• While service animals are allowed inside human public shelters, many shelters do not accept pets. Because pets may not be allowed at many human public shelters, it is critical that as part of your emergency plan, you plan in advance for what you will do with your pet if you need to leave your home:
• Make plans ahead of time to take your pet to stay at relatives, friends or a kennel outside the affected area.
• Know the locations of pet-friendly hotels, motels, and campgrounds both inside and outside your local area. Ask if "no pet" policies can be waived in an emergency.
• Prepare a list of boarding facilities and veterinarians who could shelter animals in an emergency. Be sure to include 24-hour phone numbers.
• Consult with your local animal control officer and emergency management director about possible temporary shelter facilities in your community.
• Ask local animal shelters if they provide emergency shelter or foster care for pets in a disaster. Animal shelters may be overburdened caring for the animals they already have, as well as those displaced by a disaster, so this should be your last resort.
• Make a back-up emergency plan in case you can't care for your animals yourself. Develop a buddy system with neighbors, friends and relatives to make sure that someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so.
• As part of your Emergency Kit , prepare an emergency kit for your pets. Include: Collars, leashes, harnesses, and/or carriers to transport and house your pets.
• Medications and medical records (stored in a waterproof container).
• Food, drinkable water, bowls, cat litter/pan, and manual can opener.
• Current photos of your pets in case they get lost.
• Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, and the name and number of your veterinarian in case you are separated.
• Pet bed or toys if easily transportable.
• Make sure your pets wear collars with current license and rabies tags, and if possible, attach the address and/or telephone number of your evacuation site. If your pet has a microchip, be sure that the information is updated to reflect your current information.

• Know where your pets are and determine the safest location for your family and pets. Have newspapers on hand for sanitary purposes.
• The behavior of your pets may change after an emergency. Normally quiet and friendly pets may become aggressive or defensive. Watch animals closely.
• If you have time before you evacuate, call ahead to confirm emergency shelter arrangements for you and your pets.
• If you have to evacuate, use a pet carrier for each of your pets to make transportation easier.
• Leash your pets when they go outside and maintain close contact. Familiar scents and landmarks may be altered and your pet may become confused and lost.
• Wildlife, snakes and other dangerous animals may be displaced from their natural surroundings and inhabit the area due to the disaster situation. Downed power lines and spilled chemicals also present hazards to pets.
• Livestock and Exotic Animals
• If you have large animals, such as horses, cattle, sheep, goat or pigs, consider and plan in advance what you would do during an emergency. If you plan on evacuating, make available vehicles and trailers needed for transporting and supporting each type of animal. Also make available experienced handlers and drivers. If not evacuating, animal owners must decide whether to move large animals to sheltered area or turn them outside.
• Exotic or dangerous pets require extra planning to ensure that they are handled, transported and cared for by trained personnel at appropriate facilities. To insure for the safety of their animals, owners of these types of pets should have advanced planning preparations ready for their pet’s special needs.

Remember: “When you go, they go!”

• As the harsh winter months settles in, it is important that you think about keeping your pets safe from all of the dangers that the season can present. MEMA offers some tips to help insure your pet's safety:
• Do not leave your pet outdoors when temperatures drop below freezing. Dogs need outdoor exercise, but take care not to keep them outdoors for lengthy periods of time during very cold weather. Pets that are mostly indoors need time to adapt to cold temperatures by building up a thicker coat and toughening their footpads for ice and snow. Short-coated dogs may feel more comfortable wearing a sweater during walks. Dogs and cats are safer indoors during all sorts of extreme weather.
• Care for your pet’s feet. If your pet walks on salted or chemically treated areas, be sure to wash its paws after your walk. Gently rub the bottom of the feet to remove these irritants as soon as your dog is off the road. Many dogs need boots in cold weather, regardless of their coat length. If your dog frequently lifts up its paws, whines or stops during walks, it may be demonstrating that its feet are uncomfortably cold.
• Wind-chill is a threat to pets, even those protected by shelters. Outdoor dogs must be protected by a dry, draft-free doghouse that is large enough to allow the dog to both sit and lie down comfortably, but small enough to retain body heat. The floor should be elevated a few inches off the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The entrance of the doghouse should be turned to face away from prevailing winds, and the entrance should be covered with a flap of heavy waterproof fabric or heavy plastic.
• Pets that spend a greater amount of time outdoors in the winter need more food. Maintaining warmth depletes energy. Routinely check your pet’s water dish to ensure the water is fresh and not frozen. To prevent your pet’s tongue from freezing to its feeding or drinking bowl, plastic, rather than metal food and water bowls are preferred.
• Never leave a pet locked inside a car during extremely cold weather. Cars can actually act like a refrigerator, holding in cold air, putting your pet at risk.
• Be leery of frozen bodies of water. Always keep your pets on a leash when walking them near suspected frozen bodies of water. The ice may not be sturdy enough to support your pet. If a pet falls through the ice, do not attempt to rescue your pet yourself; call 9-1-1 or go for help.
• Antifreeze and de-icing chemicals can be hazardous. Many types of antifreeze have a sweet taste that can attract animals. Always store antifreeze out of reach and clean up spills. Antifreeze made with propylene glycol can actually be swallowed in small amounts and not injure pets, wildlife or humans.
• Warm automobile engines are dangerous for cats and small wildlife. Parked vehicles can attract small animals, which may crawl under the hood seeking warmth. To avoid injuring hiding animals, bang on your car’s hood to scare them off before starting your engine.