of time.  

 

 

Tip: Info on where disaster shelters will be located in your community can often be found through the Parks & Rec department, but they may not have specifics as that will be decided based on the emergency (For example, if there’s a tsunami warning, there won't be shelters set up on the coast.) It’s still important to call and see what information they can provide

 

More pet tips during National Pet Preparedness Month can be found in our Judy x Spot & Tango library HERE. 

Still have questions about bringing your pet to emergency shelters? No problem! Feel free to reach out to us directly. We’ve got you covered.