Planning
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
― Benjamin Franklin
― Benjamin Franklin
For Animal Shelters
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina gave the world a glimpse into the depth of the human-animal bond. It also changed the way that companion animals are dealt with during times of disaster in the U.S.. The PETS (Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards) Act was passed in 2006. It directed FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to ensure that state and local emergency plans take into account the needs of individuals with pets and service animals during a major disaster or emergency.
Unfortunately, this is not the case in Canada. We have no PETS Act, no FEMA and no coordinated animal response. While some jurisdictions have included animals in their emergency plans, the level of inclusion varies greatly. More often there is an assumption that local animal shelters will take care of the animal component of any disastrous event, but with no formal agreements in place, it’s difficult to know what is expected of any agency, let alone how those expectations can be filled.
Disaster planning often seems like a daunting task that would demand more time and money than is available. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, good planning saves time and money as well as lives. One of the easiest ways to lighten the response burden for your shelter is by hosting a Prepared Pets workshop. These workshops give community pet owners the tools to take control of their own disaster planning and response. This, in turn, leaves shelters more time to focus their resources on business continuity. When we educate pet owners on disaster preparedness everyone wins. Prepared pet owners are self-sufficient.
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina gave the world a glimpse into the depth of the human-animal bond. It also changed the way that companion animals are dealt with during times of disaster in the U.S.. The PETS (Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards) Act was passed in 2006. It directed FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to ensure that state and local emergency plans take into account the needs of individuals with pets and service animals during a major disaster or emergency.
Unfortunately, this is not the case in Canada. We have no PETS Act, no FEMA and no coordinated animal response. While some jurisdictions have included animals in their emergency plans, the level of inclusion varies greatly. More often there is an assumption that local animal shelters will take care of the animal component of any disastrous event, but with no formal agreements in place, it’s difficult to know what is expected of any agency, let alone how those expectations can be filled.
Disaster planning often seems like a daunting task that would demand more time and money than is available. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, good planning saves time and money as well as lives. One of the easiest ways to lighten the response burden for your shelter is by hosting a Prepared Pets workshop. These workshops give community pet owners the tools to take control of their own disaster planning and response. This, in turn, leaves shelters more time to focus their resources on business continuity. When we educate pet owners on disaster preparedness everyone wins. Prepared pet owners are self-sufficient.
For Emergency Management
History has shown us that pets are the primary influence on the post disaster decision making of their owners. We know that most pet owners will willingly compromise their own safely over concerns for their animals. This can, and often does, directly impact response and recovery efforts, adding extra financial and logistical challenges.
A survey conducted follow the 2013 ice storm in Southern Ontario found that despite days of warnings as the storm approached, less than 25% of respondents had 72-hour kits prepared for themselves or their pets. However, those who had planned and prepared were able to maintain themselves and their pets with little to no external support. It’s time to change those statistics and empower pet owners to triumph over disaster. It’s time for everyone to have a PLAN.
Bringing the Prepared Pets workshop to your community is one of the easiest ways to build your community’s resilience capacity.
History has shown us that pets are the primary influence on the post disaster decision making of their owners. We know that most pet owners will willingly compromise their own safely over concerns for their animals. This can, and often does, directly impact response and recovery efforts, adding extra financial and logistical challenges.
A survey conducted follow the 2013 ice storm in Southern Ontario found that despite days of warnings as the storm approached, less than 25% of respondents had 72-hour kits prepared for themselves or their pets. However, those who had planned and prepared were able to maintain themselves and their pets with little to no external support. It’s time to change those statistics and empower pet owners to triumph over disaster. It’s time for everyone to have a PLAN.
Bringing the Prepared Pets workshop to your community is one of the easiest ways to build your community’s resilience capacity.
For Pet Owners
When disaster strikes, we must be prepared to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours. We’re all familiar with that message but as pet owners, we need to prepare for a lot more. Very few emergency response plans include provisions for animals. It’s up to us-the pet owners-to keep them safe in times of disaster.
The good news is that getting yourself and your animals prepared is easier than it’s ever been. There are countless resources to help you and many of them are just a mouse click away. All good preparedness plans start with a similar framework. The key things to consider are:
1. Know your risks: If you live 50km from the nearest waterway, your odds of being displaced by a flood are minimal. While we are all vulnerable to some disasters, risks for others depend on your location. Find out what sorts of events have actually happened in your community and start your plan from there. At this time you can also find out if animals have been included in your community’s Emergency Plan and to what degree. This will help you make informed decisions when you put your plan together.
2. Awareness, Mitigation and Preparedness: Knowing your risks is not enough. By staying informed and aware you will know when those risks increase and that will let you better prepare for events….before it’s too late. One part of that preparedness is mitigation. By taking steps beforehand, you can reduce the disaster’s impact on your home and family. This includes making sure all of your pets have some form of identification in case you get separated. As well, having recent photos of all of your animals can make identification much easier. The final step of preparedness is making a plan.
3. Make a Plan: When disaster comes calling you will be faced with two options; shelter at home or evacuate. Sometimes you will have to choose between the two, more often, circumstance make that choice for you. Therefore, your plan should include considerations for both eventualities, as well as a ‘buddy system’ that ensures someone will get to your animals if you can’t. Most of these considerations can be assembled together into kits that can easily be pulled out when needed.
4. The kit(s): Having an emergency preparedness kit for your family is important. Having one (or several) for your pets are just as important. At a very minimum, your kit should be able to sustain your animal(s) for 72 hours. Make sure you include everything your pet would need in either circumstance; sheltering at home or evacuating. Planning for evacuations will require some extra research. If your community has no emergency animal shelter in their emergency plan, you will need to figure out where to take your animals. Make a list of pet friendly motels, talk with area boarding kennels or arrange to stay with friends or family outside of your immediate area. It’s always best to have a Plan ‘B’ or even ‘C’ in case a large area is effected and Plan ‘A’ will no longer work.
5. Practice, Review and Revise: The only way to know how successful you plan is going to be is to try it out. Drills help us to identify problems or shortcomings, as well as giving us a ‘real time’ idea of how long it will take to implement different parts of our plans. If you find out that getting your 4 cats into carriers takes the better part of an hour, you’ll know to start the process early if evacuating your home becomes a possibility.
Planning for disaster now can help keep you and your pets safe in times of trouble. Trying to figure out what you need and where to find it at a time when moments count and emotions are running high is not going to work. Spend the time planning, preparing and practicing now and if the time ever comes, you’ll be able to keep your ENTIRE family safe without missing a beat.
For a comprehensive list of resources to help you get started visit my RESOURCES page.
When disaster strikes, we must be prepared to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours. We’re all familiar with that message but as pet owners, we need to prepare for a lot more. Very few emergency response plans include provisions for animals. It’s up to us-the pet owners-to keep them safe in times of disaster.
The good news is that getting yourself and your animals prepared is easier than it’s ever been. There are countless resources to help you and many of them are just a mouse click away. All good preparedness plans start with a similar framework. The key things to consider are:
1. Know your risks: If you live 50km from the nearest waterway, your odds of being displaced by a flood are minimal. While we are all vulnerable to some disasters, risks for others depend on your location. Find out what sorts of events have actually happened in your community and start your plan from there. At this time you can also find out if animals have been included in your community’s Emergency Plan and to what degree. This will help you make informed decisions when you put your plan together.
2. Awareness, Mitigation and Preparedness: Knowing your risks is not enough. By staying informed and aware you will know when those risks increase and that will let you better prepare for events….before it’s too late. One part of that preparedness is mitigation. By taking steps beforehand, you can reduce the disaster’s impact on your home and family. This includes making sure all of your pets have some form of identification in case you get separated. As well, having recent photos of all of your animals can make identification much easier. The final step of preparedness is making a plan.
3. Make a Plan: When disaster comes calling you will be faced with two options; shelter at home or evacuate. Sometimes you will have to choose between the two, more often, circumstance make that choice for you. Therefore, your plan should include considerations for both eventualities, as well as a ‘buddy system’ that ensures someone will get to your animals if you can’t. Most of these considerations can be assembled together into kits that can easily be pulled out when needed.
4. The kit(s): Having an emergency preparedness kit for your family is important. Having one (or several) for your pets are just as important. At a very minimum, your kit should be able to sustain your animal(s) for 72 hours. Make sure you include everything your pet would need in either circumstance; sheltering at home or evacuating. Planning for evacuations will require some extra research. If your community has no emergency animal shelter in their emergency plan, you will need to figure out where to take your animals. Make a list of pet friendly motels, talk with area boarding kennels or arrange to stay with friends or family outside of your immediate area. It’s always best to have a Plan ‘B’ or even ‘C’ in case a large area is effected and Plan ‘A’ will no longer work.
5. Practice, Review and Revise: The only way to know how successful you plan is going to be is to try it out. Drills help us to identify problems or shortcomings, as well as giving us a ‘real time’ idea of how long it will take to implement different parts of our plans. If you find out that getting your 4 cats into carriers takes the better part of an hour, you’ll know to start the process early if evacuating your home becomes a possibility.
Planning for disaster now can help keep you and your pets safe in times of trouble. Trying to figure out what you need and where to find it at a time when moments count and emotions are running high is not going to work. Spend the time planning, preparing and practicing now and if the time ever comes, you’ll be able to keep your ENTIRE family safe without missing a beat.
For a comprehensive list of resources to help you get started visit my RESOURCES page.
To see if there is a Prepared Pets workshop coming to your area or to learn more about booking a workshop for your community Contact Erika for more information.
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Erika Longman, Dip.CBST, Cert. AC Sheltering and Disaster Response Consultant
e. erikalongman@gmail.com | c. 519.216.0766 |
©Erika Longman 2015 . photo credit: pixabay.com public domain
